Scytinopogon cryptomerioides W. R. Lin & P. H. Wang 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lin, Wan-Rou
name: Wang, Pi-Han
name: Hsieh, Sung-Yuan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Fungi
Basidiomycota
Agaricomycetes
Trechisporales
Hydnodontaceae
Scytinopogon
Scytinopogon cryptomerioides

description: Scytinopogon cryptomerioides W.R. Lin & P.H. Wang, sp. nov. (Figs. 2–5)
MycoBank no.—MB 835246
Type:— TAIWAN. Nantou County, Zen-Len area (23.45 N 120.68 E, alt. 1500 m), on sandy loam soil, 5 July 2009, W. R. LIN, 0906RK10- 23 (holotype, TNMF28829). The mycelium of the fungi is associated with the roots of C. japonica trees.
Etymology:—‘ cryptomerioides ’ refers to the forest habitat of the fungus and growth in association with the roots of Cryptomeria japonica. The DNA of the fungus could be detected in the roots of C. japonica and the fruiting of this fungus is affected by thinning of C. japonica (Lin et al. unpublished data). These results indicated that the fungus grows in association with the roots of C. japonica.
Description:— Basidiomes coralloid, up to 50–110 mm in height, branched, tufts arising from a common stem or cluster of stems, white, cream or tan when fresh, rather tough, subcoriaceous, brown on drying, caespitose, gregarious or solitary on sandy loam soil. Stipe up to 10–30 × 1–6 mm, cylindric or sub-compressed, thick, arising from a tangled mass of mycelial strands. Branches dichotomous or polytomous, flattened, generally branched from the base. The mycelium was associated with the roots of C. japonica (Fig. 2B).
Hyphal system monomitic; tramal hyphae smooth, thin-walled, colorless, 2–3 μm wide, ampullate at septa, all with clamps. Basidia formed laterally from generative hyphae, with basal clamp (Fig. 5). Basidia 35–42 × 5.5–6 μm, clavate, finely granular-vacuolate, with four conical sterigmata (mostly 3–4 μm long). Cystidia absent (Figs. 4A, 5). Basidiospores (Fig. 3A–B) 4.0–6.0 × 3–3.5 μm, colorless, ellipsoid, echinulate or verrucose with acute warts or spines 0.5–0.7 μm long, slightly angular, inamyloid and cyanophilous. Hilar appendix small, obscured by spore ornamentation. Basidiospore development (Fig. 4) starts with a spherical enlargement of the sterigma apex to form a basidiospore primordium 0.6–0.8 μm in diameter (Fig. 4A). The basidiospore initially grows asymmetrically on its abaxial side (Fig. 4B). The spherical body enlargements, the hilar appendices, and the ornamentation formation of the basidiospore are shown in Fig. 4B–C, the depression of the hilar appendices in Fig. 4D.
Habitat and distribution:—terrestrial, solitary, gregarious, or caespitose on sandy loam soil (Fig. 2A). This taxon was collected on the ground in forests dominated by Cryptomeria japonica at an elevation of 600–2100 m. The fruiting lasted for 2 to 3 months. The mycelium was associated with the roots of C. japonica. Lin et al. (2015) found that the fruiting of saprophytic fungi was negatively affected by tree-cutting in C. japonica plantations, whether this is the case for S. cryptomerioides could be the subject of another study.
Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— TAIWAN. Nantou County, Zen-Len area, 23°45’ N 120°68’ E, elev. 1300–1500 m, 5 July 2009, 0906RK6-10 (Tunghai University); Nantou County, Zen-Len area, at 23°45’ N 120°68’ E, elev. 1300–1500 m, 5 June 2009, 0906RK6-23 (Tunghai University); Nantou County, Zen-Len area, at 23°45’ N 120°68’ E, elev. 1300–1500 m, 5 June 2009, 0906RK7-1 (Tunghai University); Hsinchu County, Guanwu, at 121°07’E, 24°31’N, elev. 2000–2250, 2 October 2010, 1010WRK-10 (Tunghai University).
description: Published as part of Lin, Wan-Rou, Wang, Pi-Han & Hsieh, Sung-Yuan, 2022, Scytinopogon cryptomerioides (Hydnodontaceae), a new species from Taiwan, pp. 73-83 in Phytotaxa 552 (1) on pages 78-80, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.552.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/6673263