Bovista hollosii Jeppson, Finy & E. Larss., 2016

Jeppson, Mikael, Finy, Péter & Larsson, Ellen, 2016, Bovista hollosii-a new puffball (Lycoperdaceae) from sand steppe vegetation in Hungary, Phytotaxa 268 (2), pp. 145-154 : 147-151

Bovista hollosii Jeppson, Finy & E. Larss. sp. nov. Figs. 2–6

Mycobank MB 816544

Diagnosis:—Differs morphologically from B. tomentosa in having an exoperidium that flakes off in large patches at maturity, a thicker and more leathery endoperidium, globose to subglobose, verrucose spores and a more or less hypogeous development. Found in sand steppe vegetation in Central Hungary. Differs in ITS sequence data from B. tomentosa .

Type:— HUNGARY, Pest megye: between Tatárszentgyörgy and Örkény, in Stipa steppe vegetation on calcareous sand, 3 November 2002, J. & M. Jeppson 6045 (holotype GB! isotype in BP!).

Etymology:—Named in honour of the Hungarian mycologist László Hollós (1859–1940) who meticulously studied the Gasteromycetes of Hungary.

Description:— Basidiomata subglobose, 8–30 mm in diameter, developing hypogeously, appearing half-buried at the surface at maturity due to erosion by wind or rain. Exoperidium greyish white-ochraceous white, heavily incrusted with sand grains from the substrate, at maturity breaking up from above and detaching, often remaining as flaring lobes around the endoperidium, forming a basal sand cup. Endoperidium thick and leathery and becoming exposed as the exoperidium detaches. It is smooth and shiny, dark purplish brown-copper brown, with a small apical pore or tear. Sandy remains of the exoperidial sand cup often stick to the base also in old and weathered specimens. Subgleba is lacking. Gleba at maturity dark brown. Capillitium of Bovista-type with main stems up to 20 μm, medium thick to thick walls (1–4 μm), with scattered, small to rather large pores, particularly on thinner hyphae. Septa are lacking. Spores globose-subglobose, 4.0–4.8 μm in diameter, finely verrucose, with a well-preserved, hyaline pedicel 4–11 μm long.

Habitat and distribution:— Bovista hollosii is found in open sand steppe vegetation (Stipetum and Festucetum). It appeared in eroded micro-habitats with naked calcareous sand along wheel tracks (military activities) or on heavily grazed ground. In a few cases it was found growing on road tracks, in formerly open steppe habitats, now light Robinia plantations on sand. It is hitherto known from seven sites in Bács-Kiskun, Fejér, Pest and Tolna administrative regions in Central Hungary. Hollós (1904) reported what presumably was the same species (no authentic material studied by us) from the sandy areas around Kecskemét (Bács-Kiskun), Nagykörös (Pest) and Hajdúhadház (Hajdú-Bihar), i. e. in the same area as from where our own findings originate, with an extension of some 100 kms to the east. Although we have not collected B. tomentosa s. str. in Hungary, some of Hollós’s findings may refer to that species, since he also cites ovoid spores to occur in his material.

Sequenced specimens of Bovista hollosii :— HUNGARY. Pest megye: between Tatárszentgyörgy and Örkény, in Stipa steppe vegetation on calcareous sand, leg. J. & M. Jeppson 6045, 3 November 2002 Holotype (GB; GenBank KT958938); Tolna megye: Paks, Ürgemező, in Festucetum vaginatae in grazed sandy grassland, leg. L. Albert, P. Finy 45, 5 March 2015 (GB; GenBank KT958937).

Additional specimens studied:— Hungary. Bács-Kiskun megye: Nyárlőrinc, Nyárjas , on road verge in Robinia plantation on calcareous sandy soil, J. and M. Jeppson 6593, 6793, 15 February 2004 ( GB) ; Fejér, Pusztavám: in Festucetum vaginatae, grazed sandy grassland, P. Finy FP 20160110, 10 January 2016 ( P. Finy, private herb.) ; Pest megye: Csévharaszt, Csévharaszti borókás, in Festucetum vaginatae, 11 April 2009, T. Knutsson, U. Andersson, T. Gunnarsson, M. Jeppson 8902 ( GB) ; Pest megye: Gödöllő, Domany, in sandy Stipetum , 17 May 2004, I. & I. Rimóczi, J. & M. Jeppson 7227 ( GB) ; Pest megye: Monorierdő, Földváritanya , in sheep-grazed sandy grassland, T. Knutsson, U. Anderssson, T. Gunnarsson, M. Jeppson 8987, 19 April 2009 ( GB) ; Pest megye: Örkény – Tatárszentgyörgy, sand steppe vegetation on disused military training field, J. and M. Jeppson 6041, 6043, 6044, 2 November 2002 ( GB), Ibidem J. and M. Jeppson 7815, 13 April 2006 ( GB). Ibidem, T. Knutsson, L. Nagy, U. Andersson, T. Gunnarsson, M. Jeppson 8960, 13 April 2006 ( GB) ; Ibidem in Festucetum vaginatae, sandy grassland, P. Finy FP 20160131, 31 January 2016, ( P. Finy, private herb.) .

Sequenced specimens of Bovista tomentosa :— NORWAY. Oppland: Dovre, Grimsdalen, among mosses on road verge in alpine vegetation, J. & M. Jeppson 3743, 9 August 1995 (GB; GenBank KT958934). SWEDEN. Skåne: Ravlunda, Bosarp, sand steppe vegetation, J. & M. Jeppson 3874, 12 October 1996 (GB; GenBank KT958936), Västergötland:Dalum, East of Silarpskullen, sand pit, M.Jeppson 5433, 5August 2000 (GB; DQ112616).Västergötland: Österplana, dry calcareous grassland, D. Miscević, 2014 (GB; GenBank KT958935). USA, Wisconsin: Walworth county, Young Road area, growing in prairie grasses about 30 meters from edge of woods, J. Steinke, 15 October 1995 (GB; DQ112617 as Bovista minor ).

Additional material studied:— ESTONIA. Pärnu: Rannemätsa, sandy roadside, M. Jeppson 2843, 2844, 18 August 1989 (GB). Saaremaa: Mändjala, roadside in sand field, V. Liiv & M. Jeppson 2940, 25 September 1990 (GB). FRANCE. La Vendée: Olonne-sur-Mer, Forêt d’Olonne, Plage de Sauveterre, among Tortula on sand dune, J. & M. Jeppson 8391, 26 January 2007 (GB). Provence-Vaucluse: Grand Luberon, Vitrolles, roadside in Mediterranean vegetation, A. & K. Bohlin, M. Jeppson 4354, 18 April 1997 (GB). ICELAND. N. Múlasýsla: Hrafnkellsdalur, Aðalból, dry Dryas / Kobresia -heathland, sandy soil, M. Jeppson 4113, 9 August 1993 (GB). ITALY. Trento:Andalo, dry grassland alt. 1050 m, S. Jeppson MJ 740, 18 September 1975 (GB). NORWAY. Sogn og Fjordane, Sogndal, Reppanipa, south-facing slope among Dryas in alpine vegetation, M. Jeppson 5281, 10 September 2000 (GB). SLOVAKIA. Stražovské vrchy: Pruzina, Ďurd’ové, xeric vegetation on calcareous cliffs, T. Knutsson, J. & M. Jeppson 7532, 10 June 2005 (GB). SPAIN. Gerona: Ripolles, among mosses on calcareous cliffs, M. Jeppson 12 December 1985 (GB). SWEDEN. Bohuslän: Tjärnö, Sydkoster, Kilesand, J. & M. Jeppson 7190, 14 April 2005 (GB). Gotland: Gammelgarn, Grogarnsberget, calcareous flat rocks, J. & M. Jeppson 5601, 26 September 2001 (GB). Härjedalen: Fjällnäs, Hamra, sandy car park in subalpine vegetation, M. Jeppson 5220, 23 Jul 1999 (GB). Öland: Algutsrum, Jordstorpsåsen, calcareous dry grassland, J. & M. Jeppson 4672, 11 October 1998 (GB). Öland: Gårdby, J. & M. Jeppson 3410, 6 October 1995 (GB). Öland: Vickleby, Haga Park, M. Jeppson 8603, 20 September 2008 (GB). Västergötland: Vilske Kleva, Kleva Klintar, calcareous dry grassland, M. Jeppson 2240, 6 September 1987 (GB).

Additional material studied of Bovista leucoderma :— MEXICO. Baja California, Km 8, Enseñada-Ojos Negros, I. Maujarrez, 19 January 1985 (AH 18586).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Bovista hollosii Jeppson, Finy, E. Larss. Hungary, Tolna, Ürgemező, in Festucetum vaginatae in grazed sandy grassland, leg. L. Albert, P. Finy 45, 5 Mars 2015. Scale bar 10 mm. Photo: P. Finy.

FIGURE 5. Bovista hollosii. A. Capillitium, MJ 8987 (GB). B. Detail of capillitium with pores, Finy 45 (GB). C. Detail of capillitium, Finy 45 (GB). D. Spore, MJ 8987 (GB). Scale bars A: 100 μm, B-D: 10 μm. Photo: M. Jeppson.

FIGURE 6. Bovista hollosii.A.Spores at a magnification of 5000x, MJ 7815 (GB).B.Detail of spore wall ornamentation at a magnification of 15000x, MJ 7815 (GB). SEM micrographs: I. Rimóczi.