Vararia punctata Y.L. Deng & C.L. Zhao, 2024

Deng, Yinglian, Jabeen, Sana & Zhao, Changlin, 2024, Species diversity and taxonomy of Vararia (Russulales, Basidiomycota) with descriptions of six species from Southwestern China, MycoKeys 103, pp. 97-128 : 97

Vararia punctata Y.L. Deng & C.L. Zhao sp. nov.

Figs 9 , 10

Holotype.

China. Yunnan Province, Dali, Weishan Country, Qinghua Town, Green Peacock Nature Reserve, 25°23'35"N, 100°31'39"E, altitude 1500 m a.s.l., on the fallen branch of angiosperm, leg. C.L. Zhao, 18 July 2022, CLZhao 22439 (SWFC).

Etymology.

Punctata (Lat.): referring to the species having cushion-shaped basidioma.

Description.

Basidiomata annual, membranous, soft, adnate, without odor or taste when fresh, up to 50 mm long, 15 mm wide, and 90-150 µm thick. Hymenial surface smooth, and white to cream when fresh, cream when dry. Sterile margin thin, distinct, narrow, whitish, attached, and up to 1 mm.

Hyphal system dimitic, generative hyphae bearing simple-septa, colorless, thin to slightly thick-walled, rarely branched, interwoven, 2-3 µm in diameter, IKI-, CB-, tissues unchanged in KOH. Dichohyphae predominate, white to cream, capillary, frequently branched, thick-walled, 1 µm in diameter, dichotomously to irregularly branched with main branches and acute tips, weakly to moderately dextrinoid in Melzer’s reagent, CB-, tissues unchanged in KOH. Skeletal hyphae colorless, thick-walled, 2-3 µm in diameter, IKI-, CB-, tissues unchanged in KOH; subhymenial hyphae densely covered by bulk crystals.

Gloeocystidia clavate to cylindrical, usually containing oil droplets, colorless, smooth, thick-walled, and 12-21 × 5-9 µm. Basidia subcylindrical, with four sterigmata and a basal simple septum, 11-25 × 4-7 µm; basidioles in shape similar to basidia, but slightly smaller.

Basidiospores ellipsoid, colorless, thin-walled, smooth, with oil drops, amyloid, CB-, 6-10 × 4-6(-6.5) µm, L = 7.81 µm, W = 5.1 µm, Q = 1.51-1.56 (n = 120/4).

Additional specimen examined

(paratype). China. Yunnan Province, Dali, Weishan Country, Qinghua Town, Green Peacock Nature Reserve, 25°23'35"N, 100°31'39"E, altitude 1500 m a.s.l., on the fallen branch of angiosperm, leg. C.L. Zhao, 18 July 2022, CLZhao 22423 (SWFC).

Figures

Figure 9. Basidiomata of Vararia punctata (holotype). Scale bars: 1 cm (A); 1 mm (B).

Figure 10. Microscopic structures of Vararia punctata (holotype) A a section of hymenium B basidia C basidioles D gloeocystidia E basidiospores F dichohyphae. Scale bars: 10 µm (A-F).