Peniophorella sidera Xue W. Wang & L.W. Zhou, sp. nov.
Index Fungorum number: IF 900287; Mycobank number: MB 900287; Facesoffungi number: FoF 14051; Figs. 1, 2
Etymology – sidera (Lat.) referring to the star-like crystals covering subhymenial hyphae.
Holotype – LWZ 20180921–15 (HMAS).
Diagnosis – Characterized by annual, resupinate basidiomes, grandinioid, white to cream hymenophore, a monomitic hyphal system, star-like crystals, fusoid to subcylindrical cystidia, urniform basidia, and ellipsoid to subcylindrical basidiospores.
Basidiomes annual, resupinate, adnate, ceraceous, without odour or taste when fresh, becoming cracked upon drying. Hymenophore grandinioid, white to cream, margin abrupt.
Hyphal system monomitic; generative hyphae with clamp connections, hyaline. Subicular hyphae thin- to slightly thick-walled, smooth, 4.5–5 μm in diam. Subhymenial hyphae thin- to slightly thick-walled, strongly encrusted with star-like crystals, moderately branched, 4–5.5 μm in diam. Cystidia scattered, embedded in hymenium, fusoid to subcylindrical, somewhat constricted, smooth, thin-walled, 30–35×9–12 μm. Basidia urniform, thin-walled, smooth, with four sterigmata and a basal clamp connection, 17–18×7.5–8.5 μm; basidioles in shape similar to basidia but slightly smaller. Basidiospores ellipsoid to subcylindrical, with flat or slightly concave adaxial side, thin-walled, IKI–, CB–, (7.5–)8.2–10 (–10.2) ×(4–)4.1–5.1(–5.3) μm, L=8.95 μm, W=4.55 μm, Q=1.95–1.98 (n=150/5).
Material examined – China, Yunnan Province, Baoshan, Gaoligong Mountains National Nature Reserve, Baihua Ridge, on fallen branch of angiosperm, 21 September 2018, L.W. Zhou, LWZ 20180921–15 (HMAS, holotype); ibid., on fallen twig of Pinus, 22 September 2018, L.W. Zhou, LWZ 20180922–62 (HMAS); Hainan Province, Bawangling National Nature Reserve, on fallen branch of angiosperm, 12 June 2017, L.W. Zhou, LWZ 20170612–41 (HMAS); ibid., on fallen twig of angiosperm, 12 June 2017, L.W. Zhou, LWZ 20170612–43 (HMAS); Hunan Province, Yizhang County, Mangshan National Nature Reserve, on fallen branch of angiosperm, 28 July 2016, L.W. Zhou, LWZ 20160728–16 (HMAS).
GenBank numbers – LWZ 20180921–15: ITS=OQ540892; LSU=OQ540850; LWZ 20180922–62: ITS=OQ540893; LSU=OQ540851; LWZ 20170612–41: ITS=OQ540890; LSU=OQ540848; LWZ 20170612–43: ITS=OQ540891; LSU=OQ540849; LWZ 20160728–16: ITS=OQ540889.
Notes – Peniophorella sidera is distinct from other species of Peniophorella by the subicular hyphae encrusted by starlike. Peniophorella reticulata is similar to P. sidera by the presence of peg-like hyphal structures, smooth, immersed cystidia, and the absence of stephanocysts and echinocysts; however, P. reticulata differs in its wider basidiospores (5–6 μm in width, Yurchenko et al. 2020). Peniophorella rude resembles P. sidera by similar hymenophoral configuration, but differs in the presence of stephanocysts and wider basidiospores (6 μm in width, Larsson 2007b).
Figure 1 – Basidiomes of Peniophorella sidera (LWZ 20180921–15, holotype)
Figure 2 – Microscopic structures of Peniophorella sidera (LWZ 20180921–15, holotype). a Basidiospores. b Basidia. c basidioles. d Leptocystidia. e Section through hymenium. Scale bars: a–e=10 μm