Entoloma khalidii Asif

Asif, Muhammad, Saba, Malka, Akram, Wajahat, Maula, Fazli & Raza, Mubashar, 2024, Integrated morphological and molecular approaches unveil a new species and a new record of the genus Entoloma (Entolomataceae) from southern Punjab, Pakistan, Phytotaxa 653 (3), pp. 219-240 : 227

Entoloma khalidii Asif , Saba & M. Raza sp. nov. ( Figs. 3–5 )

MycoBank: MB850537

Etymology:—In honor of Prof. Dr. Abdul Nasir Khalid, a renowned mycologist, for his contributions to fungal taxonomy in Pakistan.

Diagnosis:— Entoloma khalidii differs from E. punjabensis due to its hygrophanous, hemispherical to convex pileus with dark brown depressed center, slightly smaller isodiametric basidiospores (avl × avw = 7.6 × 6.3 µm), frequently presence of clavate to utriform cheilocystidia, and a cutis pileipellis composed of cylindrical cells with rounded ends.

Holotype:— PAKISTAN. Punjab province, Village 37/3 R Haroonabad, Bahawalnagar district ; 29°36′35″ N, 73°08′16″ E; alt. 178 m elev., 19 July 2022, Muhammad Asif, SP-12, ( LAH37954 ). GenBank accessions: ITS = OR689477; 28S = OR689479.

Description:— Basidiomata tiny, small-sized. Pileus 0.6–1.7 cm diameter, hemispherical at young stage becomes convex to broadly convex with age, dark brown (5YR 3/1) at the center, becoming dull orange (7.5YR6/3), flat and centrally depressed at maturity, hygrophanous, umbo absent, context thin, surface smooth and dry, covered with shiny fibrils, margins smooth and non-striate, incurved and rarely raptured at maturity. Lamellae dull reddish-brown (5YR5/4), distant, adnate, decurrent, ventricose, edges even or rarely eroded, margins entire, lamellulae in 2 tiers of different lengths, concolorous. Stipe 1–2.1 × 0.2–0.3 cm, grayish brown (7.5YR 6/1) covered with a whitish pruina, centrally attached, rarely eccentric, equal, cylindrical, hollow, context thin, surface smooth, fibrillose near the base, dry and shiny becoming dull with age, bulbous base. Annulus absent.

Basidiospores [50/2/2], (6.2–)7–8.5(–8.7) × (5.4–)5.6–7(–7.5) µm, avl × avw = 7.6 × 6.3 µm; Q = 1–1.4; Qav = 1.2; isodiametric, angular with 5–7 angles, apiculate, smooth, thick-walled, hyaline in 5% KOH, no reaction in Melzer’s reagent, single oil droplet presents in center, congophilous. Basidia (20.7–)22– 30.4(–41.5) × (9.7–)10.5–12.7(–12.8) μm, avl × avw = 27 × 11.3 μm, clavate to broadly clavate, rarely obovoid, frequently 2-spored, thick-walled, many olivaceous droplets are present, congophilous. Cheilocystidia (16.1–) 18.9–28.9 (–31.8) × (6–)6.9–10.9(–11.9) μm, avl × avw = 24 × 8.9 μm, narrowly clavate to clavate rarely cylindrical or utriform, thick-walled, olivaceous droplets absent or rarely present, congophilous. Pleurocystidia absent. Pileipellis a cutis, made up of long cylindrical cells with rounded terminal elements (3.5–7.4 μm wide, avw = 4.6 μm,), rarely septate, thick-walled sometimes form chains , thick-walled. Pileocystidia absent. Stipitipellis is made up of long hyphae with 1.9–4.3 μm diam., avw = 3 μm., sometimes with rounded terminal elements, thin-walled, septate, parallel arrangement. Caulocystidia absent. Clamp connections absent in all tissues.

Habitat:—Saprotrophic, mostly solitary or in pairs, on nutrient-rich loamy soil.

Known geographical distribution:—So far, known only from the type locality, Village 37/3R, Haroonabad, Punjab, Pakistan.

Additional material examined:— PAKISTAN. Punjab province, Village 37/3 R Haroonabad, Bahawalnagar district ; 29°36′35″ N, 73°08′16″ E; alt. 178 m elev., 21 July 2022, Muhammad Asif, SP-92, ( LAH37953 ). GenBank accessions: ITS = OR689478 ; 28S = OR689480.

Figures

FIGURE 3. a–f Basidiomata of Entoloma khalidii (LAH37954); g Habitat; Scale bars a–e = 1 cm. Photos by: Muhammad Asif.

FIGURE 4. a–k Microscopic features of Entoloma khalidii (LAH37954) a–c = Basidia, d = Basidiospores in Congo red, e = Basidiospores in 5% KOH, f–i = Cheilocystidia, j = Pileipellis hyphae k = Stipitipellis hyphae. Scale bar: a–c = 5 µm, d,e = 3 µm, f–i = 5 µm, j,k = 2 µm. Photos by: Muhammad Asif.

FIGURE 5. a–e Line drawings of Entoloma khalidii (LAH37954) a = Basidia, b = Basidiospores, c = Cheilocystidia, d = Pileipellis hyphae e = Stipitipellis hyphae. Scale bars: a–c = 5 µm, a–c = 3 µm. Drawings by: Muhammad Asif.