(3.3) Scleroderma suthepense Kumla, Suwannar. & Lumyong,

Mycotaxon 123: 2 (2013)

(Fig. 19)

Description:— Basidiomata small, 12–35 mm in diameter, 8–29 mm in height including a stipe 4–12 mm long, subglobose to tuberiform; odor fungal; taste mainly fungal, slightly sweet. Peridium leathery, 0.5–1.5 mm thick, merino white (#F9F5EC) to pale dirty orange (#FAF4E3), turning reddish to purplish after damaged, with granular, dirty milky brown (#B7A48D) to flint brown (#736960) squamules. Gleba compact at first, becoming pulverulent, cottonseed gray (# BEC 0BB), coal blue (#40474D) to dull black (#0B0C0E). Basal rhizomorphs abundant, whitish.

Basidiospores {40/4/1} (7.5) 8–11.5 [9.60 ± 0.93, 9.50] µm in diameter including ornamentation, mostly globose, rarely subglobose, thick-walled, with reticulate ornamentation 1–2.5 µm high, brownish to purplish, often surrounded by remnants of placental cells. Basidia collapsed. Gleba trama composed of 2.5–6.5 μm wide, thin-walled to slightly thick-walled, nearly colorless to slightly brownish, compact, moderately branching, subregularly arranged to interwoven hyphae occasionally with clamp connections. Peridial squamules composed of 3–5.5 μm wide, slightly thick-walled, brownish, moderately compact, moderately to frequently branching, subregularly arranged to interwoven hyphae without clamp connections. Peridial trama composed of 3–6.5 μm wide, slightly thick-walled to thick-walled, nearly colorless to slightly brownish, compact, moderately to frequently branching, subregularly arranged to interwoven hyphae without clamp connections.

Habits and distribution:— Gregarious, on soil, in tropical to subtropical forests, associated with plants of Fagaceae, Myrtaceae, Pinaceae and Rosaceae. Currently known from Asia (China & Thailand) and North America (USA) with molecular evidence.

Collections examined:— China, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou City, Huangpu District, Jiangdong Village, Boluoshan Hill, 23°11'32"N, 113°32'25"E, elevation 150 m, May 14, 2023, Kun L. Yang, Jia Y. Lin & Zhen-Chao Liu, K23223 (HTBM0738). China, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Yulin City, Xingye County, exact location unknown, June 3, 2023, Kun L. Yang, kindly donated by anonymous net friends, S2390 (HTBM0333). China, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou City, Huangpu District, Jiangdong Village, Boluoshan Hill, 23°11'32"N, 113°32'25"E, elevation 150 m, August 21, 2023, Zhen-Chao Liu, Jia Y. Lin & Kun L. Yang, S23457 (HTBM1568). China, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou City, Tianhe District, South China Agricultural University, Arboretum, 23°09'27"N, 113°21'22"E, elevation 40 m, September 11, 2023, Jia Y. Lin, L23411 (HTBM1392).

Notes:— This species looks similar to Scleroderma venenatum and its allies in macromorphology, but the basidiospore ornamentation can easily distinguish them.