Lentinus transitus M. Kaur & N.A. Malik sp. nov.
MycoBank number: MB 824059; Index Fungorum number: IF; Facesoffungi number: FoF 12890;
Etymology – named for its resemblance to both subgenus Panus and subgenus Lentinus.
Carpophores 4.0 – 10.0 cm in height. Pileus 3.0 – 9.5 cm broad, convex having depression in the centre; surface white (2A1) with greyish orange (5B4) shades; scaly, scales appressed fibrillose at margin, squamose recurved in the centre, greyish orange (5B4) at margin, reddish golden to brownish orange (6C4); dry; margin regular, nonstriated; cuticle fully peeling; flesh up to 1.8 cm thick, white, unchanging; taste and odour mild. Spore print creamish white. Pileal veil absent. Lamellae up to 0.5 cm broad, free to somewhat adnexed, crowded, non furcate, close; white (2A1) to pale orange (5A3), unchanging; lamellulae present; gill edges dentate. Stipe central, 5.0 – 8.0 cm long, 0.7 to 1 – 2.5 cm broad, tapering at both ends, white to pale orange (5A3) with yellow brownish tinge at base; scaly, scales squamose, white to greyish orange (5B4), attached, tooth like fine ridges of lamellae descending up to 1.0 cm down the stipe; solid; fleshy; exannulate. Pseudosclerotium absent.
Basidiospores 6.64 – 9.96 × (2.49) 3.32 – 4.15 µm (excluding apiculus), Q = 2.6, oblong to cylindrical, wall thin, single, non guttulate; inamyloid; apiculate, apiculus up to 0.83 µm long, excentric. Basidia 23.24 – 36.52 × 3.32 -5.0 µm, clavate, granular, bi to tetrasterigmate; sterigmata 1.66 – 5.0 µm long, pointed, granular. Pleurocystidia 33.0 – 50.0 × 3.32 – 5.0 µm, claviform to cylindric, thick walled, granular; cheilocystidia 58.0 – 83.0 × 6.64 – 8.3 µm, metulloid, fusoid to fusoid ventricose with capitate to blunt apices, densely granular, thick walled, not crowded. Hyphal pegs 3.32 – 5.0 µm broad, protruding beyond the basidia in clusters, granular; gloecystidia 50.0 – 79.68 × 3.32 – 6.64 µm broad, fusoid ventricose, capitate, shiny, abundant, crowded. Cystidoid hairs present in PUN7554. Hymenophoral trama somewhat descending. Gill edge sterile. Pileus cuticle hyphal, ixocutis, made up of thick unbranched hyphae intermixed with cells; context dimitic, hyphal, made up of 2.5-5.0 µm broad, clamped, granular, generative hyphae and 3.32 – 4.15 µm broad, unbranched, thick walled skeletal hyphae. Skeleto – ligative hyphae unbranched, thick walled. Stipe cuticle hyphal, ixocutis, made up of 2.4 – 3.2 µm broad, longitudinally tangled, septate hyphae, giving rise to regular turf of 1.66 – 4.15 µm broad, branched, septate, granular, projecting hyphae; context hyphal, dimitic, made up of 3.32 – 5.81 µm broad, septate, clamped, granular generative hyphae and 3.32 – 5.81 µm broad, unbranched, thick walled, skeletal hyphae. Skeleto ligative hyphae present throughout.
Collections Examined – South Kashmir, Damhal Hanji Pora, village Khull (2330m), 330 35.827´N – 74059.407E, growing caespitose on the dead stumps of Cedrus lying on the forest floor in summer season, 11th July, 2013, Nazir Ahmad Malik, PUN 7548 (Holotype); Khull: (2550m), growing in caespitose clusters along with the wood of Pinus wallichiana during Spring season in coniferous forest, 2nd April, 2014, Nazir Ahmad Malik, PUN 7554; Extralimital: Baramulla, Chatoosa (2100 m) 340 16.550N – 074012.791 E, growing solitary under the dead wood stump of Cedrus deodara in mixed coniferous forest, Naseema Aqbar Wani, PUN 9272, August 15th, 2015.
Distribution and Ecology – Found growing solitary to caespitose on the dead stumps of Pinus wallichiana and Cedrus deodara in coniferous forest during spring to summer season.