Neoporphyrellus Yan C. Li, J. Li, Halling, Osmundson & Zhu L. Yang, 2025

Li, Jin, Halling, Roy E., Osmundson, Todd W., Yang, Zhu L. & Li, Yan-Chun, 2025, Global diversity of the Tylopilus alboater complex (Boletaceae, Boletales): new genus and species, and typification of the name Boletus alboater, IMA Fungus 16, pp. e 159676-e 159676 : e159676-

Neoporphyrellus Yan C. Li, J. Li, Halling, Osmundson & Zhu L. Yang gen. nov.

Diagnosis.

This genus differs from other genera of Boletaceae in its dark colored basidioma, white to cream and thin hymenophore at first, then pinkish to light gray, white mycelium on the base of stipe, trichoderm pileipellis, smooth basidiospores, and initially reddish then blackish discoloration in the context when injured.

Etymology.

Neoporphyrellus (Latin) reflecting the new genus shares the similar colors of the basidiomata and spore prints with the genus Porphyrellus .

Typus generis.

Neoporphyrellus alboater (Schwein.) Yan C. Li, J. Li, Halling, Osmundson & Zhu L. Yang [Basionym: Boletus alboater Schwein. ].

Description.

Basidiomata small to large-sized. Pileus subhemispherical, broadly convex to applanate; surface dry, smooth or with a velvet-like texture, cracked with age, gray to brownish gray, or light brown to olive-brown, or yellowish gray to orangish brown. Context whitish, staining pink to pinkish red or reddish or brownish red at first and then becoming blackish when injured. Hymenophore slightly depressed around apex of stipe; surface initially whitish to cream then yellowish or grayish when mature, changing to reddish at first and then becoming blackish when injured; pores roundish or angular to irregular, changing to reddish or reddish brown at first and then becoming blackish when injured. Stipe clavate to subcylindrical, flexuous, solid, grayish to blackish brown, or yellowish brown, brownish black to black, dark in color downwards, sometimes slightly reticulate near apex; context white to cream, changing to brownish red quickly, then slowly becoming blackish when injured. Taste and odor mild. Basidiospores smooth, subfusiform. Cheilo- and pleurocystidia fusiform or subfusiform. Pileipellis trichodermium composed of somewhat vertically arranged or interwoven thin-walled hyphae. Clamp connections absent in all tissues.

Note.

The genus Neoporphyrellus is characterized by the gray to purplish gray pileus, finely velvety pileal surface, initially white to cream and thin hymenophore becoming pinkish vinaceous, white context changing reddish initially and then blackish when injured, and trichoderm pileipellis. Some recently published new genera, viz. Abtylopilus , Anthracoporus , Brasilioporus , Indoporus , Kgaria , and Nevesoporus , were proposed based on species that were thought to belong to, or be closely related to Tylopilus and have a context changing reddish initially and then blackish when injured, using both morphological and molecular methods ( Parihar et al. 2018; Li and Yang 2021; Magnago et al. 2022; Halling et al. 2023). However, Abtylopilus is characterized by its nearly glabrous pileus, white to cream hymenophore, fine hymenophoral pores ( 0.3–1 mm wide), and palisadoderm pileipellis composed of 4–11 μm wide, vertically arranged hyphae ( Li and Yang 2021). Anthracoporus is characterized by the tomentose or rugose pileus, black to grayish black hymenophore when young and then becoming grayish pink when mature, fine hymenophoral pores ( 0.3–2 mm wide), and trichoderm pileipellis composed of 4–9.5 μm hyphae, or an epithelial pileipellis composed of 10–21 μm wide inflated concatenated cells ( Li and Yang 2021). Brasilioporus is characterized by the matted fibrillose to squamulose pileus, the off-white hymenophore and context when young and then pinkish with age, fine hymenophoral pores ( 1–1.5 mm wide), and a trichoderm pileipellis with terminal cells 8–12 μm wide ( Magnago et al. 2022). Indoporus is characterized by its distinct extended pileal margin, gray or grayish white to grayish pink hymenophore, large hymenophoral pores (up to 4 mm wide), and trichoderm to palisadoderm pileipellis composed of 6–16 μm wide, vertically arranged hyphae ( Parihar et al. 2018; Li and Yang 2021). Kgaria is characterized by its irregularly bumpy to roughened pileus, sometimes scaly-areolate with age, white context changing from blue to red and then nearly black, white then mineral green to dull yellow to olive-brown hymenophore changing from red to blue and then black when bruised, and trichoderm pileipellis and stipitipellis with iconic cyanogranular encrusting pigment ( Halling et al. 2023). Nevesoporus is characterized by the initially velvety and then subareolate pileus, the relatively large hymenophoral pores ( 1–2 mm wide), the off-white hymenophore when young and then becoming pinkish when mature, unchanging or blackish when bruised, and the trichoderm pileipellis consisting of vertically arranged catenulate hyphae ( Magnago et al. 2022).

Porphyrellus shares similarly colored spore prints and basidiomata with Neoporphyrellus , but it can be distinguished from Neoporphyrellus by its white to pallid context without discoloration or becoming asymmetrically blue or at first reddish and then bluish when injured, and its palisadoderm or epithelial pileipellis ( Gilbert 1931; Wolfe 1979; Li and Yang 2021). Currently, three species of Neoporphyrellus are revealed including one new species and two new combinations. These three species are documented and illustrated below: