Amaurochaete comata G. Lister & Brândzǎ, J. Bot.

Lado, Carlos & Basanta, Diana Wrigley De, 2018, Typification of the myxomycete taxa described by the Listers and preserved at the Natural History Museum, London (BM), Phytotaxa 341 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

Amaurochaete comata G. Lister & Brândzǎ, J. Bot. 64: 225. 1926

≡ Lachnobolus comatus (G. Lister & Brândzǎ) Lado, Cuad. Trab. Fl. Micol. Iber. 16: 49. 2001

— Lectotypus (designated here): ROMANIA. Moldavia , Neamt, 46º56’N 26º56’E, on living bark of Abies pectinata , 1 Sep 1925, M . Brândzǎ ( BM 4043 !, BM001089979 + one slide Br.194!, BM001223798 ) .

[BM] 4043 / Amaurochaete comata / G. Lister & Brandza / On living bark, Néamt, Moldavia / leg. Dr. M . Brandza Sept. 1925 / BM001089979 [sheet label dated 3 FEB. 1927] + one slide Br. 194/ Amaurochaete comata ?/ Neamt. 9.25/ Arborial XLIV . 66/ BM001223798 .

NOTES: We have designated this material as the lectotype as it was examined by G.Lister, is in good condition and is representative. It is probable that Brândzǎ also kept original material. G. Lister (1926: 225) commented that she had received material from Dr. Marcel Brândzǎ, and in the description indicates that the Hab. is “ Trunks of Abies pectinata , Moldavia, M. Brandza”. She says the material was collected the day after a storm on August 31st, 1925. From two notebook entries it is clear that in 1925 she received the first specimen and that Brândzǎ sent a further 6 boxes in 1926. In notebook XLIV: 62–67 G. Lister writes “ Br [andza]. 194 (76) Amaurochaete comata n. sp., Neamtz 9.25”, and includes watercolour paintings of the habit, aethalium, capillitium and spores. In the same notebook, pages 83–85, the letter in French that Brândzǎ sent with the further samples is included, and Lister writes “ Br. 194 1–6. On trees blown down in Aug. 1925 ”. In the letter Brândzǎ refers to the fact that the species frequently appears on “Sapin” and Lister notes “This appears to be Ab. pectinata ”. The new specimens are also illustrated. Plate 578 in the description of the species ( G. Lister 1926) is a combination of the two lots of illustrations in the notebook .

As a further comment, this species was sent in exsiccata from Brândzǎ, Myxomycetes de Roumanie with different numbers, nº 95 in IA [now in BPI 805742] (see Martin & Alexopoulos 1969: 173, Keller 2012: 377); nº 92 in MA- Funhist 680, (seen by first author). Other collections are kept at New York Botanical Garden Herbarium 6899, and the State University of Iowa Myxomycete Collection 12756.