Baltazaria octopodites (Corner) C.A. Leal-Dutra, Dentinger & G.W. Griff.

Leal-Dutra, Caio A., Neves, Maria Alice, Griffith, Gareth W., Reck, Mateus A., Clasen, Lina A. & Dentinger, Bryn T. M., 2018, Reclassification of Parapterulicium Corner (Pterulaceae, Agaricales), contributions to Lachnocladiaceae and Peniophoraceae (Russulales) and introduction of Baltazaria gen. nov., MycoKeys 37, pp. 39-56 : 40

Baltazaria octopodites (Corner) C.A. Leal-Dutra, Dentinger & G.W. Griff. comb. nov. Fig. 3

Basionym.

Parapterulicium octopodites Corner, Ann. Bot., 16: 286 (1952)

Description.

Basidiomes resupinate (Fig. 3b), 0.1-0.5 mm thick, membranaceous, covering leaves and twigs, hymenophore smooth, white (2.5Y 8/2) to pale yellow (2.5Y 8/4), forming rhizomorph-like structures up to 7 cm high and scarcely to profusely branched that may be confused with coralloid basidiomes (Fig. 3a, b).

Substrate: On dead twigs and leaves.

Hyphal system dimitic, profusely interwoven. Generative hyphae 2-5 μm wide, thin-walled, without clamps. Skeletal hyphae 2-6 μm (up to 10 μm in KOH) wide, walls dextrinoid, up to 1.5 μm thick, strongly swelling in KOH (up to 4.5 μm). Termini of hymenial skeletal hyphae papillate, presenting short protuberances 2-10 × 1.5-2.5 μm, sometimes ramified resembling skeletodendrohyphidia.

Putative hymenium with abundant basidioles up to 25 × 6 μm, clavate, growing immersed in the papillate hyphae.

Gloeocystidia up to 80 × 8-14 μm, clavate to lanceolate, thin-walled, densely multiguttulate or with abundant granular contents. Present in all parts of the basidiomes, including the corticioid form.

Basidiospores and basidia not observed.

Specimens examined.

Brazil. Rio Grande do Sul: no date, J. Rick (holotype: BPI 333063). São Paulo: Apiaí, Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira, growing on the ground in rainforest litter, 14-15 Dec. 2014, M.A. Reck 1003/14, 1069/14 (FLOR 56442, FLOR 56449). Santa Catarina: Florianópolis, UCAD, 9 Jan. 2015, G. Flores 14 (FLOR 56460). Paraná: Foz do Iguaçú, Parque Nacional do Iguaçú, Trilha da torre, 22 Jan. 2017, C.A.T. Oliveira 160 (FLOR 63715). Amazonas: Rio Preto da Eva, ARIE-PDBFF - Reserva do Km 41, 17 Mar. 2017, C.A. Leal-Dutra, L.A. Clasen, Q.V. Montoya, O. Pereira 170309-26 (INPA 280140).

Distribution.

Brazil. Rio Grande do Sul: São Leopoldo (Corner, 1952a; Type). São Paulo: Apiaí. Santa Catarina: Florianópolis. Paraná: Foz do Iguaçu. Amazonas: Rio Preto da Eva (this study).

Notes.

The dimitic hyphal system, the papillate surface at the ends of the skeletal hyphae and the gloeocystidia agree perfectly with Corner’s original descriptions ( Corner 1952a). Corner (1952a) described this species from a collection where no fertile structures were observed; the new collections were also sterile. As no spores or fertile basidia were found, the term putative hymenium is given to the region with abundant basidiole-like structures. Furthermore, the lack of sexual characters observed in B. octopodites , combined with the undeveloped binding-skeletal hyphae, might indicate that this species is only known by young basidiomes or non-reproductive growth forms (i.e. explorative rhizomorphs). This is the first record of B. octopodites from the States of Amazonas, Paraná, Santa Catarina and São Paulo.