Aleurodiscus persicus Ghobad-Nejhad, 2018

Ghobad-Nejhad, Masoomeh & Langer, Ewald, 2018, A new species in Aleurodiscus s. l. (Stereaceae, Russulales) from Iran, Phytotaxa 351 (4), pp. 264-272 : 265-266

Aleurodiscus persicus Ghobad-Nejhad sp. nov. Figs. 3 , 4

MycoBank no.: MB824526

GenBank rDNA sequence ex holotype: KU213590 (ITS) and KU213591 (LSU).

Diagnosis — The species is characterized by resupinate, whitish to grayish cream, crustose basidiocarps, monomitic hyphal system with clamped hyphae, presence of acanthophyses, cylindrical to clavate to submoniliform gloeocystidia, and ellipsoid, amyloid spores measuring (7.5–) 8.3–10 (–10.7) × (4.7–) 5–5.8 (–6.2) μm.

Holotype: — IRAN. Ilam Province: Abdandan, Dinarkuh Protected Area, 18 km from W Abdanan, near Niruye Havaii site, open woodland with Quercus brantii , Crataegus spp ., Acer monspessulanum , woody Papillionaceae, 32.91514 N, 47.29800 E, elev. 1800 m, on fallen, decorticated angiosperm branches, 11 December 2014, Ghobad-Nejhad 3173 (ICH).

Etymology: — persicus , referring to the country where the species was found.

Description:— Basidiocarps annual, resupinate, closely adnate, crustose, in small patches easily detachable at maturity, or confluent up to 13 × 3 cm, thickening up to 2 mm. Hymenium surface whitish to grayish cream, smooth when young, later irregularly tuberculate and cracked. Margin abrupt, slightly darkening in older parts. Hyphal system monomitic, matrix with hyaline amorphous crystals especially in old specimens, hyphae thin-walled, colorless, with clamps, 1.8–2.7 μm wide. Subhymenium thickening, with vertically arranged hyphae. Subiculum indistinct.

Basidia clavate to subcylindrical, thin-walled, contents homogenous, 30–50 (–63) × 5–7.5 μm, with four stout sterigmata measuring up to 7.5 × 2 μm, with a basal clamp, basidioles rarely with acanthophysoid appendage near apex. Gloeocystidia abundant, mostly cylindrical to clavate, rarely more or less submoniliform, some stalked or 1–2- rooted, apex round or with a papilla, rarely with acanthophysoid appendage at apex, relatively thick-walled, contents granular, mostly produced in subhymenium and reaching up to hymenium layer, enclosed, (37–) 60–100 × 7–12.5 μm. Acanthophyses hymenial, cylindrical to inflated, 25–45 × 2.5–5.2 μm, protuberances at upper 1/2 to 1/3 part, colorless in KOH, CB+, variably dextrinoid in some samples, lower protuberances can be up to 5 μm long, stalk of some acanthophyses occasionally branched at apex. Dendrohyphidia filiform or little-branched, 25–30 × 2.5 μm, thin-walled. Basidiospores ellipsoid, with a distinct apiculus, walls smooth, distinct, colorless, strongly amyloid, CB−, (7.5–) 8.3–10 (–10.7) × (4.7–) 5–5.8 (–6.2) μm, Lmean = 8.9 μm, Wmean = 5.2 μm, Qmean = 1.7 (60/2).

Paratypes: — IRAN. Ilam Province: Abdandan, Dinarkuh Protected Area, 18 km from W Abdanan, near Niruye Havaii site, 32.91514 N, 47.29800 E, elev. 1800 m, on fallen angiosperm branches, 11 December 2014, Ghobad-Nejhad 3171; on standing branch of woody Papillionaceae, Ghobad-Nejhad 3172. Ilam, Manesht-Gholareng Protected Area, Gholander, after Tonel-e Azadi, Gachan, Quercus brantii open woodland with Crataegus sp. , Acer monspessulanum , Pistacia sp. , Astragalus sp. , 33.67012 N, 46.46745 E, elev. 1800 m, on fallen and weak, attached branches of Acer mospessulanum , 7 December 2014, Ghobad-Nejhad 3079 (all in ICH).

Habitat and Distribution: — The species is currently known from decorticated angiosperm branches, in Quercus brantii open woodlands in Zagros region, western Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Basidiocarp of Aleurodiscus persicus sp. nov. in situ. Scale bar: 2 cm. Photo by Masoomeh Ghobad-Nejhad.

FIGURE 4. Microscopic structures in Aleurodiscus persicus sp.nov.a—Basidiospores.b—Gloeocystidia.c—Acanthophyses.d—Basidia. Scale bars: a = 10 μm, b–d = 20 μm. Drawings by Masoomeh Ghobad-Nejhad.