Cortinarius carneipallidus Harrower & E. Horak

Harrower, Emma, Bougher, Neale L., Winterbottom, Caitlin, Henkel, Terry W., Horak, Egon & Matheny, P. Brandon, 2015, New species in CortinariussectionCortinarius (Agaricales) from the Americas and Australasia, MycoKeys 11, pp. 1-21 : 10-13

Taxon classification Fungi Agaricales Cortinariaceae

Cortinarius carneipallidus Harrower & E. Horak sp. nov. Figs 1, 2f, 3f, 4f

Diagnosis.

Similar to Cortinarius kioloensis but differs by its association with Nothofagus . Unique molecular synapomorhies at pos. 33, 157, 170, 190, 233, 249 (ITS1), 472, 480, 489, 525, 607, 670 (ITS2).

Type.

NEW ZEALAND. Ruapehu: Tongariro National Park, Mt. Ruapehu, Blyth Track, ( Nothofagus solandri ) 21 April 2009, J.A. Cooper (holotype: PDD 95444).

Etymology.

Means 'pale flesh’, referring to the relative lack of purple pigment in the center context of this species compared to Cortinarius violaceus , Cortinarius atrotomentosus , Cortinarius atrolazulinus , Cortinarius atroviolaceus and Cortinarius subcalyptrosporus .

Description.

Pileus 49-100 mm wide, surface dry, convex then plano–convex, tomentose to fine scaly, dark violet (16D5-8), paler at margin, red in KOH. Lamellae crowded, emarginate-adnexed, average thickness, broad, deep violet. Stipe 96-175 mm long, 5-11 mm thick at apex, 12-30 mm thick at base, subequal, sometimes slightly bulbous, tapering gradually from base to apex, pale violet (17C3-6), covered in copious veil material. Universal veil pale violet (same color as stipe), leaving bands on the stipe. Basal mycelium pale violet. Context white flecked with violet in pileus and lower half of stipe, upper half of stipe violet flecked with white, sometimes white with violet cortex, younger specimens violet flecked with white and only fully white in the base.

Basidiospores (9-) 10-12 (-13) µm × (7-) 8-9 (-9.5) µm, means = 10.5-12 µm × 8-8.5 µm, Q = 1.19-1.64, Q means = 1.30-1.45, (224 spores, 8 specimens). Ellipsoid to amygdaloid, strongly verrucose, plage present. Basidia 4 spored, clavate, (35-) 40-50 (-55) µm × (9-) 10-12 (-13) µm. Cheilocystidia abundant, narrowly fusiform to lageniform, brown in KOH, 60-90 (-100) µm × 15-20 (-25) µm. Pleurocystidia abundant, narrowly fusiform to lageniform, sometimes subcapitate, brown in KOH, (40-) 55-80 (-100) µm × (10-) 15-25 (-30) µm. Caulocystidia not seen. Pileipellis a trichoderm, composed of smooth hyphae 10-25 µm wide, 350-370 µm long, multiseptate, brown content in KOH, terminal cells bottle-shaped, clavate, lanceolate or ending bluntly. Clamp connections present.

Ecology and distribution.

Under Nothofagus in New Zealand. Fruiting April to June.

Other specimens examined.

New Zealand. Wellington: Kapiti Coast, Tararua Forest Park ( Nothofagus ), 16 May 2009, K. Hosaka (PDD 98057). Canterbury: Selwyn Klondyke Corner ( Nothofagus cliffortioides ), 5 June 2010, P. White (PDD 95823). Waikato: Taupo, Erua Forest National Park, Erua Forest rest area ( Nothofagus ), 8 Apr. 2005, L. Fischer (PDD 82693). Taupo, Mt. Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park, Whakapapanui Track, Buller 28 Apr. 2001, E. Horak (PDD 72636). West Coast: Buller, Springs Junction, Lake Christabel Track, 14 Apr. 2000, E. Horak (PDD 71219). Buller, Reefton, Victoria Forest Park, Tawhai Walk, ( Nothofagus ) 13 May 2006, E. Horak (PDD 88638). Buller, South Charleston, Tiropahi Track ( Nothofagus ) 8 May 2010, A. Roberts (PDD 88995).

Discussion.

Cortinarius carneipallidus sp. nov. differs from Cortinarius subcalyptrosporus by the absence of calyptrate basidiospores. The association with Nothofagus distinguishes this species ecologically from Cortinarius atroviolaceus , which likely associates with members of the Myrtaceae and/or Fagaceae in Malaysia. The context is hygrophanous purple in young specimens. In older specimens, it is hygrophanous grey or white in the pileus and base and only purple at the stipe apex. The only other species described from Indonesia or Australasia to have whitish flesh is Cortinarius kioloensis . It differs from Cortinarius kioloensis , with which it forms a sister group relationship (Fig. 1), by its association with Nothofagus . Cortinarius carneipallidus has a wider pileus and longer stipe than Cortinarius atrolazulinus . The width of the basidiospores is wider than those in Cortinarius atrolazulinus as well.

Cortinarius carneipallidus sp. nov. has been variously identified as Cortinarius atroviolaceus , Cortinarius atrolazulinus , Cortinarius subcalyptrosporus , Cortinarius violaceus and Cortinarius sp. The species was treated as ' Cortinarius violaceus sensu Moser 1986 ' in Harrower et al. (2015) but differs from north temperate Cortinarius violaceus by the absence of caulocystidia and association with Nothofagus . However, the name ' Cortinarius violaceus sensu Moser 1986 ' was applied based on interpretation of the protologue only, and as no specimens of ' Cortinarius violaceus sensu Moser 1986 ' were examined, we do not intend to synonymize the former with Cortinarius carneipallidus .