Tulostoma punctatum Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23(10): 419. 1896.

Jeppson, Mikael, Altes, Alberto, Moreno, Gabriel, Nilsson, R. Henrik, Yolanda Loarce,, Bustos, Alfredo de & Larsson, Ellen, 2017, Unexpected high species diversity among European stalked puffballs - a contribution to the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Tulostoma (Agaricales), MycoKeys 21, pp. 33-88 : 61-64

Tulostoma punctatum Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23(10): 419. 1896. Figures 5d, 16a, 17, 18

≡ Tulostoma fimbriatum var. punctatum (Peck) J.E. Wright, Biblioth. Mycol. 113: 115. 1987. ≡ Tulostoma subfuscum V.S. White, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 433. 1901. Holotype. USA, Colorado: Denver, 16 Feb. 1896, Bethel 21 (NY!)*;

Lectotype.

USA, Kansas: Rooks Co., 23 Jul. 1896, E. Bartholomew (BPI 729033!)*.

The first European records of this traditionally North American species are here confirmed. The species can easily be confused with T. fimbriatum , but is distinguished by the somewhat smaller spores that are more ornamented with a verrucose-spiny ornamentation without ridges (Figure 16a). Study of the macro-micromorphology and sequence data of the type collections of T. punctatum (Figure 17) and T. subfuscum (Figure 18), indicate conspecificity. It is surprising to see that the spore ornamentation of the type of T. subfuscum is very different from the expected one (cfr. description and illustrations by Wright 1987). The presence of distinctive punctate pits on the endoperidium of T. punctatum , as described by Peck (1896), could not be observed in the European specimens. A somewhat pitted appearance of the endoperidium is a common, but inconsistent, feature among species of Tulostoma , and of little taxonomic value. The pits are scars or depressions caused by sand grains adhering to the peridium in early stages of development.

Habitat and distribution.

Originally described from the USA (Kansas). In Europe on sandy soil on exposed, anthropogeneous sites (e.g. church lawns/car parks, abandoned orchards) in SW Slovakia.

Other specimens examined.

SLOVAKIA, Záhorská nížina: Vel’ke Leváre, by the church, grassy road side on sandy soil, 2 Oct. 2005, J. Jeppson, M. Jeppson 7472 (GB)*; Stupava, in dry sandy grassland in an abandoned orchard, 16 Oct. 2014, T. Knutsson, E. Larsson, R. Bednar, V. Kautman, I. Kautmanová, A. Košuthová, M. Jeppson 10058 (GB)*.