Scleroderma, Persoon, 1801

Zhang, Yi-Zhe, Sun, Cheng-Ye, Sun, Jian, Zhang, Kai-Ping, Zhang, Hong-Shun, Guo, Xiang, Zhou, Ya-Juan, Zheng, De-Sheng & Li, Hai-Jiao, 2020, Scleroderma venenatum sp. nov., S. venenatum var. macrosporum var. nov. and S. suthepense new to China, Phytotaxa 438 (2), pp. 107-118 : 116

Key to known species of Scleroderma in China

1. Basidiospores echinulated, neither subreticulated, nor reticulated ...................................................................................................2.

- Basidiospores subreticulated or reticulated .......................................................................................................................................9.

2. Peridium thick, usually> 1 mm ........................................................................................................................................................3.

- Peridium thin, usually <1 mm ..........................................................................................................................................................5.

3. Basidiospores 7−10 μm, peridium do not change colour when hurt.................................................................................................4.

- Basidiospores 8−12 μm, peridium turn to pale pink, pale pinkish brown to pale brown when hurt........................................ S. cepa

4. Basidiome dirty whitish to yellowish with large scales ................................................................................................ S. yunnanense

- Basidiome yellowish to apricot with small dark brown scales........................................................................................... S. flavidum

5. Basidiome pseudostipitate .................................................................................................................................................................6.

- Basidiome sessile...............................................................................................................................................................................7.

6. basidiospores 8–11 μm .................................................................................................................................................. S. verrucosum

- basidiospores 6–8.5 μm ....................................................................................................................................................... S. nitidum

7. Gleba brownish violet to dark olivaceous with abundant yellowish trama veins, basidiospores 11–17 μm .................. S. areolatum

- Gleba ash grey, grey to dark grey without yellowish trama veins.....................................................................................................8.

8. Basidiospores 9–13 μm ......................................................................................................................... S. venenatum var. venenatum

- Basidiospores 12–16 μm .................................................................................................................. S. venenatum var. macrosporum

9. Basidiospores reticulated.................................................................................................................................................................10.

- Basidiospores subreticulated ...........................................................................................................................................................12.

10. Basidiospores small, 5.5–9 μm................................................................................................................................... S. dictyosporum

- Basidiospores larger, 8–16 μm ........................................................................................................................................................11.

11. Basidiospores 8–13 μm, basidiome greyish yellow to greyish brown with small and thin scales................................. S. suthepense

- Basidiospores 10–16 μm, basidiome whitish or pale yellowish-brown to dark brown with smooth to something verrucose with dark minute scales or cracked....................................................................................................................................................... S. bovista

12. Basidiospores tan, 9–16 μm, with hyaline, petaloid membrane.................................................................................... S. paradoxum

- Basidiospores not like above ...........................................................................................................................................................13.

13. Basidiospores small, 2.5–7.5 μm.............................................................................................................................. S. sinnamariense

- Basidiospores larger, 7–14 μm ........................................................................................................................................................14.

14. Basidiospores 11–14 μm, spines up to 2.5 μm ................................................................................................................... S. citrinum

- Basidiospores 7–14 μm, spines 0.5–1 μm .......................................................................................................................................15.

15. Basidiome bright yellow to straw yellow, with imbricate scales and tomentose on the surface, Basidiospores 10.4–13.6 μm.......... ........................................................................................................................................................................................ S. floridanum

- Basidiome without imbricate scales and tomentose on the surface ................................................................................................16.

16. Basidiome whitish to grayish yellow, endoperidium white............................................................................................ S. polyrhizum

- Basidiome darker, yellowish or some orange, endoperidium rubescent .............................................................................. S. texense