Candelolepiota Kun L. Yang, Jia Y. Lin & Zhu L. Yang, 2024

Yang, Kun L., Lin, Jia Y., Li, Guang-Mei, Li, Taihui & Yang, Zhu L., 2024, Rediscovering Leucoagaricus sinicus, with the recognition of Leucoagaricus and Leucocoprinus as separate genera, and two new genera in Agaricaceae (Basidiomycota), Phytotaxa 676 (3), pp. 199-255 : 225-226

Candelolepiota Kun L. Yang, Jia Y. Lin & Zhu L. Yang , gen. nov.

Registration identifier:— FN572129 Etymology:— Named after candles, referring to the droplets excreted by the basidiomata that look like the tears of burning candles. Type species:— Candelolepiota sinica (J.Z. Ying) Kun L. Yang, Jia Y. Lin & Zhu L. Yang (see below) (≡ Chamaeota sinica J.Z. Ying ,

Mycotaxon 54: 303 (1995); ≡ Leucoagaricus sinicus (J.Z. Ying) Zhu L. Yang, Mycotaxon 100: 283 (2007); = Leucoagaricus lacrymans (T.K.A. Kumar & Manim.) Z.W. Ge & Zhu L. Yang , in Yang & Ge, Mycosystema 36(5): 547 (2017))

Diagnosis:— Differing from its closely related genera Macropsalliota and Micropsalliota by basidiomata usually excreting colored droplets when fresh, turning brownish after touched or damaged, pileus margin plicate, cheilocystidia subcylindrical and flexuous, and absence of a long continuous gap region in the ITS alignment with them.

General characteristics:— Basidiomata usually small to medium-sized, moderately robust, excreting yellowish, orangish, reddish to brownish droplets when fresh, turning brownish after touched or damaged, becoming pinkish, reddish to purplish after dried. Pileus usually convex to plano-convex, more or less umbonate, with granular, brownish squamules on a whitish background, with a plicate margin. Lamellae usually free, crowded, whitish to yellowish, with a more or less cystidiose edge, interspersed with abundant lamellulae. Stipe usually more or less curved, subcylindrical, more or less bulbous at the base, whitish, with minute squamules becoming more abundant downwards and nearly concolorous with the squamules on pileus. Annulus usually superior, almost unmoveable, with a flaring to spreading margin, easily broken. Odor usually fungal. Taste of context usually fungal. Taste of droplets usually slightly bitter and spicy, giving a burning feeling on tongue.

Basidiospores usually more or less ovoid, slightly thick-walled, smooth, slightly colored, dextrinoid, with a germ pore. Basidia usually four-spored. Lamella trama usually regular, subregular to trabecular. Cheilocystidia usually abundant, subcylindrical and flexuous. Pleurocystidia usually absent. Pileus squamules usually composed of perpendicular to interwoven hyphae. Clamp connections usually absent.

Habits and distribution:— Usually gregarious, weakly to strongly caespitose, saprotrophic on soil or deadwood, in lawns, urban areas and compost, currently known from the tropical and subtropical regions of the East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

New combination:— A new combination is proposed based on the phylogenetic and morphological evidence. See below for details.