Cortinarius fragrantissimus – Facesoffungi number: FoF 02041

Cortinarius fragrantissimus Ammirati, Beug, Liimat., Niskanen & O. Ceska

Index Fungorum number: IF 551705 Facesoffungi number: FoF 02041

Etymology: Name based on fragrant Odour.

Holotype: Michael Beug 10MWB111913 (WTU) Pileus 15–30 mm, rounded-umbonate to obtuse umbonate to plano-umbonate, umbo±acute, surface silky, dry, fuscous to pale ochraceous salmon, hygrophanous. Lamellae adnexed, subdistant, dark vinaceous purple when young, buffy brown when mature. Stipe 55–70 mm long, 3–5 mm thick above, ±equal, dry, pale pinkish buff, hollow. Universal veil white. Basal mycelium white. Odour slightly fragrant sweet. Taste mild. Macrochemical reaction (40 % KOH): pileus cuticle raw umber, stipe apex bronze, base fuscous black. Exsiccatae: pileus pallid to brown, greyish brown and some blackish areas, lamellae brown, stipe pale shiny at apex, below pallid to light brownish or blackish with whitish areas from universal veil, basal mycelium white. Basidia 4-spored, 8.7– 9.2×29–31μm, clavate, hyaline or commonly brown in KOH. Basidiospores (7.4) 7.8–9 (9.3)×4.8 –6μm (20 spores, holotype specimens), ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, coarsely verrucose, apiculus±curved, slightly to somewhat dextrinoid. Lamella trama hyphae hyaline or more commonly brown pigmented, commonly brown encrusted, many brown plaques in KOH. Pileipellis in KOH: Surface hyphae±cylindrical, 4– 11 μm wide, hyaline, walls refractive. Subtending distinct layer of±enlarged hyphae 7–26μm wide, hyaline to yellowish brown, walls refractive. Beneath a brown to yellow brown pigmented layer of cylindrical to enlarged hyphae, 7.5– 22 μm wide, encrusted and with pigment plaques, grading into trama hyphae. ITS sequence distinct from the other known members of the section Paleacei, and differs from them in the ITS region by more than 8 substitutions and indel positions.

Ecology and distribution: Collections have been made from mixed forests of Quercus garryana and Abies grandis, and Pseudotsuga menziesii and Arbutus menziesii. Producing basidiomata in late autumn. Known from British Columbia, Canada and Washington USA, Western North America.

Material examined: CANADA, British Columbia, Cobble Hill, off Thain Rd., 48.686° N, 123.6° W, mixed forest (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Arbutus menziesii), 25 Nov 2000, leg. Oluna Ceska OC66, F17138(UBC). Skulow Lake,forest soil from the long-term soil productivity (LTSP) site, Aug 2007, environmental sample. USA, Washington. Klickitat County, SDS west of Beug Farm, N45°48′24″, W121°31′ 06.5″, Quercus garryana and Pseudotsuga menziesii, 19 Nov 2013, leg. Michael Beug 10MWB111913 (holotype, WTU), (isotype, K(M): 200664).

Notes: Cortinarius fragrantissimus belongs to section Paleacei. Typical for the species of the section is the fragrant smell in lamellae, often reminiscent of that of Pelargonium, as well as small basidiomata and white universal veil. Several species also have purplish tints in lamellae and/or stipe apex. Cortinarius fragrantissimus can be separated from the other species of the section by the combination of smooth cap with more or less acute umbo and ellipsoid 8–9×5–6μm, coarsely verrucose spores.