Craterium yichunensis S.Y. Liu, F.Y. Zhao & Y. Li, 2018

Zhao, Fengyun, Li, Yu, Hsiang, Tom & Liu, Shuyan, 2018, A new species in Physaraceae, Craterium yichunensis, and a new record for C. dictyosporum in China, Phytotaxa 351 (2), pp. 181-185 : 182

Craterium yichunensis S.Y. Liu, F.Y. Zhao & Y. Li , sp. nov. Fig. 1

Mycobank: MB823956

Sporocarps gregarious, sessile, 0.4–0.75 mm tall, subcylindrical, occasionally irregular, 0.5–0.8 mm in diam., becoming cup-shaped after irregular dehiscence. Hypothallus membranous, white, veined with ribs radiating from the sporocarp base. Lip with yellow rim, containing white and a few yellow calcareous granules, usually convex, the middle part more than 100 μm thick, a layer of yellow membrane covering the cup after lid falls off, translucent. Cup yellowish brown or brown covered by white calcareous granules. Capillitium dense, lime nodes angular or irregular, usually white, occasionally mixed with yellow ones, 10–25 × 30–80 μm. Columella and pseudocolumella absent. Spores free, black in mass, brown by transmitted light, subglobose, 10–13 μm diam., densely warts.

Holotype: — CHINA. Heilongjiang Province: Yichun, Yichun City , 128°9′0″ E, 47°11′0″ N, 334 m, 29 July 2016, on dead bark, Fengyun Zhao SM2016072903 ( HMJAU1012 , isotype HMAS255328 ).

Paratype: — CHINA. Heilongjiang Province: Yichun, Yichun City, 128°9′0″ E, 47°11′0″ N, 334 m, 29 July 2016, on dead twigs, Fengyun Zhao SM 2016072905 ( HMJAU 1013). It was at least 50 m away from the holotype and was on a different substrate.

Etymology: — yichunensis (Latin) , referring to collection from Yichun City.

Distribution: —Known only from Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province, China.

Comments: —Seventeen species of Craterium are known, of which only C. leucocephalum and C. aureonucleatum Nann. -Bremek. are similar to C. yichunensis in persisting as a cup after irregular dehiscence. Craterium yichunensis differs from C. leucocephalum in having a sessile sporocarp and no pseudocolumella or columella. It has a thick lid with yellow rim and a yellow membrane covering the cup after the lid has fallen off, and its spores are larger. For comparison, C. leucocephalum has a stalk and a white or yellowish pseudocolumella, and its spores are 7–10 μm. Craterium aureonucleatum is characterized by its subglobose or turbinate sporocarp, and its pseudocolumella are orange-yellow.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Craterium yichunensis (holotype): a. Gregarious sporocarps. b. Lid with yellow rim (indicated by arrow) and cup. c. Lid with calcareous granules. d. Lid with calcareous granules under scanning electron microscopy. e–f. Yellow membrane left after lid falling off (indicated by arrows). g. Inside of lid under SEM. h. Part of yellow membrane with calcareous granules. i. Capillitium of irregular lime nodes. j. Capillitium of irregular lime nodes under SEM. k. Lime nodes full of globular calcareous granules under SEM. l. Spores with warts under SEM. Bars: a–b = 0.5 mm, c–j = 100 μm, k = 20 μm, l = 5 μm.