Clitopilus subscyphoides W.Q. Deng, T.H. Li & Y.H. Shen, Mycosystema, 2013

Anil Raj, K. N. & Manimohan, Patinjareveettil, 2018, A new species and a new record of Clitopilus and a description of C. orientalis from India based on morphology and molecular phylogeny, Phytotaxa 343 (1), pp. 47-59 : 52

Clitopilus subscyphoides W.Q. Deng, T.H. Li & Y.H. Shen, Mycosystema 32(5): 782 (2013). Figs. 2 A–E

Description:— Basidiocarps small, omphalinoid. Pileus 3–6 mm diam., initially convex or somewhat plano-convex with or without a central depression, becoming deeply umbilicate with age; surface white, weakly hygrophanous and becoming whitish, somewhat velutinous, finely pruinose all over; margin incurved to slightly inrolled, entire or slightly wavy. Lamellae subdecurrent to decurrent, close, white or whitish, up to 2 mm wide, with lamellulae of 1–3 lengths; edge entire or slightly wavy, concolorous with the sides. Stipe 4–9 × 1–1.5 mm, central, terete, equal, somewhat flexuose, cartilaginous, solid; surface white, finely pruinose all over, densely so towards the apex; base with white cottony mycelium. Odor not distinctive. Taste farinaceous. Spore print not obtained.

Basidiospores 5–7 × 3.5–4.5 (6.5±0.58 × 4.0±0.22) μm, Q = 1.25–1.75, Qm = 1.48, ellipsoid in profile, with 8−9 prominent longitudinal ribs in polar view, colorless, thin-walled. Basidia 20–26 × 6–7 μm, clavate, colorless, thin-walled, 4-spored; sterigmata up to 5 μm long. Lamella-edge fertile. Cheilocystidia and pleurocystidia absent. Lamellar trama subregular; hyphae 3–7 μm wide, colorless or pale yellow, thin-walled. Subhymenium inconspicuous. Pileus trama interwoven; hyphae 5–8 μm wide, colorless or pale yellow, thin-walled. Pileipellis a cutis of loosely interwoven hyphae, often disrupted by solitary erect hyphae; hyphae 3–5 μm wide, colorless or very pale yellow, thin-walled. Stipitipellis a cutis often disrupted with isolated or clustered erect hyphae; hyphae 4–7μm wide, colorless, thin-walled. Caulocystidia absent. Clamp connections absent.

Habitat: — On forest soil, in small groups.

Worldwide geographical distribution range:—Known from China (holotype) and India.

Specimens examined:— INDIA. Kerala State: Thrissur District, Peechi Forest , 16 September 2011, K. N. Anil raj, AR868 ( CAL 1326 ) ; INDIA. Kerala State: Malappuram District, Nilambur forest , 11 November 2011, K. N. Anil Raj, AR955 ( CAL 1325 ). GenBank accessions: MF927542 ( ITS), MF946580 (nLSU) and MF946581 (rpb2) .

Comments:—The Kerala collections agree with Clitopilus subscyphoides , a species originally described from China ( Deng et al. 2013), in almost all characters. The Chinese collection differs only in having crowded lamellae and both 2- and 4-spored basidia. Clitopilus subscyphoides is characterized by its small, chalk white, omphalinoid basidiocarps, smooth or slightly matted, silky-fibrillose, non-striate pileus with incurved margin, decurrent, crowded and narrow lamellae devoid of cystidia, and ellipsoid basidiospores with 8–10 longitudinal ridges and occasionally with a slight suprahilar depression. Characters such as the small basidiocarps, the basidiospores that are smaller than 10 μm, and the presence of a constant and distinct stipe place the present Clitopilus species in the section Scyphoides ( Singer 1986) .

In a megablast search using the ITS (657 bp) sequence, the closest hits were Clitopilus giovanellae (Bres.) Josserand (1941: 10) (GenBank EF413030, 95 % identity) and C. scyphoides (GenBank FJ770401, 95 % identity). Blast search with rpb2 sequences showed no close hits with an e-value of zero.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–E: Clitopilus subscyphoides (CAL 1325). A. Basidiocarps; B. Basidiospores; C. Basidium; D. Pileipellis; E. Stipitipellis. Scale bars: A = 1 cm; B–E = 10 μm. Photos: By K.N.A. Raj.