Published March 24, 2026 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Morpho-molecular characterization reveals three Cortinarius subgenus Dermocybe species from southwest China (Agaricales, Cortinariaceae)

  • 1. Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China|Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
  • 2. Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
  • 3. Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China|Yunnan University, Kunming, China
  • 4. Yunnan University, Kunming, China|Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
  • 5. Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China

Description

Cortinarius stands as the most extensive and morphologically distinctive genus within the Cortinariaceae. During our comprehensive surveys of macrofungi in southwestern China, we have collected mushroom specimens resembling Cortinarius and identified them as three new species: Cortinarius orienticroceus, C. orientisanguineus, and C. subolivaceoluteus, based on morphology and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood/Bayesian inference. Cortinarius orienticroceus is notable for its pileus, which is dark brown at the center and gradually lightens to a pale yellow at the edges; lamellae range from pale yellow to bright yellow, while the stalk is initially silky and shiny, later turning darker with a slight olive tint as it matures. Cortinarius orientisanguineus, on the other hand, features a dry, hemispherical pileus with noticeable fibrous scales, lamellae are reddish-brown, and the veil disappears over time, leaving a reddish-brown ring on the upper to middle part of the stalk. In contrast, Cortinarius subolivaceoluteus presents a pileus that starts papillate and flattens as it matures; the stalk is cinnamon-colored on the upper part, with tawny fibrils and patches below, and has a slightly bulbous base; the veil is cinnamon-colored and vanishes over time. Morphological illustrations and comprehensive morphological descriptions, along with phylogenetic relationships of other species within subg. Dermocybe of the three new Cortinarius species are provided. This research expands the taxonomic framework of subgenus Dermocybe through contemporary systematic approaches and emphasizes the substantial contribution of Chinese mycological collections to our understanding of this fungal group.

Files

MC_article_183563.pdf

Files (4.9 MB)

Name Size Download all
md5:a7d0eb50beb135dcacc4f63b4bc0cec6
4.7 MB Preview Download
md5:23b190f343db26546904d61fc2c9a302
209.1 kB Preview Download

Linked records

Additional details

References

  • Bidaud A, Moënne-Loccoz P, Reumaux P (1994) Atlas des Cortinaires. Cle generale des sous-genres, sections et series. Fédérat. Mycol. Dauphiné-Savoie, 102 pp.
  • Brandrud TE, Lindström H, Marklund H, Melot J, Muskos S (1998) Cortinarius Flora Photographica I. Cortinarius HB, Sweden, 38 pp.
  • Dang Y, Zhu M, Keyhani NO, Wu Z, Qiu C, Xiong J, Pu H, Lin L, Xiong C, Zhao Z, Zheng M, Mu T, Lin Y, Huang Y, Yuan X, Qiu C, Ji X, Qiu J, Chen Y (2025) Discovery of two new Cortinarius species in Southern China. Frontiers in Microbiology 16: e1558935. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1558935
  • Danks M, Lebel T, Vernes K (2010) 'Cort short on a mountaintop'–Eight new species of sequestrate Cortinarius from sub-alpine Australia and affinities to sections within the genus. Persoonia 24(1): 106–126. https://doi.org/10.3767/003158510X512711
  • Fan L, Zhong X, Ma T, Zhou H, Wang B, Ji X (2024) Four new species of Cortinariaceae (Agaricales) from Northwestern China. Frontiers in Microbiology 15: e1454736. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1454736
  • Filippova N, Zvyagina E, Rudykina E, Dobrynina A, Bolshakov S (2023) The diversity of macromycetes in peatlands: Nine years of plot-based monitoring and barcoding in the raised bog"Mukhrino", West Siberia. Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e105111. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e105111
  • Gardes M, Bruns TD (1993) ITS primers with enhanced specificity for basidiomycetes‐application to the identification of mycorrhizae and rusts. Molecular Ecology 2(2): 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.1993.tb00005.x
  • Garnica S, Weiß M, Oertel B, Oberwinkler F (2005) A framework for a phylogenetic classification in the genus Cortinarius (Basidiomycota, Agaricales) derived from morphological and molecular data. Botany 83(11): 1457–1477. https://doi.org/10.1139/b05-107
  • Gruber I (1970) Antrachinonfarbstoffe und Fluoreszenzerscheinungen in den Gattungen Dermocybe und Cortinarius und Versuch ihrer Aus-wertung für deren Systematik. Osterreichische Zeitschrift fur Pilzkunde 36: 95–112.
  • Guan HB, Li TS, Zhang Y, Zhao Q (2025) Thaxterogaster laojunensis sp. nov. (Cortinariaceae) from Southwestern China. Phytotaxa 728(2): 166–174. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.728.2.6
  • Hall TA (1999) BioEdit: A user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Windows 95/98/NT. Nucleic Acids Symposium Series 41 (41): 95–98.
  • Harrower E, Ammirati JF, Cappuccino AA, Ceska O, Kranabetter JM, Kroeger P, Lim SR, Taylor T, Berbee ML (2011) Cortinarius species diversity in British Columbia and molecular phylogenetic comparison with European specimen sequences. Botany 89(11): 799–810. https://doi.org/10.1139/b11-065
  • Harrower E, Bougher NL, Henkel TW, Horak E, Matheny PB (2015) Long-distance dispersal and speciation of Australasian and American species of Cortinarius section Cortinarius. Mycologia 107(4): 697–709. https://doi.org/10.3852/14-182
  • Høiland K (1983) Cortinarius subgenus Dermocybe. Council for Nordic Publications in Botany. Council for Nordic Publications in Botany, Copenhagen, 106–112.
  • Høiland K, Holst-Jensen A (2000) Cortinarius phylogeny and possible taxonomic implications of ITS rDNA sequences. Mycologia 92: 694–710. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2000.12061210
  • Hong P, Wang K, Du Z, Zhao MJ, Xie ML, Liu D, Wei TZ (2024) Two new Cortinarius species in subgenus Leprocybe from Southwest China. PeerJ 12: e17599. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17599
  • Huelsenbeck JP, Ronquist F (2001) MRBAYES: Bayesian inference of phylogenetic trees. Bioinformatics 17(8): 754–755. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/17.8.754
  • Huymann LR, Hannecker A, Giovanni T, Liimatainen K, Niskanen T, Probst M, Peintner U, Siewert B (2024) Revised taxon definition in European Cortinarius subg. Dermocybe based on phylogeny, chemotaxonomy, and morphology. Mycological Progress 23(1): 26–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-024-01959-z
  • Jacquemyn H, Honnay O, Cammue BP, Brys R, Lievens B (2010) Low specificity and nested subset structure characterize mycorrhizal associations in five closely related species of the genus Orchis. Molecular Ecology 19(18): 4086–4095. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04785.x
  • Jia LK, Wang ZR, Yang ZL (2025) Five new species of Cortinarius (Cortinariaceae) from Yunnan, China, based on molecular and morphological evidence. MycoKeys 116: 145–166. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.116.146710
  • Katoh K, Standley DM (2013) MAFFT multiple sequence alignment software version 7: Improvements in performance and usability. Molecular Biology and Evolution 30(4): 772–780. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/mst010
  • Katoh K, Rozewicki J, Yamada KD (2019) MAFFT online service: Multiple sequence alignment, interactive sequence choice and visualization. Briefings in Bioinformatics 20(4): 1160–1166. https://doi.org/10.1093/bib/bbx108
  • Knudsen V (2008) Funga Nordica. Nordsvamp, Copenhagen, 661–777.
  • Kornerup A, Wanscher JH (1967) Methuen Handbook of Colour. Methuen and Co. Ltd., London, 243 pp. https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19630306614
  • Kuhnert-Finkernagel R, Peintner U (2003) Revised nomenclature of Cortinarius taxa with type specimens deposited in the Innsbruck (IB) Mycological Herbarium. Mycotaxon 87: 113–120. https://doi.org/10.5962/p.418397
  • Li Y, Li TH, Yang ZL, Bau T, Dai YC (2025) Atlas of Chinese Macrofungal Resources (Vol. 3). Cantharelloid Fungi & Agarics. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-0502-6
  • Liimatainen K (2013) Towards a Better Understanding of the Systematics and Diversity of Cortinarius, with an Emphasis on Species Growing in Boreal and Temperate Zones of Europe and North America. Academic dissertation, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences of the University of Helsinki, 5–7.
  • Liimatainen K, Niskanen T, Dima B, Kytövuori I, Ammirati JF, Frøslev TG (2014) The largest type study of Agaricales species to date: Bringing identification and nomenclature of Phlegmacium (Cortinarius) into the DNA era. Persoonia 33(1): 98–140. https://doi.org/10.3767/003158514X684681
  • Liimatainen K, Kim JT, Pokorny L, Kirk PM, Dentinger B, Niskanen T (2022) Taming the beast: A revised classification of Cortinariaceae based on genomic data. Fungal Diversity 112: 89–170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-022-00499-9
  • Liu Y (1995) Molecular evolutionary studies of Dermocybe and Cortinarius species. State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
  • Liu YJ, Rogers SO, Liu YJ, Ammirati JF (1997) Phylogenetic relationships in Dermocybe and related Cortinarius taxa based on nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers. Canadian Journal of Botany 75(4): 519–532. https://doi.org/10.1139/b97-058
  • Liu FF, Wu G, Yang ZL (2023) A new species and new records of Phlegmacium (Cortinariaceae) from China based on molecular and morphological evidence. Phytotaxa 578(2): 141–157. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.578.2.1
  • Long P, Zhou SY, Li SN, Liu FF, Chen ZH (2024) Three new species of Cortinarius section Delibuti (Cortinariaceae, Agaricales) from China. MycoKeys 101: 143–162. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.101.114705
  • Luo Y, Bau T (2021) Cortinarius jiaoheensis (Cortinariaceae), a new species of Cortinarius subgenus Telamonia section Flexipedes, from northeast China. Phytotaxa 494(1): 113–121. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.494.1.7
  • Moser M (1978) Die Röhrlinge und Blätterpilze. In: Gams H, Kleine (Eds) Kryptogamenflora Aufl. 5. Stuttgart, 63–65.
  • Moser M, Horak E, Gruber I (1975) Cortinarius Fr. und nahe ver-wandte Gattungen in Südamerika. Nova Hedwigia. Beiheft 52: 1–628.
  • Moser M, Plant S, Kibby G (1983) Keys to Agarics and Boleti: Polyporales, Boletales, Agaricales. Russulales, Roger Phillips London.
  • Niskanen T (2014) Nomenclatural novelties. Index Fungorum: Published Numbers 197: 1–4.
  • Niskanen T, Liimatainen K, Ammirati JF, Hughes K (2013) Cortinarius section sanguinei in north america. Mycologia 105(2): 344–356. https://doi.org/10.3852/12-086
  • Niskanen T, Douglas B, Kirk P, Crous P (2018) New discoveries: species of fungi described in 2017. In: Willis KJ (Ed.) State of the World's Fungi 2018, Report. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 18–23.
  • Nylander JA, Ronquist F, Huelsenbeck JP, Nieves AJ (2004) Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of combined data. Systematic Biology 53(1): 47–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150490264699
  • Peintner U, Moncalvo JM, Vilgalys R (2004) Toward a better understanding of the infrageneric relationships in Cortinarius (Agaricales, Basidiomycota). Mycologia 96(5): 1042–1058. https://doi.org/10.1080/15572536.2005.11832904
  • Rathnayaka AR, Tennakoon DS, Jones GE, Wanasinghe DN, Bhat DJ, Priyashantha AH, Stephenson SL, Tibpromma S, Karunarathna SC (2025) Significance of precise documentation of hosts and geospatial data of fungal collections, with an emphasis on plant-associated fungi. New Zealand Journal of Botany 63(2–3): 462–489. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2024.2381734
  • Rehner SA, Samuels GJ (1994) Taxonomy and phylogeny of Gliocladium analysed from nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA sequences. Mycological Research 98(6): 625–634. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0953-7562(09)80409-7
  • Ronquist F, Teslenko M, Van Der Mark P, Ayres DL, Darling A, Höhna S, Larget B, Liu L, Suchard MA, Huelsenbeck JP (2012) MrBayes 3.2: Efficient Bayesian phylogenetic inference and model choice across a large model space. Systematic Biology 61(3): 539–542. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/sys029
  • Soop K (2021) Cortinarius in Sweden. 17th, Éditions Scientrix, England.
  • Stefani FO, Jones RH, May TW (2014) Concordance of seven gene genealogies compared to phenotypic data reveals multiple cryptic species in Australian dermocyboid Cortinarius (Agaricales). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 71: 249–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2013.10.019
  • Tedersoo L, Bahram M, Jairus T, Bechem E, Chinoya S, Mpumba R, Leal M, Randrianjohany E, Razafimandimbison S, Sadam A, Naadel T, Koljalg U (2011) Spatial structure and the effects of host and soil environments on communities of ectomycorrhizal fungi in wooded savannas and rain forests of Continental Africa and Madagascar. Molecular Ecology 20(14): 3071–3080. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05145.x
  • Thoen E, Aas AB, Vik U, Brysting AK, Skrede I, Carlsen T, Kauserud H (2019) A single ectomycorrhizal plant root system includes a diverse and spatially structured fungal community. Mycorrhiza 29(3): 167–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-019-00889-z
  • Trifinopoulos J, Nguyen LT, Haeseler A, Minh BQ (2016) W–IQ–TREE: A fast online phylogenetic tool for maximum likelihood analysis. Nucleic Acids Research 44: W232–W235. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkw256
  • Vaidya G, Lohman DJ, Meier R (2011) SequenceMatrix: Concatenation software for the fast assembly of multi‐gene datasets with character set and codon information. Cladistics : The International Journal of the Willi Hennig Society 27(2): 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.2010.00329.x
  • Vilgalys R, Hester M (1990) Rapid genetic identification and mapping of enzymatically amplified ribosomal DNA from several Cryptococcus species. Journal of Bacteriology 172: 4238–4246. https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.172.8.4238-4246.1990
  • Wang XH, Cai Q, Yu FM, Yang ZL, Zhou SY, Wang ZR, Cui YY, Wang Y, Zhang P, Cao SQ, Zhu XT, Lei L, Lu JR, Li JN, Wang GS, Jia LK, Mu LH, Li GM, Li MX, Yang BQ, Feng WC, Liu ZW, Li CJY, Xu RJ, Bao SX, Li TS, Jia PS, Wu DM, Gao N, Hyde KD, Wu G, Zhao Q (2025) New and notable taxa of Basidiomycota on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and its surrounding areas. Fungal Diversity 133(1): 235–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-025-00558-x
  • Wang ZR, Zhou SY, Liu FF, Yang ZL (2025a) The genus Thaxterogaster (Cortinariaceae): Phylogeny and species diversity in Western China. Mycology 16(3): 1141–1179. https://doi.org/10.1080/21501203.2024.2441178
  • Wang ZR, Yu H, Yang ZL (2025b) Cystinarius: Phylogeny and species diversity in China. Mycologia 117(5): 983–999. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2025.2518029
  • Wei TZ, Yao YJ (2013) Cortinarius korfii, a new species from China. Mycosystema 32(3): 557–562. https://doi.org/10.13346/j.mycosystema.2013.03.017
  • White TJ, Bruns T, Lee SJWT, Taylor J (1990) Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal RNA genes for phylogenetics. PCR protocols: A guide to methods and applications 18(1): 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-372180-8.50042-1
  • Xie ML (2022) Taxonomic, Molecular Phylogenetic and Biogeographic Studies of Cortinarius in China. Northeast Normal University, Chinese Academic Journal Electronic Publishing House.
  • Xie ML, Li D, Wei SL, Ji RQ, Li Y (2019) Cortinarius subcaesiobrunneus sp. nov., (Cortinariaceae, Agaricales) a new species from northwest China. Phytotaxa 392(3): 217–224. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.392.3.4
  • Xie ML, Wei TZ, Fu YP, Li D, Qi LL, Xing PJ, Cheng GH, Ji RQ, Li Y (2020) Three new species of Cortinarius subgenus Telamonia (Cortinariaceae, Agaricales) from China. MycoKeys 69: 91–109. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.69.49437
  • Xie ML, Chen JL, Phukhamsakda C, Dima B, Fu YP, Ji RQ, Wang K, Wei TZ, Li Y (2021a) Cortinarius subsalor and C. tibeticisalor spp. nov., two new species from the section Delibuti from China. PeerJ 9: e11982. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11982
  • Xie ML, Wei TZ, Dima B, Fu YP, Ji RQ, Li Y (2021b) Cortinarius khinganensis (Agaricales), a new species of section Illumini from Northeast China. Phytotaxa 500: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.500.1.1
  • Xie ML, Phukhamsakda C, Wei TZ, Li JP, Wang K, Wang Y, Ji RQ, Li Y (2022) Morphological and phylogenetic evidence reveal five new Telamonioid species of Cortinarius (Agaricales) from East Asia. Journal of Fungi 8(3): 257–271. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8030257
  • Xie ML, Feng N, Lin WF, Su WY, Li Y, Yang ZQ (2023a) Morphological and phylogenetic characterization of three novel Thaxterogaster (Cortinariaceae) species from China with an emphasis on their subtropical distribution. Journal of Fungi 9(11): 1058–1067. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9111058
  • Xie ML, Li Y, Wang K, Ji RQ, Wei TZ (2023b) Cortinarius liyui sp. nov., a new species of Cortinarius section Liyuorum section nov. from China. Mycosystema 42(1): 244–251. https://doi.org/10.13346/j.mycosystema.220421
  • Xie ML, Li Y, Wei TZ, Li Y, Li CT (2024) A new species and five new combinations of Thaxterogaster (Cortinariaceae, Agaricales) from China. Phytotaxa 677(2): 155–165. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.677.2.4
  • Xie ML, Yu Y, Long P, Chen ZH, Wang ZR, Ma HX, Wei TZ, Liao JP, Li CT, Yang ZQ, Li Y (2025a) New insights into Cortinarius: Novel taxa from subtropical China. Mycology 16(3): 1277–1295. https://doi.org/10.1080/21501203.2024.2434584
  • Xie ML, Dima B, Wang K, Phukhamsakda C, Li Y, Qi LL, Li GJ, Liu TZ, Jia PS, Wang Q, Song LR, Wei TZ, Li Y (2025b) Taxonomy and phylogeny of Cortinarius section Anomali in China. Persoonia 54: 225–263. https://doi.org/10.3114/persoonia.2025.54.07
  • Xu RJ, Hyde KD, Li JN, Boonmee S, Liu NG, Yang J, Li Y, Bao DF, Shen HW, Zhu XT, Zhu YA, Li TS, Xu K, Yu FM, Lu JR, Lei L, Wu N, Wu DM, Gao N, Jia PS, He XL, Al-Otibi F, Zhou DQ, Liu JK, Lu YZ, Luo ZL, Yang ZL, Zhao Q (2025) Lignicolous freshwater fungi of the pan Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, China. Fungal Diversity 133: 23–234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-025-00555-0
  • Yang YW, Li TS, Zhao Q, Zhang Y (2025) A new species of Cortinarius subg. Telamonia (Agaricales) from Yunnan, China. Phytotaxa 734(1): 77–88. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.734.1.6
  • Yu FM, Jayawardena RS, Luangharn T, Zeng XY, Li CJY, Bao SX, Ba H, Zhou DQ, Tang SM, Hyde KD, Zhao Q (2024) Species diversity of fungal pathogens on cultivated mushrooms: A case study on morels (Morchella, Pezizales). Fungal Diversity 125(1): 157–220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-023-00531-6
  • Yuan HS, Lu X, Dai YC, Hyde KD, Kan YH, Kušan I, He SH, Liu NG, Sarma VV, Zhao CL, Cui BK, Yousaf N, Sun GY, Liu SY, Wu F, Lin CG, Dayarathne MC, Gibertoni TB, Conceição LB, Garibay‐Orijel R, Villegas‐Ríos M, Salas‐Lizana R, Wei TZ, Qiu JZ, Yu ZF, Phookamsak R, Zeng M, Paloi S, Bao DF, Abeywickrama PD, Wei DP, Yang J, Manawasinghe IS, Harishchandra D, Brahmanage RS, de Silva NI, Tennakoon DS, Karunarathna A, Gafforov Y, Pem D, Zhang SN, Azevedo Santiago ALCM, Bezerra JDP, Dima B, Acharya K, Alvarez‐Manjarrez J, Bahkali AH, Bhatt VK, Brandrud TE, Bulgakov TS, Camporesi E, Cao T, Chen YX, Chen YY, Devadatha B, Elgorban EM, Fan LF, Du X, Gao L, Gonçalves CM, Gusmão LFP, Huanraluek N, Jadan M, Jayawardena RS, Khalid AN, Langer E, Lima DX, Lima‐Júnior NC, Sousa de Lira SR, Liu JK, Liu S, Lumyong S, Luo ZL, Matočec N, Niranjan M, Oliveira‐Filho JRC, Papp V, Pérez‐Pazos V, Phillips AJL, Qiu PL, Ren YH (2020) Fungal diversity notes 1277–1386: Taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal taxa. Fungal Diversity 104(1): 1–266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-020-00461-7
  • Zhang QY, Jin C, Zhou HM, Ma ZY, Zhang YZ, Liang JQ, Si J, Li HJ (2023) Enlargement of the knowledge of Cortinarius section Anomali (Agaricales, Basidiomycota): Introducing three new species from China. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 13: 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1215579
  • Zhao Q, Li YK, Zhu XT, Zhao YC, Liang JF (2015) Russula nigrovirens sp. nov. (Russulaceae) from southwestern China. Phytotaxa 236(3): 249–256. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.236.3.5
  • Zhou SY, Long P, Yang ZL (2023) Three new species and a new record of Cortinarius section Camphorati from southwestern China. Mycologia 115(6): 904–917. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2023.2251365