Grifola sinensis S.M. Tang & S.H. Li, 2024

Tang, Song-Ming, Chen, De-Chao, Wang, Shuai, Wu, Xiao-Qu, Ao, Cheng-Ce, Li, Er-Xian, Luo, Hong-Mei & Li, Shu-Hong, 2024, Morphological and molecular analyses reveal two new species of Grifola (Polyporales) from Yunnan, China, MycoKeys 102, pp. 267-284 : 267

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.102.118518
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F5F19E9E-2D42-5BFA-8C3E-65C117537593
treatment provided by	MycoKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Grifola sinensis S.M. Tang & S.H. Li
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Grifola sinensis S.M. Tang & S.H. Li sp. nov.

Figs 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 , 10C, D View Figure 10

Etymology.

The epithet “sinensis” refers to the country China where this fungus was first discovered.

Holotype.

China. Yunnan province: Nujiang prefecture, Fugong city, elev. 2,230 m, 8 September 2019, Shu-Hong Li, L5453 (holotype: HKAS 131995!).

Diagnosis.

Differs from other Grifola species in having a medium-sized basidiomata, with white to olive yellow lobes, smaller and irregular pore (2-4/mm), and ellipsoid to narrowly utriform chlamydospores.

Description.

Basidiomata medium-sized, developing a fruiting structure composed of multiple flattened lobes that emanate from a central base, up to 10 × 12 × 15 cm. Lobes 4-7 cm wide, 7-10 cm long, lower and upper surface white (1A1) to grayish white (1A2) when young, changing to olive yellow (2C-D7) with age or when soaked. Thin cuticle. Context white, 1-2 mm thick. Pores often with a convoluted, maze-like appearance, 2-4 per mm, tubes 2-3 mm deep. Texture fleshy to cartilaginous, becoming hard and woody upon drying, and emitting a pronounced almond scent when fresh or dry.

Skeletal hyphae aligned parallel longitudinal alone lobe, with repent and abundant suberect terminal segments, hyphae thin-walled, non-staining in IKI and 5% NaOH solution, 5-7 μm wide. Pores edge heteromorphous, hyphae thin-walled, colorless in 5% NaOH solution, 2-4 μm wide; trama of tubes regular, parallel, 120-190 μm wide, made up of thin-walled hyphae, 2-5 μm wide.

Basidia 15-28 (-32) × 5-8 μm, av. 23.0 ± 5.4 × 6.7 ± 0.7 μm, clavate, thin-walled, mostly 2-spored, rarely 4-spored; sterigmata 2-5 μm long. Basidiospores [68/2/2] 4.6-7.9 × 3.0-5.9 μm, av. 5.9 ± 0.6 × 4.2 ± 0.5 μm, Q = 1.1-1.6 (-1.8), Qm = 1.42 ± 0.15, broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, colorless in IKI and 5% NaOH solution, thin-walled, irregular ornamented (Fig. 10 View Figure 10 ); basidiospores scatter plot, see Fig. 9 View Figure 9 .

Culture feature (Fig. 8 View Figure 8 ). Colony regular, circular, greenish gray (1B2) to grayish yellow (1B3); reverse pale yellow (1A3). Dimitic hyphal system, generative hyphae rarely branched. Texture sub felty and farinaceous. Growth slow, 4 cm in 3 weeks on Potato Dextrose Agar with Chloramphenicol and 24 °C. Mycelium with no distinctive odor, generative hyphae clamped, thin-walled, and colorless in 5% NaOH solution, 3-5 μm wide. Presence of chlamydospores terminal or intercalary, mostly ellipsoid, rarely narrowly utriform, 9.6-16.1 (-21.9) × 7.4-11.9 μm, av. 13.4 ± 2.9 × 9.2 ± 1.2 μm, Q = 1.1-2.0 (-2.9), Qm = 1.5 ± 0.5, colorless in 5% NaOH solution, thin-walled. Generative hyphae hyaline, thin walled, clamped, 2.7-4.3 μm, av 3.6 ± 0.6 μm, hyphal endings arranged singly or in groups, with contents stained red in Congo solution.

Habitat and distribution.

Grifola sinensis occurs in native forests in Yunnan, on Lithocarpus corneus , at the base of trees, causing an aromatic white rot.

Edibility.

This species is much appreciated by the locals in Yunnan, stir-frying it over high heat with green peppers; it has a robust almond essence that permeates through the palate, accompanied by a hearty, meat-like texture.

Additional species examined.

China. Yunnan Province, Nujiang prefecture, Fugong city, elev. 2,120 m, 5 September 2019, Shu-Hong Li, HKAS 131998; Nujiang prefecture, Bingzhongluo county, elev. 1,980 m 15 October 2023, Song-Ming Tang, HKAS 131994.

Notes.

Morphologically, G. sinensis is similar to G. amazonica Ryvarden in having small irregular pores 2-4/mm. However, G. amazonica has evenly brown lobes, smaller basidiospores 4-4.5 × 3-3.5 μm, and basidia 12-14 × 3.5-4.5 μm, grows on dead hardwood trees, and its distribution is in the North Hemisphere ( Ryvarden 2004).

Grifola gargal Singer is close to G. sinensis , both having cream yellow pilei, and pores 1-2/mm. However, G. gargal has larger basidiospores, 7-8 × 5-6 μm, and monomitic hyphal system ( Singer 1969; Rugolo et al. 2023).

In our multi-locus phylogeny, G. sinensis is closely related to G. frondosa and G. edulis . However, G. frondosa has dark to pale gray pilei, larger basidiomata, up to 40-50 cm, and white pores. Grifola edulis has irregular, mostly tibiiform or narrowly clavate, rarely narrowly lageniform or ellipsoid and relatively larger chlamydospores, (13-) 22-94 (-115) × 7-12 μm, av. 49.8 ± 28.5 × 9.4 ± 1.4 μm, gray to gray-brown pilei and cuticle hyphae terminal segments slightly enlarged (this study).