Moniliophthora pakistanica A. Izhar, M. Asif, Niazi & Khalid 2022, sp. nov.

Moniliophthora pakistanica A. Izhar, M. Asif, Niazi & Khalid sp. nov. (Figs. 3–6)

MycoBank:—MB840848

Etymology:—‘ pakistanica’ in Latin, refers to Pakistan, the country of the type locality.

Diagnosis:—This species is distinguished by a convex to plano-convex, depressed or sub-umbonate, tomentose, brownish pileus, paler towards margins with distinct orange to brown zones, a hairy stipe, presence of rhizomorphs, oblong to ellipsoid, non-dextrinoid basidiospores (4.7–8.5 × 4–6 μm), frequent clavate to flexuous cheilo- and pleurocystidia having apical projections, common setiform, terminal hairs of cylindrical to subclavate elements present both in pileipellis and stipitipellis, and growth on fallen leaves and twigs.

Holotype:— PAKISTAN. Punjab, District Kasur, canal road, on fallen plant debris (31°12’N, 74°44’E), 150–200 m a.s.l., September 06, 2020, Aiman Izhar, KS-01, Holotype (LAH36969).

Gene sequence ex-holotype:—GenBank MZ766450 (nrITS), OM033489 (for LSU).

Description:— Pileus 8–30 mm, convex to plano-convex, depressed to umbilicate, context brownish (10 YR 6/6), paler towards margins, thick, orange (5YR 6/6) at depression, at maturity sub-umbonate, with distinct zones, inner zones surrounding center, orange (7.5YR 6/6), outer zones light brownish (5YR 7/1), disc covered with floccose squamules, surface tomentose, whole surface to margin covered with fine whitish hairs, margins striate and sulcate. Lamellae 3–4 mm broad, emarginate, relatively narrow, light yellow orange (7.5 YR 8/4), crisped, forked near margin, often covered with white fine hairs, edge entire to serrate, sub-distant, single tier of lamellulae. Stipe 5–15 × 10–30 mm, white (2.5R9/2), when young, becoming yellowish brown (10YR 6/6) towards base near maturity, central, dry, clavate, tapered at base, longitudinally depressed, tomentose, instititious, rhizomorphs abundant.

Basidiospores [40/3/2] (4.7–) 5–7.4 (–8.5) × (4–) 4.7–5.7 (–6) μm, avl × avw= 6.7 × 5.8 μm, Q = 1.17–1.44, avQ = 1.3, oblong to ellipsoid, thin-walled, hyaline in 5 % KOH, smooth, apiculate, guttulate, inamyloid, non-dextrinoid. Basidia 25–36 × 6.5–9 μm, avl × avw= 31 × 7.5 μm, thin-walled, hyaline in 5 % KOH, clavate, cylindrical, 4- spored, guttulate, clamp connections observed at base. Cheilocystidia 21–37 × 6.7–10 μm, avl × avw = 25.5 × 8 μm, hyaline in 5 % KOH, thin to moderately thick-walled, clustered, mostly clavate, sub-clavate, flexuous, some with long narrow projections, few narrowly utriform to utriform, several setiform hairs in pileipellis and stipitipellis present near lamellae edge, clamp connections common. Pleurocystidia 23–37 × 6–9 μm, avl × avw= 31 × 7.7 μm, hyaline in 5 % KOH, thin- to moderately thick-walled, clavate with irregular cylindrical appendages, sub-fusoid, lageniform with obtuse, branched or irregularly curved at apex, clamps present at base. Hymenophoral trama regular to sub-regular, thin-walled, with hyaline to pale yellowish walls, hyphae 2–5 μm wide, cylindrical, some inflated, hyphal elements non-dextrinoid like those in pileus trama. Pileipellis consisting of two layers; suprapellis a trichoderm, pileus trama hyphae giving rise to several erect to semi-erect, setiform terminal hairs with acute apex, 78–100 × 3.7–7.5 μm, thickwalled, with wide lumen and many pseudosepta, slightly dextrinoid, walls hyaline to brownish, becoming colorless towards apex, subpellis a cutis, hyphae made up of cylindrical to subclavate elements, 2–5 µm wide, thin-walled, non-dextrinoid, encrusted with bright yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/6) granules, septate, branched, clamp connections present in both hyphae and at base of terminal hairs. Stiptipellis resembling pileipellis, upper layer a trichoderm made up of thick-walled, setiform terminal hairs, 40–90 × 5–9 μm, lumen present in pseudosepta, walls slightly dextrinoid; stipe trama consisting of thin-walled, cylindrical, parallel, septate, 2–4 μm wide hyphae, rarely branched, slightly dextrinoid, clamp connections present.

Habit and habitat:—collybioid to mycenoid, solitary or gregarious on fallen dicot leaves or herbaceous debris, under mixed angiospermic vegetation.

Distribution:—Reported only from Punjab, Pakistan.

Additional material examined:— PAKISTAN. Punjab Province, District Kasur, Canal Road, 150–200 m a.s.l., July 06, 2019, Aiman Izhar, KS-02, Isotype (LAH 36968), GenBank MZ 766451 (nrITS), OM 033490 (nrLSU); Punjab Province, Islam Headworks, Hasilpur, District Bahawalpur, September 04, 2020, Muhammad Asif, AG 127, (LAH 36957!), GenBank MZ 766452 (nrITS), OM 033491 (nrLSU).