Conocybe verna T. Bau & H. B. Song 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Song, Han-bing
name: Bau, Tolgor
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Fungi
Basidiomycota
Agaricomycetes
Agaricales
Bolbitiaceae
Conocybe
Conocybe verna

description: Conocybe verna T. Bau & H. B. Song sp. nov.
Figs 2 A – D, 3, 4
Etymology.
“ verna ” refers to spring-born.
Holotypus.
China, • Jilin Province, Tonghua City, Ji’an City, Yushan Park, 8 May 2023, 41°08'01"N, 126°10'45"E, alt. 280 m, Zheng-Qing Chen, CZQ 23050801 (FJAU 65117).
Diagnosis.
The main characteristic of Conocybe verna includes a straight to reflexed edge of the pileus after maturity, with no surface pubescence. The basidiospores exhibit a suprahilar depression and have an oblong, subcylindrical shape with a slightly thin wall. The basidia are 2 - spored.
Description.
Basidioma mycenoid. Pileus diameter 0.5–2.5 cm, initially paraboloid, nearly hemispherical, margin deflexed, matured obtusely conical, campanulate, margin straight to reflexed. Pileus initially beige (RAL 1001) to ivory (RAL 1014), matured light ivory (RAL 1015), powdery yellow (RAL 1034) to ochre brown (RAL 8001), surface hygrophanous, pubescence absent, when moist, it exhibits striae, which disappear upon slight drying, margin undulate. Context thin, ivory (RAL 1014) to beige (RAL 1001), no specific odor or taste. Lamellae adnexed to narrowly adnate, ventricose, crowded, unequal in length, ivory (RAL 1014), powdery yellow (RAL 1034) to ochre brown (RAL 8001), smooth margin. Stipe 2.0–8.0 cm long, 1.0–3.0 mm thick, cylindrical, slightly thicker downward, ivory (RAL 1014) to ochre brown (RAL 8001), deer brown (RAL 8007), surface pruinose and short pubescent, longitudinally fibrous striate, subbulbous at the base.
Basidiospores (60 / 3 / 3) (10 –) 11–15.5 (– 16) × (5.5 –) 6–8.5 (– 9) μm, Q = (1.65 –) 1.71–2.07 (– 2.21), Qm = 1.86 (± 0.10), with a suprahilar depression, oblong, subcylindrical, wall slightly thin, containing oil droplets, germ pore diameter 0.5–2.0 μm. Basidiospores in 5 % KOH solution appear ochre brown (RAL 8001) to copper brown (RAL 8004). Basidia (20 –) 21–33 (– 35) × (7 –) 8–11 μm, clavate, 2 - spored, sterigmata 3–7 μm long, basidia with vacuolar contents. Cheilocystidia (16 –) 17–25 (– 26) × (6 –) 7–11 (– 13) μm, lecythiform, with capitula 3–6 μm wide. Caulocystidia ellipsoid to oblong, lageniform, long-necked lageniform, subcylindrical, clavate, narrowly utriform to utriform, fusiform, conical, nettle hair-shaped, (9 –) 10–50 (– 53) × 5–12 μm, with capilliform elements reaching up to 80 μm, among which rare lecythiform cystidia are mixed. Pileipellis hymeniform, composed of (23 –) 31–63 (– 65) × (14 –) 15–22 (– 23) μm sphaeropedunculate elements, with yellow pigments at the base. Pileocystidia absent. All structures have clamp connections. Weakly positive reaction with ammonia forming rhomboid crystals.
Habitat.
Found singly or scattered in broad-leaved forests during spring.
Known distribution.
Jilin Province, China.
Additional specimens measured.
China, • Jilin Province, Tonghua City, Ji’an City, Yushan Park, 8 May 2023, 41°08'01"N, 126°10'45"E, alt. 280 m, Qian-Ru Liu, LQR 23050801 (FJAU 65118); • Tonghua City, Ji’an City, Jiangkou Village, 9 May 2023, 40°59'37"N, 126°03'02"E, alt. 260 m, Mu Liu, LM 230509 (FJAU 65119).
Notes.
Conocybe verna is classified in sect. Pilosellae primarily due to the presence of non-lecythiform caulocystidia. The distinguishing characteristics of C. verna from other 2 - spored species in sect. Pilosellae are as follows: C. verna differs from C. bisporigera (Hausknecht & Krisai) Arnolds in that the latter has a chocolate brown pileus and lentiform basidiospores (Arnolds 2003). The distinction between C. verna and C. caespitosa (Murrill) Watling is that the latter has basidiospores with a suprahilar plage and basidia measuring 19–24 μm in length, which is shorter than the basidia of C. verna (Hausknecht 2009). In contrast to C. bispora (Singer) Hauskn., C. verna has a pileus without distinct striations, while the basidiospores of C. bispora are on average 2 μm shorter (Hausknecht 1998). The distinction between C. verna and C. umbellula var. lednicensis lies in the latter having a striate pileus, and basidia measuring less than 20 μm in length (Hausknecht 2009). Furthermore, C. verna is differentiated from C. leporina (Velen.) Singer and C. microrrhiza Hauskn. by the presence of a pseudorhiza in the latter two, as well as their smaller basidiospores (Singer 1989; Hausknecht 1999). Conocybe verna differs from C. inocybeoides Watling in that the latter has a pileus with radiating striations and possesses pileocystidia (Watling 1980). Additionally, C. verna is distinguished from C. velutinomarginata Hauskn. & Zugna and C. rickenii (Jul. Schäff.) Kühner by the presence of capilliform pileocystidia in the latter two; C. velutinomarginata has a nearly spherical pileus, while C. rickenii has a grayish-brown pileus (Kühner 1935; Hausknecht 2009). Conocybe verna can be differentiated from C. siliginea (Fr.) Kühner by the latter’s lime-colored pileus and lecythiform pileocystidia (Kühner 1935). Finally, the distinction between C. verna and C. gigasperma Enderle & Hauskn. lies in the latter’s basidiospores measuring 18.3–20.1 μm in length, which are larger than those of C. verna, and the presence of pileocystidia (Hausknecht and Enderle 1992). Conocybe verna is also distinguished from C. sinobispora T. Bau & H. B. Song, as the latter has a striate pileus and cylindrical to lageniform pileocystidia (Song and Bau 2023).
In terms of phylogeny, C. verna is closely related to C. ingridiae and C. ochrostriata var. favrei. However, C. ingridiae has a pileus with distinct striations and basidiospores measuring 9.6–10.5 μm in length, while C. ochrostriata var. favrei also has a striate pileus and possesses 4 - spored basidia, making them easily distinguishable (Hausknecht 2009). Among these similar species, the following have been sequenced and are clearly separated in the phylogeny: C. bisporigena, C. bispora, C. ingridiae, C. microrrhiza, C. velutinomarginata, C. rickenii, C. siliginea, and C. sinobispora.
description: Published as part of Song, Han-bing & Bau, Tolgor, 2025, Three new species and a new record of Conocybe section Pilosellae (Bolbitiaceae, Agaricales) from Jilin Province, China, pp. 67-94 in MycoKeys 114 on pages 67-94, DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.114.140056