Pisolithus, Alb. & Schwein. (Albertini & Schweinitz, 1805

Lebel, Teresa, Pennycook, Shaun & Barrett, Matthew, 2018, Two new species of Pisolithus (Sclerodermataceae) from Australasia, and an assessment of the confused nomenclature of P. tinctorius, Phytotaxa 348 (3), pp. 163-186 : 174-175

Pisolithus ‘ Lebel sp. 2’ ( Fig. 10 )

Basidiomata turbinate or subglobose, 25–40 mm wide × 20–34 mm high, yellowish ochre with orange-brown or blackened patches. Peridium at most 5–7 mm thick, but soon thinning to show outline of peridioles below, finally disintegrating and leaving yellowish ochre, orange-brown or blackened patches. Peridioles globose to subglobose, occasionally elongate, 1–2 (rarely 3) mm diam, solid, moist, cream-colored at first, becoming pale ochre then yellow, and eventually dark olivaceous brown, before drying to powdery mustard yellow spore mass when mature, compressed in uppermost part, often forming in stipe apex. Pseudostipe absent or present, basal, central, short, 10–16 mm wide × 10–20 mm long, appearing solid; similar colours to peridium, remaining orange-brown in context with some blackening on exposure. Rhizomorphs yellow to ochre orange.

Basidia none observed. Spores globose to subglobose (7–)8–10(–11) um diam; ornamentation of fine isolated spines, many secondarily aggregated into robust conical warts, to 1–2 um high. Spore colour in KOH pale yellow to brown, non-amyloid, non-dextrinoid.

Ecology and distribution: solitary or in small clusters, epigeous in geothermally active soils, associates are mostly upright (up to 2–3m tall) Kunzea tenuicaulis with scattered Leptospermum scoparium . Season: (Feb.–May). Summer– Autumn. New Zealand, North Island.

Specimens examined: NEW ZEALAND, NORTH ISLAND. Taupo: Craters of the Moon thermal Area , 18 May 2011, P. K. Buchanan FUNNZ2011 /805 ( PDD 102278 ) ; Bay of Plenty: Rotorua , thermal area NE of racecourse, 15 Feb 2002, R. E. Beever & B. Moyersoen REB2058 ( PDD 100260 ) ; Whale Island, Sulphur Bay , 25 March 2002, P. Cashmore REB2064 ( PDD 77427 ) .

Notes: This taxon is recognised as a possible species based on molecular analysis, however, only a partial description is provided at this time as only three collections, based on ITS data, are currently known. Superficially the fruit bodies and spore ornamentation resemble those of P. croceorrhizus . Unique base-pairs distinguish this taxon from closely related P. croceorrhizus and P. thermaeus .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Pisolithus Lebel sp. nov. 2. a–b spores (PDD102278); c–d SEMs of spores (PDD102278); e (PDD77427).