Picipes brevisporus K. Y. Luo, Y. C. Dai, Y. J. Cui & Xin Zhang sp. nov.

Figs 4, 5

Holotype.

China • Xizang Autonomous Region, Motuo County, the road 219 from Motuo County to Jiefang Bridge. GPS coordinates: 29°18'N, 95°18'E; altitude: 1000 m a. s. l. On dead Miscanthus, 24 October 2023, Dai 26697 (BJFC 044247).

Diagnosis.

Picipes brevisporus is identified by laterally stipitate, glabrous, with radially aligned stripes pileal surface, short stipe; bearing clamp connections on generative hyphae, subulate cystidioles and oblong ellipsoid basidiospores with dimensions of 3.8–5.7 × 2.3–3.1 µm.

Etymology.

Brevisporus (Lat.) refers to the species having short basidiospores in the genus Picipes.

Description.

Basidiomata annual, laterally stipitate, solitary, coriaceous and without odour or taste when fresh, hard corky when dry. Pilei auricular to fan-shaped, about 1–1.5 cm long, 0.4–0.6 cm wide and up to 1 mm thick at base. Pileal surface yellow-brownish to brownish when fresh, becoming brown to black towards the margin when dry, glabrous, with radially aligned stripes; margin straight. Pore surface bluish-grey when fresh, light ivory to buff when dry; pores circular to subcircular, 7–9 per mm; dissepiments thin, entire. Context light ivory to buff when dry, hard corky upon drying, up to 0.5 mm thick. Tubes concolorous with pore surface, up to 0.5 mm long. Stipe short, bearing a black cuticle, up to 2 mm long and 2 mm in diam.

Hyphal structure: Hyphal system dimitic; generative hyphae bearing clamp connections; skeletal hyphae IKI –, slightly CB +; tissues unchanged in KOH.

Context: Generative hyphae infrequent, colourless, thin-walled, rarely branched, 2–3 μm in diam.; skeletal-binding hyphae dominant, colourless, thick-walled, occasionally branched, interwoven, 3.5–4.5 μm in diam.

Tubes: Generative hyphae dominant, colourless, thin-walled, rarely branched, 2–3 μm in diam.; skeletal-binding hyphae colourless, thick-walled, moderately branched, interwoven, 3–4.5 μm in diam. Cystidia absent, cystidioles subulate, 12–16 × 3–4 μm. Basidia more or less barrel-shaped, with a basal clamp connection and four sterigmata, 10–15 × 5–7 μm; basidioles in shape similar to basidia, but slightly smaller.

Stipe: Generative hyphae infrequent, colourless, thin-walled, rarely branched, 2–3 μm in diam.; skeletal-binding hyphae dominant, colourless, thick-walled, rarely branched, interwoven, 3.5–4.5 μm in diam.

Basidiospores: Short oblong ellipsoid, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, some with one large guttule, IKI –, CB –, (3.5 –) 3.8–5.7 (– 6.6) × (2.0 –) 2.3–3.1 (– 3.4) µm, L = 4.75 µm, W = 2.67 µm, Q = 1.71–1.85 (n = 60 / 2).

Type of rot.

White rot.

Additional specimen (paratype) examined.

China • Xizang Autonomous Region, Motuo County, the Road 219 from Motuo County to Jiefang Bridge. GPS coordinates: 29°18'N, 95°18'E; altitude: 1000 m a. s. l. On dead Miscanthus, 24 October 2023, Dai 26693 (BJFC 044243).