Lactarius battagramensis Khan M.B., Fiaz & Khalid, 2025

Khan, Muhammad Binyamin, Naseer, Arooj, Ishaq, Muhammad, Kiran, Munazza, Tarafder, Entaj, Fiaz, Muhammad, Khalid, Abdul Nasir & Wen, Ting Chi, 2025, Lactarius battagramensis (Russulales, Basidiomycota) and its ectomycorrhizal association in temperate forests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Phytotaxa 701 (2), pp. 148-160 : 153-154

Lactarius battagramensis Khan M.B., Fiaz & Khalid , sp. nov. ( Figures 2 & 3 )

MycoBank:—MB832084

Etymology:—Specific epithet “ battagramensis ” refers to the type locality, Battagram District, Pakistan.

Diagnosis:— Lactarius battagramensis differs from L. mediterraneensis in having plano-concave to concave, smooth, azonate, and pale cream to vivid yellow pileus, stipe tapering towards base, globose to broadly ellipsoid and partially to nearly complete reticulated basidiospores (avL × avW 8.35 × 7.13 µm), fusiform hymenial cystidia and pileipellis hyphae having clavate to broadly clavate apex.

Holotype:— PAKISTAN. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Battagram District, Allai Tehsil, 334°33′ to 34°47′ N and 72°55′ to 73°14′ E, 2101 ft, in forests of Pinus roxburghii mixed with Quercus incana , 26 August 2017, Muhammad Binyamin Khan (LAH35897!; ITS: MK607609 ).

Description:—Basidiomata large-sized. Pileus 40–83 mm, plano-concave to concave, smooth surfaced with even and uplifted margins, pale cream to vivid yellow (2.5Y 9/4–2.5Y 8/10). Lamellae adnate, close with entire margins, concolorous to pileus. Stipe 40–60 × 25–35 mm, solid, short, brittle, tapering towards base, slightly purinose, white. Latex pale yellow in color. Odour and taste not recorded.

Basidiospores [n/b/p] [40/2/2] (7.3–)7.6–9.1(–9.4) × (6.4–)6.6–7.6(–7.9) µm, [avL × avW 8.35 × 7.13 μm, Q= 1.07–1.25, Qav =1.16], globose to broadly ellipsoid, amyloid, ornamentation up to 1.2 μm high, consisting of warts and ridges, forming partial to nearly complete reticulum. Basidia 41–45 × 9.1–9.8 µm, 2–4 spored, clavate, containing some granular content, hyaline. Sterigmata 3.1–3.6 µm long. Pleuromacrocystidia abundant, 40.4–74.6 × 6.6–7.9 µm, fusiform with an obtuse to (more rarely) capitate apex, with a needle-shaped content, thin-walled. Cheilomacrocystidia identical in shape but slightly smaller to pleuromacrocystidia, 38.4–65.8 × 6.5–7.2 µm. Hymenial pseudocystidia absent. Paracystdia abundant, 9.4–11.8 × 4–6 µm, narrowly clavate. Hymenophoral trama contains lactiferous hyphae measuirng 3.11–4.51 μm diam. Pileipellis, a hypoepithelium, hyphae septate, 2.57–3.62 μm diam. (avW = 3.10 μm), with clavate to broadly clavate apex. Pileus trama contains sphaerocysts measuring (18.01–)24.08–38.11(–40.77) × (16.12–)20.11–29.76(–35.14) μm, globose to subglobose, a few broadly ellipsoid. Stipitipellis contains inflated hyphae measuring 3.71–4.68 μm diam. (avW = 3.10 μm), with narrowly clavate apex. Stipe trama contains lactifers measuring 4.10–5.61 μm diam. and sphaerocysts identical to the sphaerocysts of pileus trama. Caulocystidia not found.

Additional material examined: PAKISTAN. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Battagram District, Allai Tehsil, 334°33′ to 34°47′ N and 72°55′ to 73°14′ E, 2101 ft, in forests of Pinus roxburghii mixed with Quercus incana , 16 July 2019, Muhammad Binyamin Khan ( LAH 38612!; ITS: PV 348958).

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–B. Basidiomata of Lactarius battagramensis (LAH35897). C–D. Basidiospores (Holotype, LAH35897). Scale bars A–B= 10 mm, C=8 μm, D= 12 μm, E= 14 μm.

FIGURE 3. A–I. Anatomy of Lactarius battagramensis (LAH35897). A–C. Basidia, D. Lactifers of stipe trama, E. Cheilomacrocystidia, F. Pleuromacrocystidia, G. Paracystidia, H. Sphaerocysts in pileus trama, I. Stipitipellis. Scale bars A–C= 9 μm, D =14 μm, E= 7 μm, F= 6 μm, G= 11 μm, H= 20 μm, I= 28 μm.