Chlorophyllum sect. Sphaerospororum Z.W. Ge sect. nov.

Diagnosis.

Differs from other sections by the nonporous, globose to subglobose basidiospores and gasteroid basidiocarps or globose to subglobose basidiospores and a hymenodermal pileipellis made up of loosely arranged clavate to broadly clavate elements when the basidiocarps are agaricoid.

Type.

Chlorophyllum sphaerosporum Z.W. Ge & Zhu L. Yang, Mycotaxon 96: 187. 2006.

Description.

Basidiocarps agaricoid or gasteroid, covered with inconspicuous squamules. Basidiospores subglobose to globose without germ pore (with rounded apex). Cheilocystidia (if present) clavate to broadly clavate. Pileipellis a hymeniderm made up of loosely arranged clavate to broadly clavate elements.

Discussion.

This section contains the agaricoid C. sphaerosporum and two hypogeous taxa, C. arizonicum and C. lusitanicum . It is so far the only clade containing gasteroid species.