Pluteus velutinus C. K. Pradeep, Justo & K. B. Vrinda

Qi, Zheng-Xiang, Wang, Li-Bo, Qian, Ke-Qing, Shi, Li-Li, Hu, Jia-Jun, Tuo, Yong-Lan, Rao, Gu, Samwel Jacob, Muharagi, Liu, Rui-Peng, Liu, Ming-Hao, Guo, Di-Zhe, Liu, Ya-Jie, Zhang, Bo, Li, Xiao & Li, Yu, 2025, Integrating morphology, phylogeny, substrate, and distribution: clarifying the major phylogenetic framework of Pluteus sect. Hispidoderma (Agaricales, Pluteaceae) and describing 18 species, IMA Fungus 16, pp. e 154329-e 154329 : e154329-

Pluteus velutinus C. K. Pradeep, Justo & K. B. Vrinda , Mycol. Progr. 11 (4): 871 (2012)

Figs 6 H – J , 16

Description.

Basidiomata medium-sized. Pileus 11–37 mm diam; hemispherical to plano-convex, with obtuse umbo; surface fleshy brown (5 YR 6 / 4), slightly vein-like projections, margin indistinctly striped, inflexed. Context yellowish (7.5 P 9 / 2). Lamellae free, 3–6 mm wide, moderately crowded, flesh pink (5 R 9 / 2), unequal, with transvenose, thicker, slightly ventricose, edges even. Stipe 15–43 × 2–5 mm, rod-shaped, base expanded and slightly curved, fibrous, hollow, white (10 P 9 / 2) to light fleshy brown (7.5 YR 6 / 4). Spore print pink.

Basidiospores [120 / 4 / 2] 5.5–6.5 × 5.0–5.5 (– 6.0) µm, avL × avW = 6.0–6.2 × 5.3–5.5 µm, Q = 1.09–1.30 µm, avQ = 1.15–1.20 µm, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, smooth, slightly pinkish, thin-walled. Basidia 25–31 × 9–10 μm, clavate, thin-walled, 4 - sterigmate, hyaline. Pleurocystidia 55–78 × 14–25 μm, few, scattered, long fusiform to subfusiform, with a long neck and a conspicuous transverse septum, one part apically mucronate, the other bluntly rounded, thin-walled, smooth, a few containing brown intracellular pigment. Lamellar edge sterile. Cheilocystidia 33–61 × 12–18 μm, abundant, clustered, two forms, one long fusiform with a long neck (7–13 μm), the other apically expanded fusiform, thin-walled, smooth, hyaline. Pileipellis a trichoderm or trichohymeniderm, with terminal elements 71–145 × 21–26 μm, long clavate, subcylindric or subfusiform, thin-walled, with brown intracellular pigment. Stipitipellis a cutis, hyphae 4–7 μm diam, cylindrical, hyaline, thin-walled. Caulocystidia 29–49 × 12–21 μm, clustered, composed of irregular clavate, subcylindrical or sublageniform, partly containing brownish intracellular pigment, thin-walled, smooth. Clamp connections absent in all tissues.

Habitat.

Solitary to scattered on decaying wood in mixed forests ( Pinus sp. and Quercus sp. ).

World distribution.

India, Brazil, Mongolia, Russia, Italy ( Malysheva et al. 2016; Ferisin and Dovana 2018), China.

China distribution.

Hubei Province ( Wang JF 2019), Jilin Province.

Additional specimens examined.

CHINA • Jilin Province, Hongye Valley Forest Park . 43°36'8.85"N, 126°58'22.19"E, 2 August 2021, G. Rao, FJAU 66619 (Collection no.: Rao 936) (ITS: PQ 810764 , LSU: PQ 810742 ) . CHINA • Jilin Province, Cold Onion Ridge Forest Park ; 43°02'2.06"N, 127°58'44.69"E, Solitary to scattered on decaying wood in mixed forests ( Pinus sp. and Quercus sp. ); 1 August 2021, G. Rao, FJAU 66620 (Collection no.: Rao 1261) (ITS: PQ 810765 , LSU: PQ 810743 ) .

Notes.

Pluteus velutinus was found in India and, in subsequent years, in Brazil, Mongolia, Russia and Italy ( Malysheva et al. 2016; Ferisin and Dovana 2018). The original description reported basidiospores 5.5–9.5 × 5–7.0 µm, Q = 1.17–1.50 µm. Our measurements are within the range of the original description and are closer to the data from the Russia (Siberian) collection: 5.7–6.5 (– 7.5) × 5.4–6.0 (– 6.3) µm, Q = 1.00–1.16 (– 1.20) µm ( Malysheva et al. 2016).

In the phylogenetic tree, the sequences of the two specimens taken from China clustered in the same branch with the type specimen with high support (MLB = 99, BPP = 1, Fig. 2 ). The results of the morphology and phylogenetic tree identified it as P. velutinus , and here we treat this species as a common species.

Figures

Figure 2. Phylogenetic tree of the / plautus clade of the sect. Hispidoderma. The best tree from the ML and BI analysis of the ITS + tef 1 dataset. The two values of internal nodes respectively represent the Maximum Likelihood bootstrap (MLBP) / Bayesian posterior probability (BIPP). Nodes with a bootstrap probability (BP) ≥ 80 and a Bayesian posterior probability (PP) ≥ 0.80 are indicated in the phylogram. This study species is in bold and red font.

Figure 6. Basidiomata features. A, B. Pluteus albivillus (FJAU 66613). C – G. P. baishanzuensis (C, D. FJAU 66621, E – G. FJAU 66622). H – J. P. velutinus (H. FJAU 66619, I, J. FJAU 66620). K, L. P. longistriatus (FJAU 66596). A, B, K, L. Photos by Zheng-Xiang Qi. C – G. Photos by Rui-Peng Liu. H – J. Photos by Gu Rao. Scale bars: 1 cm.

Figure 16. A. Macroscopic characteristics of Pluteus velutinus. B. Caulocystidia. C. Basidiospores. D. Pleurocystidia. E. Cheilocystidia. F. Pileipellis elements. Scale bars: 1 cm (A); 5 µm (C); 10 µm (B, D, E); 20 µm (F).