Geastrum lloydianum Rick, Brotéria. Sér. Bot.

Trierveiler-Pereira, Larissa & Da Silveira, Rosa Mara B., 2012, On the Geastrum species (Geastraceae, Basidiomycota) described by Rick, Phytotaxa 61 (1), pp. 37-46 : 38-40

Geastrum lloydianum Rick, Brotéria. Sér. Bot. 5: 27, 1906 [as ‘ Geaster lloydianus ’]. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Lectotype (designated here): — BRAZIL. J. Rick, C.G. Lloyd’s Collection cat. no. 57279 (BPI 841471!). Unexpanded basidiomata not observed. Expanded basidiome 2.7 cm high (including peristome), 3.9 cm in diam.; exoperidium arched, rays 4–7, mycelial layer not persistent, fibrous layer externally brownish orange (5C5), internally light orange (5A4), fleshy layer light brown (5D4); endoperidial body subglobose, sessile to substipitate (short stipe less than 0.1 cm), 1.6 cm high, 2.5 cm in diam., endoperidial surface rough to

asperulate, grayish brown (6F3) and with a lighter region (5D3) near the base, apophysis noticeable when dry; peristome conical, truly sulcate, 0.5 cm high, concolorous with the endoperidial surface or slightly darker, seated in a depression; mature gleba yellowish brown (5F4).

Fibrous layer hyphae thick-walled to solid, 4–9 µm in diam., yellowish, septum not seen; fleshy layer hyphae pseudoparenchymatous, ellipsoid to subglobose, 12–49 µm in diam., yellowish; endoperidial hyphae thick-walled, lumen narrow, 3–8 µm in diam., yellowish to brownish yellow, some of them modified at the apex into clavate structures, crystals present on the surface; capillitial hyphae thick-walled, 3–9 µm in diam., golden yellow to brownish yellow, septa not seen, most of them strongly incrusted with amorphous material, tapering towards the simple, rounded apex; basidiospores globose to subglobose, 5–6 µm in diam., brownish yellow, ornamented with up to 1 µm high, individual or confluent columns; apiculus usually conspicuous, less than 1 µm long; basidia not seen.

Distribution and habitat: — Brazil ( Rick 1906), found in a small group on soil.

Additional specimens examined: — Geastrum hariotii : BRAZIL. C.G. Lloyd’s Collection cat. no. 52535 (BPI 841469, holotype) ; Rio de Janeiro: Hennings , C.G. Lloyd’s Collection cat. no. 52536 (BPI 841470) ; Paraná: Foz do Iguaçu, Parque Nacional de Foz do Iguaçu , 09 February 2011, L. Trierveiler-Pereira 169 ( ICN); ibid., 10 February 2011, L. Trierveiler-Pereira 179 ( ICN) ; Pernambuco: Moreno, RPPN Carnijó, 19 July 2008, L. Trierveiler-Pereira & al. 129 (URM 82013); São Vicente Férrer , Mata do Estado , 18 September 2008, L. Trierveiler-Pereira & J.M. Baltazar 180 (URM 82017) .

Remarks:— Geastrum lloydianum is characterized by an arched exoperidium, a rough to asperulate and blackish endoperidium, a sulcate peristome, and prominently ornamented basidiospores.

Before proposing G. lloydianum as a new species, Rick sent his vouchers to Lloyd. Lloyd (1907) noticed that Rick’s figure in the original publication ( Rick 1906, pl. II, fig. 10) did not correspond to G. lloydianum . A good picture of type specimens was presented by Lloyd (1907, pl. 99, fig. 9). Lloyd did not accept the binomial G. lloydianum stating that he already knew the species and proposed the name Geastrum hariotii Lloyd [as ‘ Geaster harioti ’] based on a different type (BPI 841469). Rick also used the binomial G. hariotii in his further studies ( Rick 1910, 1930) and did not mention the name G. lloydianum in his mycological synopsis ( Rick 1928).

Ponce de Leon (1968) considered G. hariotii synonymous with G. lloydianum , since the species are macroscopically similar. However, we have analyzed both types microscopically and we can ascertain that basidiospores are very distinct. G. lloydianum has large basidiospores (5–6 µm in diam.) ornamented with high columns, some of them seem to be curved when observed on light microscopy. G. hariotii has smaller basidiospores (3–4 µm in diam.) ornamented with short columns. Based on these observations, we consider G. hariotii a distinct species from G. lloydianum .

Specimens of G. lloydianum from Venezuela ( Calonge & Verde 1996), Mexico (Calonge et al. 2004) and Costa Rica ( Calonge et al. 2005) were described with minutely warted, small spores. Probably these records correspond to G. hariotii . We can conclude that the macroscopic morphology of G. lloydianum is common in the tropics but probably corresponds to a complex of species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geastrum lloydianum (A–B, E) and G. hariotii (C–D, F). A. Expandaded basidiome (lectotype). B. Detail of the truly sulcate peristome. C. Hennings, BPI 841470. D. Specimens in situ (L. Trierveiler-Pereira 169, ICN). E, F. SEM images of basidiospores. E. Lectotype. F.BPI 841469, holotype.

FIGURE 2. Microscopic structures of Geastrum lloydianum. A. Fibrous layer hyphae. B. Fleshy layer hyphae. C. Superficial hyphae of the endoperidial body. D. Capillitial hyphae.