Phlegmacium patrickense (M.M. Moser) Niskanen & Liimat., Fungal Divers.

Liu, Fei-Fei, Wu, Gang & Yang, Zhu L., 2023, A new species and new records of Phlegmacium (Cortinariaceae) from China based on molecular and morphological evidence, Phytotaxa 578 (2), pp. 141-157 : 152-153

Phlegmacium patrickense (M.M. Moser) Niskanen & Liimat., Fungal Divers. 112: 149, 2022 Figs. 2F , 3F 1 – F 4.

≡ Cortinarius patrickensis (M.M. Moser) Niskanen, Liimat., Kytöv., Bojantchev & Ammirati, Persoonia 33: 125, 2014

MycoBank: MB 559011

Description:— Pileus 3.5–4.2 cm, hemispherical, then plano-convex, first slightly viscid but soon dry, with ochraceous brown appressed squamules at the center, whitish to ochraceous yellow fibrillose towards the margin, and always with white patches of the veil at pileus margin. Lamellae emarginate, 3–4 mm broad, crowded (L = 80–90, l = 1–2), first whitish with an orange tint, later brown. Stipe 4.5–6 cm long, 1–1.5 cm thick at apex, 1.5–1.8 cm wide at the base, cylindrical to slightly clavate, whitish to ochraceous yellow, very fibrillose; basal mycelium white. Context white in pileus, white to pale yellow in stipe.

Basidiospores [40/2/2] (11–)12–14(–15) × 7–9 μm, av. 12.43–12.64 × 7.74–8.01 μm, Q = 1.33–1.86(–1.93), Qav. = 1.56–1.64, amygdaliform, strongly verrucose. Basidia (31–)35–46 × (9–)10–13(–15) μm, 4-spored, clavate, colorless to pale yellow, mostly granulose. Cystidia absent. Lamellar trama hyphae (2–)4–7(–10) μm wide, colorless to pale yellow, smooth. Stipe hyphae 3–5(–11) μm wide, colorless to pale yellow, smooth. Pileipellis duplex, the upper layer (38–80 μm thick) gelatinous, composed of narrow, colorless to pale yellow, sometimes incrusted, thin-walled, long-celled hyphae measuring 3–5 μm wide; lower layer composed of interwoven to parallel cylindrical, yellow to pale orange, thin-walled hyphae measuring (3–)5–6(–10) μm wide. Clamp connections common in all parts of basidioma.

Habitat and distribution:—Solitary to scattered on soil in coniferous forests. Summer. Currently known from the USA, France (Moser & Ammirati 2000, Brandrud 1996) and northwestern China (this study).

Specimens examined:— CHINA. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region: Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Zhaosu County, in a forest with Picea , altitude 2237 m, 5 August 2021, Xue-Ping Fan 088 (KUN-HKAS12425); same county, in a forest with Picea , altitude 1512 m, 5 August 2021, Li-Rong Liu 130 (KUN-HKAS124259).

Notes:— Phlegmacium patrickense is mainly characterized by its slightly viscid, ochraceous yellow to brown pileus, always with white patches of the veil at the pileus margin, cylindrical to the slightly clavate stipe, and amygdaliform basidiospores measuring (11–)12–14(–15) × 7–9 μm. It grows in boreal coniferous forests associated with Picea . The description in Liimatainen et al. (2014) fairly fits our collections.

Phlegmacium paracephalixum and P. rosargutum are close relatives of P. patrickense . Phlegmacium paracephalixum , however, has a larger basidioma, more yellowish pileus, and narrower basidiospores (10.7–12.2 × 6–7 μm, Q = 1.65–1.88), and P. rosargutum has more abundant universal veil remnants on the pileus surface and smaller basidiospores (9.5–12 × 6.5–7.5 μm, Q = 1.43–1.59) ( Brandrud 1996, Liimatainen et al. 2014).

Phlegmacium violaceorubens (Moënne-Locc. & Reumaux) Niskanen & Liimat. , Fungal Divers. 112: 155, 2022 Figs. 2G , 3G 1–G 4.

≡ Cortinarius violaceorubens Moënne-Locc. & Reumaux [as ‘ violaceo-rubens ’], Atlas des Cortinaires, Pars II (Annecy): 27, 1990

MycoBank: MB 559092

Description:— Pileus 4 cm, hemispherical to convex, first viscid but soon dry, coarsely innately fibrillose, deep violaceous brown. Lamellae adnate, 3–5 mm broad, crowded (L = 100–120, l = 1–2), deep blue. Stipe 6 cm long, 2 cm thick at apex, 3.5 cm wide at the base, bulbous with a rounded bulb, pale blue to violaceous brown, ornamented with violaceous brown fibrils; basal mycelium pale blue. Context pale blue in pileus, blue with a brownish tint at stipe apex, whitish with a pinkish tint on exposure at stipe base.

Basidiospores [20/1/1] 8–10 × 6–6.5 μm, av. 8.68 × 6.12 μm, Q = (1.23–)1.32–1.53(–1.67), Qav. = 1.42, ellipsoid, strongly verrucose. Basidia (35–)40–50(–54) × 8–10 μm, 4-spored, clavate, mostly colorless, hyaline. Cystidia absent. Lamellar trama hyphae 3–5 μm wide, mostly colorless, smooth. Stipe hyphae 4–8(–9) μm wide, colorless to ochraceous yellow, smooth. Pileipellis duplex, the upper layer (80–110 μm thick) gelatinous, composed of narrow, yellow to ochraceous yellow, smooth, thin-walled, long-celled hyphae measuring 1.5–2(–3) μm wide; lower layer composed of interwoven to parallel cylindrical, brownish yellow to yellow, thin-walled hyphae measuring 5–10(–13) μm wide. Clamp connections common in all parts of basidioma.

Habitat and distribution:—Solitary to scattered on soil in forests dominated by Picea . Autumn. Currently known from France, Germany, Sweden, Finland ( Liimatainen et al. 2014), and northwestern China (this study).

Specimen examined:— CHINA. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region : Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture , Zhaosu County, in a forest with Picea , altitude 2237 m, 5 August 2021, Liu-Kun Jia 1929 ( KUN-HKAS124254 )

Notes:— Phlegmacium violaceorubens is mainly characterized by its slightly viscid violaceous brown pileus with abundant fibrils, deep blue lamellae, rounded bulb and ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 8–10 × 6–6.5 μm. This species grows in Picea -dominated forests.

Phlegmacium violaceorubens is close to P. cyanites (Fr.) M.M. Moser (1960: 337) and P. boreicyanites (Kytöv., Liimat., Niskanen & A.F.S. Taylor) Niskanen & Liimat. (2022: 141) . However, P. cyanites is separated by its larger basidioma, greyish blue to greyish brown pileus, and narrower basidiospores (8.8–10.9 × 5.2–6.3 μm, Q = 1.59–1.84, Qav. = 1.66–1.77). In addition, P. cyanites grows in mixed forests of coniferous and deciduous trees ( Liimatainen et al. 2014). Phlegmacium boreicyanites has a pale greyish brown pileus, more abundant universal veil-forming girdles on the stipe, and narrower basidiospores (9.1–10.4 × 5.4–6.3 μm, Q = 1.58–1.80, Qav. = 1.66–1.73). It grows in boreal mixed forests of Picea , Betula , and Populus ( Liimatainen et al. 2014) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maximum-Likelihood phylogenetic tree inferred from the ITS dataset. Bootstrap values equal to or greater than 50% and Bayesian posterior probabilities equal to or greater than 0.95 are shown along the branches. Sequences generated in this study are in blue bold face.

FIGURE 2. Basidiomata of P. ochraceosquamosum: A1–2. HKAS124256 (holotype); P. caesiocolor: B. HKAS67872; P. glaucopus: C. HKAS124253; P. kytoevuorii: D. HKAS124252; P. paracephalixum: E. HKAS92058; P. patrickense: F. HKAS124259; P. violaceorubens: G. HKAS124254. Bars = 10 mm. Photos by Jian-Wei Liu (A1–2), Qing Cai (B, E), Geng-Shen Wang (C–D), Li-Rong Liu (F), Liu-Kun Jia (G).

FIGURE 3. The basidiospores and pileipellis of P. ochraceosquamosum: A1–4. HKAS124256 (holotype); P. caesiocolor: B1–4. HKAS67872; P. glaucopus: C1–4. HKAS124253; P. kytoevuorii: D1–4. HKAS124252. (continued on the next page)