Tulostoma calongei Jeppson, Altes , G. Moreno & E. Larss.

Jeppson, Mikael, Altes, Alberto, Moreno, Gabriel, Nilsson, R. Henrik, Yolanda Loarce,, Bustos, Alfredo de & Larsson, Ellen, 2017, Unexpected high species diversity among European stalked puffballs - a contribution to the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Tulostoma (Agaricales), MycoKeys 21, pp. 33-88 : 45-47

Tulostoma calongei Jeppson, Altes, G. Moreno & E. Larss. sp. nov. Figure 4

Holotype.

Spain, Madrid, Casa de Campo, in exposed situation on dry sandy soil, S. Jeppson, J. Jeppson, M. Jeppson, 21 Nov. 1989, M. Jeppson 8773 (GB!, isotype AH).

Etymology.

Named in honour of the Spanish mycologist Francisco D. Calonge.

Description.

Spore-sac 8-10 mm, subglobose. Exoperidium granulose hyphal, encrusting soil, sometimes detaching in small flakes, whitish-greyish, rather persistent (Figure 4f). Endoperidium smooth, whitish. Mouth fimbriate. Stipe rather short, 15-20 x 1.5-2.5 mm, warm reddish brown, with darker appressed scales and a basal mycelial bulb (Figure 4f). Gleba ochraceous to ferrugineous brown. Capillitium 3-6 µm, thick-walled, with uneven inner walls (Figure 4c-d). Some ribbon-like hyphae present (Figure 4b). Septa rare, slightly widened. Spores globose-subglobose, 3.5-4.5 µm (av 4.1 µm) ornamentation excluded, verrucose-echinate, with spines frequently fused at their tips forming little developed pyramidal groups (Figure 4g-i).

Habitat and distribution.

Tulostoma calongei has been collected only from central Spain, usually on sandy acidic soils.

Notes.

Although usually having a less robust stature, this new species is very similar in macro-morphology to T. fimbriatum , with which it has been confused. The main differences are that the spores are slightly smaller and have a conical-pyramidal ornamentation, without the characteristic crests of T. fimbriatum (Figure 7 c–e). The molecular data also clearly support them as distinct but closely related species, with T. calongei occuring as a sister clade to T. fimbriatum (Clade 3, Figure 1a). The distribution area for the species is likely to increase after reexamination of additional samples identified as T. fimbriatum from Meridional Europe.

Other specimens examined.

SPAIN, Madrid, El Pardo, suelo arenoso, 12 Nov. 1978, E. Álvarez (AH 13718)*; Manzanares el Real, La Pedriza, jaral en suelo arenoso, 21 Dec. 1977, C. Ladó (AH 1555)*; Carabanchel Alto, camino arenoso junto a pradera, Nov. 1989, A. Martínez (AH 12586, GenBank KC333064); Ibidem, Nov. 1990, A. Martínez (AH 12686, GenBank KC333065).