Descolea quercina J. Khan & A. Naseer

Khan, Junaid, Sher, Hassan, Naseer, Arooj & Khalid, Abdul Nasir, 2017, Descoleaquercina (Bolbitiaceae), a new species from moist temperate forests in Pakistan, MycoKeys 27, pp. 65-76 : 67-71

Descolea quercina J. Khan & A. Naseer sp. nov. Figures 3, 4, 5

Type.

PAKISTAN. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Swat district, Malam Jabba valley, 1950 m alt., 25 July 2015, Junaid Khan, MJ-1590, (holotype: SWAT000135).

Diagnosis.

Basidiomata medium to large, pileus convex to convex-campanulate with a broad umbo in young stages, light yellowish brown to deep yellowish brown, surface dry, hygrophanous, squamose to squamose-granulose with striate margin; basidiospores limoniform, coarsely verrucose with partly concrescent verrucae.

Description.

Pileus 50-70 mm diameter, convex to convex-campanulate with a broad umbo when young, plane to plano-concave by maturity, light yellowish brown (7.5YR 7/4) to deep yellowish brown (10YR 3/8) with or without olivaceous tinge, surface hygrophanous, squamose to squamose-granulose, scales more or less concentrically arranged, loose, disappearing in age, margin striate; context strong yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), moist, thicker at the center (2-3 mm), color unchanging upon cutting. Lamellae adnexed, close, light grayish brown (7.5YR 6/4) in young specimens, yellowish brown in mature specimens (7.5YR 7/4), lamellar edge even, lamellulae present, mostly 3 in number, rarely single, often crisped at terminals, some lamellae forking near the stipe. Stipe 50-70 × 8-12 mm, central, thickening towards base, light yellowish brown (7.5 YR 7/4) to strong yellowish brown (10YR 4/8) and smooth above the ring, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and longitudinally fibrillose below the annulus; annulus membranous, concolorous with the lamellae, strongly striate on the upper surface, smooth to slightly scaly below, margin appendiculate; context fibrous, interior hollow at the center, flesh whitish above the annulus, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) below, moist. Smell and taste rancid when cut.

Basidiospores (10-) 11.5-13 (-14) × (6.5-) 6.7-8.6 (-9) µm, Q = 1.4-1.7 (-1.9), Me = 12.0 × 7.9 µm, Qe = 1.5, limoniform, with prominent papilla, coarsely verrucose, verrucae partly concrescent, with prominent smooth apiculus, perispore distinct, without germ-pore, plage smooth, rust brown in KOH. Basidia 25-40 × 8-12 µm, clavate, tetra-sterigmated, rarely bi sterigmated, sterigmata 3-5 µm long, with clamp connections at the bases. Cheilocystidia 40-45 × 10-15 µm, broadly clavate to clavate, some with acute apices 4-6 µm long. Pleurocystidia similar to cheilocystidia, lanceolate to clavate, some with sub-acute to sub-capitate apices, appendix longer (6-8 µm) than with cheilocystidia. Pileipellis a hymeniform layer, consisting of broadly clavate, clavate to fusiform elements, 20-25 × 10-20 µm, strongly encrusted with golden brown pigment. Hyphae of the universal veil thin walled, cylindrical, 3-6 µm in diameter, strongly encrusted with golden brown pigment, clamp connections present.

Known distribution.

PAKISTAN, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Swat district, Malam Jabba valley, Kishawra village. PAKISTAN Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Shangla district, Toa valley.

Ecology.

Associated with Quercus species. Season July-August

Etymology.

The epithet " quercina " refers to association of this taxon with Quercus species.

Conservation status.

The species is very rare and is currently reported from two locations in the districts of Shangla and Swat in the northern areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

Additional specimens examined.

Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Shangla district, Toa valley, 2000 m alt., among decomposing litter under Quercus incana , 15 July 2015, Arooj Naseer, AST33, (LAH35218). Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Swat district, Malam Jabba valley, 1900 m alt., on soil under Quercus dilatata Royle, 25 July 2015, Junaid Khan, MJ-1590a, (LAH35219).