Russula viridicinnamomea F. Yuan & Y. Song, sp. nov. and R. pseudocatillus F. Yuan & Y. Song, sp. nov., Two New Species from Southern China

Abstract

Two novel species of Russula Pers. subgenus Heterophyllidia Romagnesi, collected from the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve in southern China, are described and illustrated based on both morphological and phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Russula viridicinnamomea F. Yuan & Y. Song, sp. nov. is characterized by the emerald green-tinged buff pileus with undulate and tearing margin, lamellae that are frequently forked, subreticulate basidiospores with interconnected warts, very thick pileipellis with terminal elements that are often inflated to subglobose, and abundant hymenial cystidia and dermatocystidia, all changing to dark grey in sulphovanillin. Russula pseudocatillus F. Yuan & Y. Song, sp. nov. shows close relationship to Russula catillus Lee, Park & Lim, but it differs from the latter by its smaller basidiomata and pleurocystidia, irregular presence of lamellulae, much bigger basidiospores ornamented with higher warts never forming a reticulum, and not gelatinized pileipellis. Both morphological and molecular analyses consistently confirm the distinctiveness of these two novel taxa in subgenus Heterophyllidia. The differences among two novel taxa and their related species are discussed.