Phaeoclavulina cinnamomea W.Q. Qin, 2022

Liu, Wen-Hao, Yan, Jun, Deng, Peng-Tao, Qin, Wei-Qiang & Zhang, Ping, 2022, Two new species of Phaeoclavulina (Gomphaceae, Gomphales) from Hunan Province, China, Phytotaxa 561 (1), pp. 27-40 : 32-35

Phaeoclavulina cinnamomea W.Q. Qin , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 3 , 4 )

Mycobank no.: 845330

Diagnosis: —Characterized by basidiomata ramarioid, repeatedly branched, cinnamon to salmon orange. Branches numerous, polychotomous with internodes below, tips rust color. Basidiospores with truncate (volcanic) spines, spines 1–2 µm, cyanophilic, basidia with (3–)4 sterigmata, clamp connection present.

Holotype: — CHINA. Hunan Province: Zhangjiajie , Sangzhi County, 634 m, 29°16′59″ N, 109°41′00″ E, 26 June 2020, W.Q. Qin MHHNU10376 (holotype, MHHNU!); KUN-HKAS 124383 (KUN-HKAS).

Etymology:— Cinnamomea (Lat.) : refers to the pinkish cinnamon color of the basidiomata surface.

Basidiomata ( Fig. 1c, d ):—coralloid, gregarious, cinnamon to salmon orange (6A4-6, Orange-Cinnamon, Cinnamon, Pinkish Cinnamon, Vinaceous-Cinnamon), tops rust color, 7 cm wide × 5 cm tall, branched from a substantial stipe, generally with irregular, alternate branching. Stipe single, slightly rough, with white mycelium at the base, branches polychotomous, generally 4 times, tips blunt, dark red-brown with age. Odor and taste not recorded.

Basidiospores ( Fig. 3a , Fig. 4b ) [60/3/1] (11–)12–15(–16) × 5–7(–8) µm [Q = 1.75–2.33(–2.58), Q = 2.03 ± 0.24], elongate-ellipsoid to cylindrical, pale yellow to golden yellow in mass, thin- to thick-walled, with a distinctly curved apiculus, ornamented with cyanophilic, truncate (volcanic) spines (1–2 µm). Basidia ( Fig. 3b ) 40–60 × 8–12 µm, clavate, (3–)4 sterigmata, occasionally 2 sterigmata, basically 2–4 µm width, 5 µm length, clamped. Hyphae ( Fig. 3c, d ) 3–8 µm wide, parallel, hyaline, thin-walled, clamp connections present.

Habit and distribution: — Basidiomata generally occur from August to September; known only from the type locality in Hunnan Province , China .

Comments: —Most Phaeoclavulina species have gray or dark tones, but some are brightly colored, such as cinnamon, brick red, and orange yellow. Phaeoclavulina cinnamomea is characterized by its cinnamon to salmonorange basidiomata and basidiospore ornamentation of truncate (volcanic) spines. Phaeoclavulina cinnamomea is easy to confuse with P. caroviridula Franchi & Marchetti (2020: 1) , P. clavarioides Schild (1998: 60) , P. cokeri Petersen (1976: 291) , P. decolor Berk. & M.A.Curtis (1860: 124) and P. echinovirens Corner et al. (1957: 473) , because their appearance is similar and all tend to be cinnamon. Thus, these species cannot be distinguished by color alone, but by other characters. Phaeoclavulina cokeri has long and slender basidiomata (3–14 cm tall) owing to the long stipe (10–40 × 2.5–20 mm), whereas P. cinnamomea is relatively short (only 5–6 cm tall). Phaeoclavulina cokeri produces spores with acute spines, and in P. cinnamomea the spore spines have a blunt tip. With regard to P. echinovirens , the basidiomata surface and context slowly change color to dark green when handled or cut, and the basidiospores have blunt warts instead of spines, whereas the spores of P. cinnamomea have spines. Phaeoclavulina caroviridula and P. clavarioides are very similar to P. cinnamomea , but their spores are very different in size: P. cinnamomea has larger spores (12–15 × 5–7 µm), whereas P. caroviridula (5.3–7.4 × 2.6–3.6 µm) and P. clavarioides (5.0–8.5 × 3.0–4.5 µm) have smaller spores, which is the main feature to distinguish the species. With regard to P. decolor , the spores are ornamented with discrete spines and the spines are connected into circular to semi-circular ridges in the median area; this character distinguishes P. decolor and all other ramarioid species of Phaeoclavulina . Taken together, the present results demonstrate that P. cinnamomea is a new species distinguishable by morphological characters.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Basidiomata of Phaeoclavulina aeruginea (a. MHHNU8909), Bars a = 2 cm; Branch tips of Phaeoclavulina aeruginea (b. MHHNU8909), Bars b = 0.25 cm. Basidiomata of Phaeoclavulina cinnamomea (c. MHHNU10376), Bars c = 2 cm; Branch tips of Phaeoclavulina cinnamomea (d. MHHNU10376), Bars d = 0.25 cm.

FIGURE 3. Microscopic features of Phaeoclavulina cinnamomea (MHHNU10376, holotype). a Basidiospores; b Basidia; c Hyphae from context; d Hyphae from trama. Bars: a, c, d = 10 μm, b = 20 μm.

FIGURE 4. Basidiospores of a Phaeoclavulina aeruginea (MHHNU8909) and b Phaeoclavulina cinnamomea (MHHNU10376).