Suillus triacicularis B. Verma & M.S. Reddy, 2014

Verma, Balwant & Reddy, M. Sudhakara, 2014, Suillus triacicularis sp. nov., a new species associated with Pinus roxburghii from northwestern Himalayas, India, Phytotaxa 162 (3), pp. 157-164 : 160-162

Suillus triacicularis B. Verma & M.S. Reddy , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 & 3 ) MycoBank MB 807281

Diagnosis: —The species differs from Suillus granulatus by the absence of watery green context above the tubes during any stage of development. The absence of cloudy droplets over the tubes when young and the yellow to reddish or orangeyellow pileus color at maturity also distinguish it from Suillus granulatus .

Type: — INDIA. Himachal Pradesh: Karsog , 1404 m, 5 th August 2011, B. Verma ( PUN5534 , Holotype!) .

Basidiocarps 5.0– 8.5 cm in size. Pileus 4.0–8.0 cm broad, convex when young, flattened with age; margin regular, strongly incurved when young, irregular and undulating with maturity; pileal veil absent at any stage of development; pileus surface dry to moist, slightly viscid during rainy season, glabrous, yellowish white (1A2) to pale yellow (1A3) when young turning yellow (2A6–2A7) then to reddish or orange yellow with age (4B7–4B8), cuticle fully peeling, umbo absent; scales absent; pileus context concolorous with pileus (1A2–1A3), unchanging, slowly turning light yellow then to yellow (2A4–2A6) on exposure, 5–15 mm thick; odor not distinctive and taste mild. Tubes 1–5 mm deep, decurrent, radial, crowded, fully peeling, yellowish grey to greyish yellow (2B2–2B6), unchanging, spotted light brown to brown with age; pore mouths angular, 1–2 per mm. Stipe central, 3.0– 6.5 cm long, 8–12 mm thick, tubular and equal in diameter, concolorous with pileus (1A2–1A3), unchanging with age or when bruised, covered with orange red to reddish brown (8A8–8D8) glandular dots and smears throughout but fewer at base; annulus absent; white mycelium at the base. Stipe context pale yellow (1A3), unchanging, solid, becoming hollow with age.

Spore deposit light brown (6D8), spores 6.2–8.5 × 2.3–3.8 µm (Q=2.0), elongated or oblong in shape, nearly hyaline in KOH, pale yellow in Melzer’s reagent, smooth, with granular content inside. Basidia 16.0–24.0 × 4.4– 6.2 µm, clavate to cylindrical, granular, 4 spored, hyaline in KOH and yellowish in Melzer’s reagent; sterigmata 1.5–3.9 µm high. Pleurocystidia numerous to abundant, 40.0–62.0 × 6.0–8.0 µm, cylindrical to subclavate, in fascicles or scattered, hyaline with uniform brown coagulated contents in KOH, yellowish with brownish contents in Melzer’ reagent. Cheilocystidia 24.5–38.5 × 3.0– 9.3 µm, mostly in fascicles, hyaline in KOH and yellowish in Melzer’s reagent, brown content absent. Caulocystidia 26.0–70.0 × 6.0– 9.3 µm, almost similar to pleurocystidia. Trama gelatinous and divergent. Clamp connections absent.

Chemical color reactions: —Pileal flesh: 2.5% KOH—reddish, 10% FeSO 4 —grayish green, 14% ammonia— reddish then to reddish brown, conc. HNO 3 —no color reaction. Pileus cuticle: 2.5% KOH—light brown then to blue black, 10% FeSO 4 —olive gray, 14% ammonia—brown then to black brown, conc. HNO 3 —no color reaction. Reddish color reaction of pileal flesh with KOH and ammonia identify it as a Suillus species and distinguish it from other Boletaceae ( Baroni 1978) .

Habitat and Distribution: — Suillus triacicularis is found fruiting solitary, scattered or gregarious under P. roxburghii trees during the monsoon season. Its distribution ranges with the natural distribution of P. roxburghii in the northwestern Himalayas. The occurrence of S. triacicularis is rare and the species is seldom found in pure stands of P. roxburghii in this geographical region. No records were found from other Pinaceae forests during our 5 years of excursions to these forests from 2009 to 2013.

Etymology: —The specific epithet “ triacicularis ” is derived from Latin and refers to the fact that the new species occurs in association with a ‘three-needle’ pine.

Other collections examined: — INDIA. Himachal Pradesh: Palampur , 1472 m, 29 th July 2012, B. Verma ( PUN5538 !) . Uttarakhand: Mussoorie , 1825 m, 30 th July 2011, B. Verma ( PUN5527 !); Nainital , 2084 m, 20 th August 2010, B. Verma ( PUN5531 !) . Jammu and Kashmir: Udhampur; Kud , 1855 m, 18 th July 2010, B. Verma ( PUN5523 !) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Suillus triacicularis (PUN5534, holotype!). a. Young sporocarps with yellowish white to pale yellow pileus. b. Mature sporocarps showing yellow to reddish or orange-yellow pileus. c. Light brown to brown spotted tubes. d. Orange-red to reddish brown glandular dots or smears on stipe. Scale bars: a–d=2 cm.

FIGURE 3. Suillus triacicularis, microscopic line drawings. a. Basidiospores. b. Basidia. c. Pleurocystidia. d. Cheilocystidia. e. Caulocystidia. Scale bar: a–e=10 µm.