Novel Laccaria Species From Juglandaceae Forest in Panama With Notes on Their Ecology

Three new species of Laccaria (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from Southwest China (Yunnan) based on morphological and multi-gene sequence data

Introduction

The genus Laccaria has been reported from temperate and tropical areas and is an important constituent in forest ecosystems. However, the species diversity of Laccaria in Southwest China (Yunnan) has been underestimated.

Methods

In this paper, descriptions based on morphological and multi-gene sequence data from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (nrLSU), translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1α) and the polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) of three new Laccaria species from Southwest China (Yunnan) are reported.

Results

Two of these were characterized by orange pileus and globose to subglobose basidiospores: L. cinnabarina and L. spinulosa. While L. cinnabarina has orange red colored basidiocarps with conspicuously pellucid-striate pattern, and a fibrillose stipe with longitudinally striations, L. spinulosa has a brownish orange to brown fruiting body with light white pruinae and 2-spored basidia. Laccaria longistriata is characterized by brown to flesh-colored basidioma, prominently striate to sulcate pileus and globose to subglobose basidiospores.

Discussion

The three new species were described, illustrated and compared with closely related species in morphology and phylogeny.

Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny Reveal Five New Species of Laccaria (Hydnangiaceae, Agaricales) from Southern China

The genus Laccaria is a type of cosmopolitan and ecologically important fungal group. Members can form ectomycorrhizal associations with numerous trees, and some species are common edible fungi in local markets. Although some new species from China are recently published, the species diversity of Laccaria is still unclear in China. In this study, some samples of Laccaria were collected from southern China, and morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses based on the multilocus dataset of ITS-LSU-tef1-rpb2 confirmed five new species. Laccaria miniata, L. nanlingensis and L. neovinaceoavellanea were collected from subtropical broad-leaved forests, and L. rufobrunnea and L. umbilicata were collected from subtropical mixed forests of southwest China. Full descriptions, illustrations, comparisons with similar species and phylogenetic analysis are provided.