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).