Ramaria pseudovinosimaculans P.R. Biswas & A.K. Dutta

Biswas, Pinky Rani & Dutta, Arun Kumar, 2024, A new species of Ramaria subg. Laeticolora from Meghalaya, India, Phytotaxa 659 (1), pp. 77-86 : 80

Ramaria pseudovinosimaculans P.R. Biswas & A.K. Dutta , sp. nov., Figures 2

MycoBank 852567

Diagnosis:—Differs from R. vinosimaculans by smaller b asidiomata with light brown to violet brown base, polychotomous (5–6 in numbers) branching from the stipe, blunt and sparse apices appearing like fork, cylindrical to bacilliform basidiospores with distinctly verrucose ornamentation, and smaller basidia measuring 32–39.5 × 4–10.5 µm.

Etymology:—The term ‘pseudo’ means ‘false’ and the species name ‘pseudovinosimaculans’ is used since this species closely resembles R. vinosimaculans Marr & D.E. Stuntz.

Holotype: — INDIA. Meghalaya: NEHU campus, 25°36’44”N, 91°53’47”E, 205.9 m, P. R. Biswas & A. K. Dutta, 24 June 2023, GUBH 20569 , GenBank PP 400775 (nrITS).

Description:— Basidiomata 36–98 × 14–56 mm, upright, elongated, radially branched, fasciculate, base well-developed, basal mycelia white (2A1). Stipe 15–30 mm long, 4–8 mm thick at the base, fleshy-fibrous and moist when fresh, fragile on drying, surface white (2A1) to yellowish white (2A2) at young stage, on maturity base light brown (6D5) to violet brown (10E6–7) with greyish yellow (2B3) elsewhere, turning brownish orange (6C6) on bruising; context solid, white to cream, turning brownish orange (6C6) with 5% KOH, inamyloid with Melzer’s reagent. Branches unequally developed, vertical, furcate, polychotomous, pale yellowish white (2A2), primary branch 5–6 in numbers, 3–6 mm wide ascending, top branches 1–4 mm long, sparse and appear like fork; apices blunt, sometimes nearly pointed, pale yellowish white (2A2). Odour pleasant. Taste mild.

Hyphal system monomitic, generative hyphae with normal inflation, branched, smooth, and hyaline when viewed with KOH. Clamp - connection present. Tramal hyphae 51–103 × 5.5–6.5 µm, parallelly arranged, hyaline to pale yellow (2A3) with KOH, smooth, thin-walled. Basidiospore (11–)13.1–15.6(–18.2) × (3.8–)4.6–5.4(–6.4) μm [Z = 13.52 ± 1.68 × 5.27 ± 0.71 µm, W = 2.08–3.38, Y = 2.59, n = 50 basidiospores, s = 5 specimens], cylindrical to bacilliform, apiculate, two to multi-guttate, hyaline, inamyloid, thick-walled (ca. 1.1 μm), ornamentation distinctly verrucose. Basidia 32–39.5 × 4–8.5(–10.5) µm, clavate, smooth, hyaline, thin-walled, basal clamp-connections present, 4-spored; sterigmata 5.5–7.5 µm long. Basidioles 24–31(–46) × 3–5.5(–7.0) µm, clavate shaped, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline.

Ecology and distribution: —Terrestrial, solitary to gregarious, on soil in forests dominated by Pinus kesiya trees.

Additional specimens examined:— INDIA: Meghalaya, NEHU Campus , 25°36’41”N, 91°53’41”E, 206.7 m, 06- August-2022, P. R. Biswas & P. Chattopadhyay, GUBH 20571 ; NEHU Campus , 25°36’43”N, 91°53’41”E, 206.9 m, P. R. Biswas & N. Roy, 11 August 2022, GUBH 20572 ; NEHU Campus , 25°36’49”N, 91°53’50”E, 208.9 m, P. R. Biswas & A. K. Dutta, 22 July 2023, GUBH 20573 ; Barabazar area , 25°34’19”N, 91°52’26”E, 190.2 m, P. R. Biswas, 26 July 2023, GUBH 20570 .

Remarks:—The present taxon is easily distinguished by features like a medium-sized (36–98 × 14–56 mm) radially branched basidiomata with a well-developed base and basal mycelia coloured white; fleshy-fibrous stipe with inamyloid context and surface coloured light brown to violet brown at the base and greyish yellow elsewhere which entirely turns brownish orange on bruising; polychotomous branching with blunt apices coloured pale yellowish white; pleasant smell; the presence of a monomitic hyphal system consisting of generative hyphae with normal inflation; cylindrical to bacilliform, two to multi-guttate basidiospore measuring 11–18.2 × 3.8–6.4 μm (mean 13.52 × 5.27 µm) with a surface composed of distinctly verrucose ornamentation and cyanophilous deposition; and presence of basal clamped, 4-spored basidia. All these features suitably identify the present taxon belonging to the Ramaria subg. Laeticolora .

Figures

FIGURE 2.Ramaria pseudovinosimaculans. A. Basidiomata innatural habitat;B. Basidiomata showing stipe characteristics andbranching pattern; C. Basidiomata selling in bulk quantities at the local market; D. SEM microphotograph of the basidiospore; E. Basidiospore as observed under light microscope; F–G. Basidia; and H–I. Basidioles showing basal clamp connection. Scale Bars: A–B = 10 mm, D = 1 μm, E–I = 10 μm.