Phallus cremeo-ochraceus T. Li, T.H. Li & W.Q. Deng, 2021

Li, Ting, Deng, Wang-Qiu, Song, Bin, Zhang, Ming, Wang, Mu & Li, Tai-Hui, 2021, Two new species of Phallus (Phallaceae) with a white indusium from China, MycoKeys 85, pp. 109-125 : 109

Phallus cremeo-ochraceus T. Li, T.H. Li & W.Q. Deng sp. nov.

Figures 3 , 5a-c

Diagnosis.

Similar to Phallus indusiatus with an indusium almost touching ground, but mainly characterized by the cream to ochraceous receptacle, white to very slightly pinkish indusium and pseudostipe, white to pinkish volva, and basidiospores up to 4.0 × 1.7 µm.

Holotype. China. Guizhou Province, Libo County, Xiaoqikong Scenic Area (25°15'12"N, 107°44'16"E, alt. 428 m), Zhang Ming, 2 July 2020 (GDGM 80700).

Immature basidioma globose to subglobose, 55 × 50 mm, white to pinkish (9A2), purplish pink (14A4) when injured, smooth to very slightly rimose-areolate, attached to substrate by pinkish white to pinkish (9A2) rhizomorphs. Exoperidium membranous; endoperidium gelatinous, hyaline. Expanded basidioma up to 240 mm high when fresh. Receptacle 42-50 mm high, 50-60 mm broad, campanulate, cream to ochraceous (4A3-5), reticulated with irregularly ridges up to 4.0 mm deep, covered with gleba; apex truncate, with a pale yellow (4A2), prominent disc up to 15 mm in diam. Gleba olive brown (4E4-6, 4F5-8), mucilaginous. Pseudostipe subcylindrical, constricted at apex, enlarged downwards, 200-220 mm high when mature, 22-27/32-38/40-45 mm broad (apex/middle/base), white (9A1) to slightly pinkish white (9A2), spongiform, hollow; pseudostipe wall 6-9 mm thick, usually consisting of small irregular chambers up to 3 mm. Volva obovate, 47-52 mm high, 40-45 mm broad, smooth, pinkish (9A2). Indusium well-developed, almost touching ground, white to very slightly pinkish, 190-210 mm in length, attached to the apex of pseudostipe, with polygonal to irregular meshes; meshes 7-20 mm wide, 2-4 mm thick. Rhizomorphs simple, yellowish white (4A2) to pinkish (9A2), 1-2 mm thick, about 20 mm long. Odour foetid (mainly from gleba). Taste mild.

Basidiospores (3.2-)3.5-3.8(-4.0) × 1.2-1.5(-1.7) μm, Q= (2.0-)2.3-2.7(-3.0), Qm= 2.5 ± 0.5, cylindrical to long ellipsoid, hyaline and light olivaceous in H2O and 5% KOH solution, inamyloid, thin-walled, smooth under light microscope. Hyphae of receptacle, pseudostipe and indusium hyaline or slightly yellowish, thin-walled, pseudoparenchymatic, consisting of globose to subglobose or irregularly globose cells up to 30 μm in diam. Hyphae of volva tubular and branched, 4-8 μm in diam., thin-walled, smooth, septate, with clamp-connections. Hyphae of rhizomorphs filamentous, up to 8.0 μm in diam., thin-walled, smooth, septate, rarely branched.

Habitat and distribution.

Solitary or scattered on soil with decaying litter under bamboo groves. So far known only from southwestern China (Guizhou). Season: July.

Etymology.

With reference to the cream to ochraceous color of receptacle.

Additional specimens examined.

China. Guizhou Province, Libo county, Xiaoqikong Scenic Area (25°15'46"N, 107°41'4"E, alt. 480 m), Zhang Ming, 2 July 2020, (GDGM 85857) .

Figures

Figure 3. Basidiomata of Phallus cremeo - Phallus ochraceus a-c GDGM 80700 d GDGM 85857. Scale bars: 5 cm (a), 2 cm (b, d), 1 cm (c).

Figure 5. Characteristics of Phallus cremeo - Phallus ochraceus a-c and Phallus rigidiindusiatus d-e under the light microscope. a, d basidiospores b, e pseudoparenchymatous hyphae from pseudostipe c, f hyphae from volva. Scale bars 5 µm (a-f).