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

Figs 13 , 14

Holotype.

China. Yunnan Province, Zhaotong, Qiaojia County, Yao Shan National Nature Reserve, 26°89'62"N, 102°95'04"E, altitude 2500 m a.s.l., on fallen branch of angiosperm, 21 August 2020, CLZhao 20693 (SWFC).

Etymology.

Yaoshanensis (Lat.): referring to the provenance (Yaoshan) of the type specimen.

Description.

Basidiomata annual, membranous, adnate, without odor or taste when fresh, up to 8 cm long, 4 cm wide, 80-120 µm thick. Hymenial surface smooth, cream to cinnamon-buff when fresh, pinkish buff to cinnamon-buff upon drying, cracking with age. Sterile margin thin, pinkish buff, up to 1 mm.

Hyphal system dimitic, generative hyphae bearing simple-septa, rarely branched, slightly thick-walled, 2-4 μm in diameter, IKI-, CB-, tissues unchanged in KOH. Dichohyphae, predominant, capillary, frequently branched, distinctly thick-walled, 1.6 µm diameter, dichotomously to irregularly branched with main branches and acute tips, weakly to moderately dextrinoid in Melzer’s reagent, CB-, tissues unchanged in KOH.

Gloeocystidia with two types, (1) Gloeocystidia fusiform, colorless, thick-walled, smooth, tapered or gradually elongated apex, 28.5-50 × 6-12.5 µm; (2) Gloeocystidia subglobose, usually containing refractive materials, colorless, thick-walled, smooth, 11-27 × 7-11 µm. Basidia are subclavate to subcylindrical, thin-walled, with four sterigmatas and a basal simple septum, 23-46 × 5-8 µm; basidioles dominant, in shape similar to basidia, but slightly smaller.

Basidiospores ellipsoid, colorless, slightly thick-walled, smooth, amyloid, CB-, (7.5-)7.6-10.8(-10.9) × (5.3-)5.7-7.8(-7.9) µm, L = 9.52 µm, W = 6.61 µm, Q = 1.4-1.5 (n = 210/7).

Additional specimens examined

(paratypes). China. Yunnan Province, Zhaotong, Qiaojia County, Yao Shan National Nature Reserve , 26°89'62"N, 102°95'04"E, altitude 2500 m a.s.l., on fallen branch of angiosperm, 21 August 2020, CLZhao 20669, CLZhao 20677, CLZhao 20697, CLZhao 20709, CLZhao 20713, CLZhao 20717 and CLZhao 20724 (SWFC), 22 August 2020, CLZhao 20528, CLZhao 20531, CLZhao 20565, CLZhao 20605, CLZhao 20608, CLZhao 20617, CLZhao 20619, CLZhao 20624, CLZhao 20646 and CLZhao 20656 (SWFC) .

Figures

Figure 13. Basidiomata of Vararia yaoshanensis (holotype). Scale bars: 1 cm (A); 1 mm (B).

Figure 14. Microscopic structures of Vararia yaoshanensis (holotype) A basidiospores B basidia C basidioles D dichohyphae E gloeocystidia subglobose F gloeocystidia clavate to fusiform G a section of hymenium. Scale bars: 10 µm (A-G).