Lycogala, Adanson

Yang, Xin-Ya, Wang, Sai-Yu, Dai, Dan, Zhao, Hui-Nan, Wang, Yang, Li, Xue-Fei, Zhang, Bo & Li, Yu, 2023, A new species of Lycogala, and a new record of Lindbladia from China, Phytotaxa 632 (2), pp. 143-153 : 151-152

Key to 21 species of Lycogala

1. Sporocarps conical or subcylindrical, higher than wide..................................................................................................... L. conicum

- Sporocarps globose or ovoid, wider than tall ....................................................................................................................................2.

2. Sporocarps 2–5 cm in diam., peridium nearly smooth or with minute dark scales, silvery gray................................. L. flavofuscum

- Sporocarps <2 cm in diam., peridium covered by distinct vesicles, brown, grayish-brown, ochre-yellow, black ...........................3.

3. Peridium covered with simple spots, consisting of one vesicle under transmitted light...................................................................4.

- Peridium covered with compound spots, consisting of several to numerous tightly accreted vesicles under transmitted light.....15.

4. Peridial vesicles irregular in shape, scattered, densely or connected in a net. No or few crystals visible in polarized transmitted light....................................................................................................................................................................................................5.

- Peridial vesicles round or ovoid, evenly distributed, not forming a net. Numbers crystals visible in polarized transmitted light...... .........................................................................................................................................................................................................11.

5. Vesiciles light brown to almost hyaline in natural transmitted light .................................................................................................6.

- Vesiciles dark brown in naturally transmitted light...........................................................................................................................9.

6. Vesiciles contain number of oil droplets. Capillitium ornamented by rings, folds, and ridges. Spores meshes widely vary in size... ........................................................................................................................................................................................... L. olearium

- Vesicles contain almost no oil droplets. Capillitium ornamented by regular bracelet-like thickenings. Spores meshes uniform in size.....................................................................................................................................................................................................7.

7. Sporocarps up to 15 mm in diam. Peridium covered with whitish strands of dried slime that covers or hides the vesicles ............... ...................................................................................................................................................................................... L. epidendrum

- Sporocarps up to 7 mm in diam. Peridial vesicles clearly.................................................................................................................8.

8. Sporocarps irregular in shape, often deformed by mutual pressure. Peridial vesicles brown......................................... L. irregulare

- Sporocarps spherical to ovoid. Peridial vesicles yellowish-brown .............................................................................. L. heterospora

9. Sporocarps 1–3.5 mm diam. Peridial vesicles concentrated at upper ......................................................................... L. roseosporum

- Sporocarps 2–6 mm diam. Peridial vesicles dense or even.............................................................................................................10.

10. Sporocarps copper or amber brown. Peridial vesicles even ..................................................................................... L. alisaulianovae

- Sporocarps dark brown to almost black. Peridial vesicles dense ................................................................................... L. maculatum

11. Vesicles orange to dark red............................................................................................................................................ L. caviaroides

- Vesicles amber-yellow to dull brown ..............................................................................................................................................12.

12. Vesicles loosely, vesicle spacing exceeds their diameter ............................................................................................... L. palianytsia

- Vesicles densely, vesicle spacing less or equal to their diameter ....................................................................................................13.

13. Vesicles amber-yellow, light-brownish, distant from each other on length of their diameter or more. .......................... L. succineum

- Vesicles brown, distant from each other on ⅓–1 their diameter .....................................................................................................14.

14. Sporocarps large. Peridial vesicles sparse ................................................................................................................... L. leopardinum

- Sporocarps medium-size. Peridial vesicles dense ...................................................................................................... L. acinonychum

15. Vesicles thin-walled. Vesicle walls light brown to almost hyaline under transmitted light ............................................................16.

- Vesicles thick-walled. Vesicle walls dull brown under transmitted light ........................................................................................17.

16. Vesicles 40–100 μm in diam, no oil droplets.................................................................................................................... L. confusum

- Vesicles 20–50 μm in diam, filled with oil droplets .................................................................................................... L. fossiculatum

17. Capillitium ornamented by ridges and warts. Spores with 4–6 meshes across diameter ......................................... L. skovorodaense

- Capillitium nearly smooth, with fine pitted-warty. Spores with 5–10 meshes across diameter......................................................18.

18. Aggregates of vesicles large, with 3–6 vesicles across the group ...................................................................................................19.

- Aggregates of vesicles small, with 1–3 vesicles across the group ..................................................................................................20.

19. Sporocarps gregarious. Vesicle walls brown and rather thick. Capillitium almost smooth ............................................... L. exiguum

- Sporocarps solitary. Vesicle walls hardly visible. Capillitium with fine pitted-warty and ring-shaped islets................. L. botrydium

20. Vesicle walls thin, light brown. Capillitium wavy contours with bearing bracelet like thickenings or lobed folds. Spores with 5–7 meshes across diameter ..................................................................................................................................................... L. oncoides

- Vesicle walls brown. Capillitium smooth or uneven, with large rings or pitted-warty cover. Spores with 7–9 meshes across diameter ........................................................................................................................................................................ L. aggregatum