Tulostoma simulans Lloyd, The Tylostomeae: 18. 1906.

Jeppson, Mikael, Altes, Alberto, Moreno, Gabriel, Nilsson, R. Henrik, Yolanda Loarce,, Bustos, Alfredo de & Larsson, Ellen, 2017, Unexpected high species diversity among European stalked puffballs - a contribution to the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Tulostoma (Agaricales), MycoKeys 21, pp. 33-88 : 64

Tulostoma simulans Lloyd, The Tylostomeae: 18. 1906. Figures 5 e–f, 16b, 19

Tulostoma moravecii ≡ Pouzar, in Pilát, Fl. ČSR, B-1, Gasteromycetes: 597, 814. 1958. Holotype. CZECH REPUBLIC, Praha: inter Homolka et Lochkov, 21 Sept. 1952, Z. Moravec (PRM).

Holotype.

USA, Texas: Denton, Long (herb. Lloyd 13636, BPI 704611).

As was indicated already by its author ( Lloyd 1906), this species “simulates” other species of Tulostoma , particularly T. brumale , from which it differs by having a hyphal exoperidium and larger spores. According to our molecular results it is known from Austria, Hungary, Spain, Sweden, and the UK (a British sequence was kindly provided by Martyn Ainsworth, Kew, but is not shown in the tree). Sequence data of the European specimens, labelled as T. beccarianum , T. brumale , and T. moravecii (isotype, Figure 19), cluster with a paratype in PC of T. simulans . Unfortunately the holotype material of T. simulans was not available for DNA extraction.

SEM-photos of the collections used in our study show irregular, rather dense, broadly based conical verrucae (Figure 16b), thus closely coinciding with the holotype material of T. simulans (cfr. Moreno and Altés 1992). Altés and Moreno (1993) synonymized T. simulans with T. beccarianum based on morphological similarities, but sequence data show that they should be regarded as separate species.

Habitat and distribution.

N. America, S. America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Asia (Kazachstan). It is here confirmed also from eastern Russia (Altay Republic). It has been found in a wide range of habitats ("forest soil, among litter, sometimes dunicolous, tree nurseries" according to Wright 1987).

European occurrences are from sand steppe habitats, sand dunes, gypsum hills, rupicolous steppe meadows, and urban plantations.

Specimens examined.

AUSTRIA, Burgenland: Brietenbrunn, Thenau NSG, 24 Oct. 1989, E. Mrazek 1313 (Herb. Mrazek, GB)*; Ibidem, dry calcareous grassland, 9 Oct. 2005, J. Jeppson, M. Jeppson 7865 (GB)*. CZECH REPUBLIC, Pardubice: Svitavy, under Picea pungens , 14 Feb. 2014, P. Brůžek 140214 (GB)*; Praha-Dejvice: Zahrada Hanspaulka, sandy soil, 1 Dec. 2013, M. Brtník, P. Brůžek 131201 (GB)*; Praha: inter Homolka et Lochkov, 21 Sept. 1952, Z. Moravec (isotype T. moravecii , PRM 667204)*. HUNGARY, Bács-Kiskun: Fülöpháza, Fülöpházi Homokbuckák, sand steppe vegetation, 13 Jun. 1999, J. Jeppson, M. Jeppson 4902 (GB)*; Ibidem, 17 Jun. 1997, S. Jeppson, J. Jeppson, M. Jeppson 3844 (GB)*; Ibidem, 26 Jun. 2001, M. Vetter, M. Jeppson 5497 (GB)*; Pest: Tatárszentgyörgy, Sarlósárpuszta, in sand steppe vegetation, 21 Feb. 2004, J. Jeppson, M. Jeppson 040221 (GB)*. RUSSIAN FEDERATION, Altay Rep.: Chuya River/Kuektanar River, 31 km W of Kosh-Agach on M52, 21 Aug. 2001, H. Knudsen 01.70m (C)*. SPAIN, Madrid: Alcalá de Henares, cerros de Alcalá, gypsophilous steppe vegetation, on road verge, 2 Mar. 2011, G. Moreno, A. Altés, A. Stridvall, E. Larsson, M. Jeppson 9302 (GB)*; Alcalá de Henares, Campus Universidad Alcalá, en terreno básico (arcilloso), junto a camino, vegetación ruderal, 10 Mar. 1993, V. González (AH 15633, GB)*; Zaragoza: Bujaraloz, Laguna de la Muerte, in halophilous steppe vegetation at lake shore, 5 Apr. 2010, E. Larsson, U. Andersson, T. Gunnarsson, T. Knutsson, M. Jeppson 9064 (GB)*. SWEDEN, Skåne: Brösarp, Torparebron, 12 Oct. 1996, M. Jeppson 3871 (GB)*. USA, Ohio: Granville, W.W. Stockberger (paratype T. mammosum var. simulans , PC)*.