Amanita ahmadii Jabeen, I. Ahmad, Kiran, J. Khan & Khalid

Jabeen, Sana, Kiran, Munazza, Khan, Junaid, Ahmad, Ishtiaq, Ahmad, Habib, Sher, Hassan & Khalid, Abdul Nasir, 2019, Amanita ahmadii, a new species of Amanita subgenus Amanitina section Validae from Pakistan, MycoKeys 56, pp. 81-99 : 81

Amanita ahmadii Jabeen, I. Ahmad, Kiran, J. Khan & Khalid sp. nov. Figs 4 , 5

Diagnosis.

Small to medium-sized basidiomata, grayish brown to brown pileal surface having rimose and non-appendiculate pileal margins, verrucose, gray to dark bluish or brown veil remnants, dry and split stipe surface at the base forming scales, globose to subglobose, smooth, amyloid basidiospores.

Holotype.

Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Malakand division, Swat district, Mashkun, 2500 m a.s.l., on soil under Cedrus deodara , 5 Sept. 2013, Sana Jabeen SJ35 (LAH35010; GenBank ITS: KY996724; LSU: KY996725).

Etymology.

The species epithet ahmadii refers to Sultan Ahmad, the pioneer Pakistani mycologist.

Description.

Pileus 4-7 cm in diameter, convex to flat at maturity; cuticle gray (2.5BG4/2) to grayish brown (10YR3/2) or brown (2.5Y4/4) with time; surface dry; universal veil remnants on pileus verrucose, aligned in one direction, scattered, gray (2.5Y4/2) to dark brown (2.5Y2/2); margins non-appendiculate, incurved when young, highly rimose by maturity. Lamellae off-white (2.5BG4/2) to cream (5Y9/4) becoming brownish when dry, adnexed, subdistant to close; edges entire. Lamellulae small (1/3 of the lamellae), attenuate, truncate. Stipe 6.7-9 × 0.6-1.5 cm, apex slightly wider and white, with up to 1.5 cm wide bulbous base, central, cylindrical; surface with grayish brown (5GY5/2) striations above the annulus, splitting towards the base forming scales on white (2.5BG4/2) to cream (5Y9/4) context. Annulus superior, membranous, skirt-like, with longitudinal striations on the upper surface, gray (2.5Y4/2) with a darker lower part. Universal veil absent. Ordorless and not changing color upon bruising.

Basidiospores [60/3/3] (6.5) 7-8.5 (9.5) × (6) 6.5-7.5 (8) µm, Q = (1) 1.03-1.22 (1.33), avg Q = 1.10, globose to broadly ellipsoid, amyloid in Melzer’s reagent. Basidia (32) 34.5-59 (67) × 7-8 µm, clavate, frequently 4 sterigmate, 2 sterigmata also observed, thin-walled, hyaline in 5% KOH. Subhymenium pseudoparenchymatous, cells isodiameteric, intermixed and densely packed. Veil remnants made up of hyphae with terminal subglobose to elongated cells (42.5) 49.5-54 (57) × (13) 13-16 (19) µm on a branched filament 3-4 µm wide; septa frequent; clamp connections absent. Pileipellis filamentous, 4-5 µm in diameter, branched, septate; clamp connections absent, light brown with some hyaline tissue in 5% KOH. Universal veil remnants of globose to subglobose cells (6.8) 8-12.2 (12.7) × (4.4) 7.5-10.5 (11) µm with filaments (0.7) 0.9-2.6 (3.5) µm in diameter. Hyphae from stipe 3-24 µm wide, filamentous, branched, hyaline in 5% KOH, septate; clamp connections absent in all tissues.

Habitat and distribution.

In coniferous forests of Pakistan with a moist temperate to dry temperate climate.

Additional specimens examined.

Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Malakand division, Dir Upper district, Kumrat, 2232 m a.s.l., on soil under conifers, 2 Sept. 2015, Abdul Nasir Khalid FS82 (LAH35241; GenBank ITS: KY996755; LSU: MK166021); Swat district, Mashkun, 2500 m a.s.l., on soil under Cedrus deodara , 4 Aug. 2013, Ishtiaq Ahmad IS213P65 (LAH35242; GenBank ITS: MF116158); Gabin Jabba valley, 2450 m a.s.l., on soil under Picea smithiana , 30 Aug. 2015, Junaid Khan GJ-1508 (SWAT0001351; GenBank ITS: MF070490).

Figures

Figure 4. Amanita ahmadii basidiomata. A, B LAH 35010 (holotype) C SWAT 0001351. Photos by Abdul Nasir Khalid and Junaid Khan. Scale bars: 1 cm (A); 1.2 cm (B); 0.5 cm (C).

Figure 5. Amanita ahmadii LAH 35010 (holotype). A Basidiospores B Basidia, basidioles and subhymenium C Pileipellis D Universal veil remnants on pileus surface E Hyphae from stipe F Partial veil. Drawings by Sana Jabeen. Scale bars: 5.5 µm (A); 8 µm (B-D); 22 µm (E, F).