Composition analyses of pinecones
Among newly fallen cones, that of P . yunnanensis showed the highest contents of lignin and hemicellulose, but the least amounts of cellulose and pectin. In contrast, the cones of P .armandii showed the highest contents of cellulose and pectin, but the least amount of lignin (Figure 3b; Table S2). In addition to the least amount of hemicellulose, the other components in the cone ofP . sylvestris are between those in the cones of the other two species (Figure 3b; Table S2). Compared with the newly fallen cones, the cones already decomposed by corresponding Auriscalpium fungi had reduced relative proportions of lignin and hemicellulose and increased relative proportions of cellulose and pectin (Figure 4a–c; Table S2).