Termitomyces heimii Natarajan (1979:853)

Dasanthi, Naduni, Thambugala, Kasun M., Karunarathna, Samantha C., Ediriweera, Aseni, Munasinghe, Helani, Elgorban, Abdallah M., Harischandra, Hiruni & Dharmasena, Buddhika P., 2024, Morphological and molecular insights into the hidden edible mushroom diversity in Sri Lanka, Phytotaxa 645 (3), pp. 192-213 : 201

Termitomyces heimii Natarajan (1979:853)

Index Fungorum: 324479

Figure 10 and Figure 11

Basidiomata medium. Pileus 5–8 cm diameter, parabolic to campanulate when young, plano-convex at maturity, with rounded perforatorium; surface smooth, white (4A1) to grey (6B1) and dark at the center, velar squamulose present on the surface, margin thick, incurved at first then straight or slightly uplifted, often splitting. Lamellae free, white to grey or creamy, 1 mm wide, crowded with four lengths of lamellulae. Stipe 11.5–12 cm long, 1.2 cm wide, cylindrical or subcylindrical, central, solid, surface white to cream or light ash, smooth and glabrous. Annulus membranous, on the upper quarter of stipe, surface white to light ash.

Basidiospores 6.4–9.5 × 4.2–6.2 μm, Q = 1.63, ovoid to ellipsoid; thin-walled, smooth, inamyloid. Basidia 18.5– 19 × 4.8–7.8 μm, sub-cylindric to clavate, four sterigmated, inamyloid. Cheilocystidia abundant, 21.3–35 × 13.8–20 μm, clavate or pyriform, thin-walled, smooth, inamyloid. Pleurocystidia is rarely present, 20–32 × 10–18 μm, similar to cheilocystidia.

Ecology and distribution:— It grows solitary on moist soil. It is widely distributed in Bangladesh, China, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Material examined:— Sri Lanka. Sabaragamuwa Province: Rathnapura District, Balangoda , 80°44’59.34”E 6°41’17.80”N, 7 th August 2022, Naduni Dasanthi, GenBank accession number: OR139839, Specimen number: RH29 (USJ-GMBU-003) ; ibid., Belihuloya , 80°47’22.64”E 6°42’32.03”N, 30 th September 2022, Naduni Dasanthi, GenBank accession number: OR139838, Specimen number: RH30 (USJ-GMBU-004) ; ibid., Kalthota , 80°54’29.06”E 6°39’43.12”N, 28 th August 2022, Naduni Dasanthi, GenBank accession number: OR139836, Specimen number: RH33 (USJ-GMBU-006) .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Termitomyces heimii (Herbarium codes: USJ-GMBU-003, USJ-GMBU-004, USJ-GMBU-006). a,b. Mature basidiomata in situ. Scale bars = 2 cm. Photography by Naduni Dasanthi.

FIGURE 11. Termitomyces heimii (Herbarium codes: USJ-GMBU-003, USJ-GMBU-004, USJ-GMBU-006) a. Spores. b. Basidia, c. Pleurocystidia. d. Cheilocystidia. Scale bars: a, b = 5 µm; c, d = 10 µm. Illustration by Aseni Ediriweera.