Diachea mitchellii Lado & Treviño

Treviño-Zevallos, Italo, García-Cunchillos, Iván, Basanta, Diana Wrigley De & Lado, Carlos, 2023, Diversity of Myxomycetes from Peru Part III: The high Andes and the altiplano, Phytotaxa 624 (1), pp. 1-92 : 20

38. Diachea mitchellii Lado & Treviño , in Lado, Treviño-Zevallos, García-Martín & Wrigley de Basanta, Mycologia 114(4): 802 (2022)

Specimens examined. PERU. Ancash: Bolognesi, Pachapaqui, San Judas Tadeo, route PE-3N, km 35, 3828 m, 9º59′23.5”S, 77º06′40.9”W, 23 Apr 2013, bark and leaves of Polylepis sp. , Lado 23139 (MA-Fungi 91227), Lado 23140 (MA-Fungi 95295, USM). Recuay, Catac, route AN-110, km 18, Querococha lagoon, 4040 m, 9º43′27”S, 77º20′02”W, 24 May 2014, bark and wood of Polylepis sp. , Lado 23848 (MA-Fungi 95501), branches of Polylepis sp. , Lado 23862 (MA-Fungi 95512). Ticapampa, Catac, route AN-110, km 22, 4150 m, 9º43′18”S, 77º19′19”W, 11 May 2018, leaf litter and bark of Polylepis sp. , Lado 26319 (MA-Fungi 97117) . Ayacucho: Lucanas, route PE-30A, km 103, 4 km east of Abra Condorcenca , 3947 m, 14º38′28.1”S, 74º17′57.8”W, 27 Sep 2012, bark of Polylepis sp. , Lado 21829 (MA-Fungi 94601), wood of Polylepis sp. , Lado 21833 (MA-Fungi 91211), bark of Polylepis sp. , Lado 21834 (MA-Fungi 91212, USM), Lado 21837 (MA-Fungi 94608, USM), grasses, Lado 21852 (MA-Fungi 94618), bark of Polylepis sp. , Lado 21858 (MA-Fungi 94625, USM), Lado 21867 (MA-Fungi 94634) . Cusco: Canas, Kunturkanki, route from El Descanso to Sicuani, Km 6, 4085 m, 14º29′08”S, 71º17′42”W, 22 Apr 2016, branch and brak of Polylepis sp. , Lado 24672 (MA-Fungi 95941, USM) . Huancavelica: Huancavelica, Acoria, route PE-26, km 39, Ccaccasiri, 3875 m, 12º38′32”S, 74º55′06”W, 25 Apr 2017, leaves, bark and twigs of Polylepis racemosa, Lado 25223 (MA-Fungi 96407, USM), Lado 25225 (MA-Fungi 96409, USM), Lado 25230 (MA-Fungi 96415, USM), Lado 25235 (MA-Fungi 96420, USM). Huaytara, Pilpichaca, KP391, southern Peruvian gas pipeline, 3853 m, 13°26′41”S, 74°55′30”W, 31 August 2017, on rhytidome (debris) of Polylepis, Treviño Myx 125 (MA-Fungi 97929, HSP) . Junin: Concepción, Chambara, route PE-24, km 254, 3 km west of Roncha, 3428 m, 12º00′32”S, 75º26′50”W, 28 Apr 2017, bark and leaves of Polylepis racemosa, Lado 25538 (MA-Fungi 96696, USM, HSP). Huancayo, Huancayo, route 108, km 10, 8 km southwest of Acopalca, 3505 m, 12º00′18”S, 75º09′38”W, 27 Apr 2017, bark and leaves of Polylepis racemosa and Eucalyptus globulus, Lado 25451 (MA-Fungi 96604, USM). Yauli, Paccha, La Oroya, route PE-3N, km 6, 6 km north of La Oroya , 3706 m, 11º29′29”S, 75º56′36”W, 1 May 2017, leaves and bark Polylepis racemosa and grasses, Lado 25663 (MA-Fungi 96821, USM), Lado 25666 (MA-Fungi 96824), Lado 25676 (MA-Fungi 96834), Lado 25677 (MA-Fungi 96835, USM), Lado 25678 (MA-Fungi 96836, USM), Lado 25682 (MA-Fungi 96840, USM), Lado 25684 (MA-Fungi 96842, USM), leaves and bark of Polylepis racemosa and leaves of Cortaderia jubata, Lado 25685 (MAFungi 96843), Lado 25686 (MA-Fungi 96844) . Moquegua: Mariscal Nieto, Torata, Pontón Cuellar, route PE-34D, km 69, 3815 m, 16º59′54.8”S, 70º41′54.7”W, 7 Oct 2012, bark of Polylepis rugulosa, Lado 22176 (MA-Fungi 94731), Lado 22177 (MA-Fungi 94732) .

Notes. A recently described species by Lado et al. (2022) from Peru possesses an iridescent peridium ( Fig. 3D ), a columella with irregular projections arranged in a reticulate fashion and spores in easily dissociable clusters, (3)5– 8(10) spores per cluster ( Fig. 3E ). This species is the first one with this type of columella in the genus Diachea ( Martin & Alexopoulos 1969, Farr 1976, Poulain et al. 2011). Diachea mitchellii has been exclusively reported from Polylepis forests, being exceedingly abundant there.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A. Sporocarp of Comatricha nodulifera (MA-Fungi 94735). B. Craterium rubronodum (MA-Fungi 97247). C. Cribraria lepida (MA-Fungi 94606). D. Diachea mitchellii (MA-Fungi 96415). E. Spores by SEM of Diachea mitchellii (MA-Fungi 91227). F. Spores by SEM of Dianema succulenticola (MA-Fungi 94551). G. Sporocarp of Didymium xerophylum (MA-Fungi 86885). H. Licea aurea (MA-Fungi 91750). I. Spore by SEM of Licea aurea (dwb 3533). Scales A-D, G = 0.2 mm; E-F, I = 5 µm, H = 0.1 mm.