Auricularia heimuer F. Wu, B.K. Cui, Y.C. Dai, 2014

Wu, Fang, Yuan, Yuan, Malysheva, Vera F., Du, Ping & Dai, Yu-Cheng, 2014, Species clarification of the most important and cultivated Auricularia mushroom “ Heimuer ”: evidence from morphological and molecular data, Phytotaxa 186 (5), pp. 241-253 : 248

Auricularia heimuer F. Wu, B.K. Cui, Y.C. Dai , sp. nov. ( Figs. 3 , 4 )

MycoBank MB 809995

Differs from other similar species ( A. villosula , A. auricula-judae and A. americana ) by presence of medulla, short abhymenial hairs and smaller basidiospores 11–13 × 4–5 µm.

Type — CHINA. Heilongjiang Province: Mudanjiang, Hailin Country, on fallen trunk of Quercus , 2 August 2014, Dai 13765 (holotype, BJFC!)

Etymology — heimuer (Lat.) referring to the Chinese name “Heimuer”, a highly prized Auricularia fungus in Chinese folklore.

Basidiomata —Gelatinous when fresh, solitary or caespitose, sessible or substipitate, auriculiform to petaloid, with undulate margin, when mature up to 12 cm broad, 0.8–1.5 mm thick, 0.1–0.25 mm thick when dry; upper surface pilose with folds, fawn to reddish brown when fresh and greyish brown when dry; lower surface venose with few folds, claybuff when fresh and vinaceous gray to dark gray when dry.

Internal features —Medulla present; abhymenial hairs, 50–150 × 4–6.5 µm, irregular, hyaline, thick-walled with a narrow lumen, apically acute or obtuse, usually single, sometimes tufted; hyphae bearing clamp connections; basidia clavate, transversely 3-septate, with oil guttules, sterigmata rarely observed, 40–67 × 3.0–6.5 µm.

Spores —Basidiospores allantoid, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, usually bearing one or two large guttules, IKI–, CB–, 11–13(–13.1) × 4–5(–5.1) µm, L = 12.0 µm, W = 4.71 µm, Q = 2.43–2.74 (n = 120/4).

Additional specimens examined— CHINA. Heilongjiang Province: Mudanjiang , Wenchun County, on fallen trunk of Quercus , 12 August 2009, Cui 7105 ( BJFC!) ; Yabulihongxing Farm , on fallen trunk of Quercus , 12 September 2013, Dai 13503 ( BJFC!) ; the Great Hinggan Mts., Hongtu Forest Farm, on fallen trunk of Quercus , 25 July 2013, Dai 13648 ( BJFC!) , Dai 13649 ( BJFC!) ; Nenjiang Country, Duobaoshan , on fallen angiosperm trunk, 15 August 2009, Cui 7325 ( BJFC!) . Jilin Province: Hunchun, Taiyang Mountain , on fallen trunk of Quercus , 25 July 2013, Dai 13647 ( BJFC!) ; Hadamen County, on fallen trunk of Quercus , 7 August 2009, Cui 7098 ( BJFC!) , Cui 7100 ( BJFC!) , Cui 7101 ( BJFC!) . Shanxi Province: Lingchuan County, on fallen angiosperm trunk, 9 November 2009, Cui 8644 ( BJFC!) . Tianjin: Ji County, on fallen trunk of Quercus , 1 August 2009, Cui 7051 ( BJFC!) . Ningxia Autonomous Region: Liupan Mountain , on fallen angiosperm trunk, 11 July 2010, Dai 11939 ( BJFC!) . Inner Mongolia: Arshan , on fallen trunk, 9 August 1991, Sun 967 ( HMAS!) . RUSSIA. Primorsky Territory: Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve, vicinities of Ust’-Serebryany , on fallen trunk, 4 September 1996, Morozova 296433 ( LE!) . Khankaisky District: Novo-Kachalinsk , on a fallen trunk of Quercus , 26 July1996, Leley 296423 ( LE!) . Republic of Buryatia: Kabansky District , on a fallen trunk of Populus , 9 August 1998, Morozova 262806 ( LE!) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Auricularia heimuer. A–D cultivated basidiomata. E wild basidiomata (holotype). Scale bars: B = 10 cm, D–E = 5 cm.

FIGURE 4. Microscopic structures of Auricularia heimuer (photographed from the holotype). A Cross-section displaying medulla. B abhymenial hairs. C–D Basidia (indicated by a). E–F Basidiospores. Bars: A = 100 μm; B = 10 µm; C = 20 µm; D–E = 10 μm; F = 5 µm.