Fomitopsis benghalensis R. Saha, A. K. Dutta & K. Acharya 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Saha, Rituparna
name: Dutta, Arun Kumar
name: Roy, Anirban
name: Acharya, Krishnendu
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Fungi
Basidiomycota
Agaricomycetes
Polyporales
Fomitopsidaceae
Fomitopsis
Fomitopsis benghalensis

description: Fomitopsis benghalensis R.Saha, A.K.Dutta & K.Acharya sp. nov.
MycoBank: MB 848690
Figs 4–5
Diagnosis
Fomitopsis benghalensis sp. nov. differs from Fomitopsis submeliae B.K.Cui & Shun Liu due to the presence of effused-reflexed to imbricate, glabrous, mouse grey to greyish brown pilei and small-sized basidiospores (3.8–5.2 × 1.9–2.6 μm).
Etymology
The epithet ‘benghalensis’ refers to the type locality in West Bengal.
Type material
Holotype INDIA – West Bengal • South 24 pargana, Hasim Nagar; 22°30′95″ N, 88°25′34″ E; 8 m a.s.l.; 2 Oct. 2021; R. Saha & K. Acharya RK –36/2021; on dead wood of an unidentified angiosperm; GenBank no.: OQ892247 (ITS); CUH [AM795].
Paratype INDIA – West Bengal • South 24 pargana, Hasim Nagar; 22°30′95″ N, 88°25′34″ E; 8 m a.s.l.; 2 Oct. 2021; R. Saha & K. Acharya RK –39/2021; on dead wood of an unidentified angiosperm; GenBank no.: OQ892252 (ITS); CUH [AM796].
Description
Basidiocarp annual, resupinate to effused-reflexed, projecting 60–100 mm and 5–13 mm thick. Pileus surface pilose, azonate, bluish white (21A2) to orange grey (6B2), warty, woody. Margin bluish white (21A2) when fresh, up to 5 mm thick. Pore surface bluish white (21A2); pores circular to angular, 5–7 per mm. Context orange grey (6B2), 2–6 mm thick, hard, woody, colour unchanged in KOH. Tubes bluish white (21A2), not stratified, 2–7 mm deep.
Hyphal system trimitic. Generative hyphae clamped, hyaline, thin walled, branched, 2.5–6 µm wide. Skeletal hyphae hyaline, thick walled with narrow lumen, sometimes branched, 2.5–6.5 µm wide. Binding hyphae thin walled, solid, hyaline, branched, sometimes septate, 1.5–3.5 µm wide. Basidia clavate, thin walled, hyaline, 4-sterigmate, smooth, 11.5–20.5 × 5.5–7.5 µm in diam. Cystidioles fusoid, thin walled, hyaline, smooth, 11.5–15 × 5–5.5 µm in diam. Basidiospores thin walled, hyaline, smooth, cylindrical to elongate, aguttulate, negative in cotton blue (CB), 5.5–6.2–8.0 × 2.5–3.0–3.5 µm in diam., Q=1.67–2.7, Q m = 2.05.
Remarks
Characteristic features of Fomitopsis benghalensis sp. nov. include an annual, resupinate basidiocarp with a pilose, bluish white to orange grey upper surface; bluish white pore surface; trimitic type of hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae; fusoid cystidioles; cylindrical to elongate basidiospores measuring 5.5–8 × 2.5–3.5 µm with a mean Q value of 2.05. The type species Fomitopsis pinicola differs from our novel species by having a perennial, ungulate, reddish brown basidiocarp, which is rarely effused-reflexed or resupinate, stratified tube layers, and hyphoid, often thick-walled cystidia (Ryvarden & Gilbertson 1993).
description: Published as part of Saha, Rituparna, Dutta, Arun Kumar, Roy, Anirban & Acharya, Krishnendu, 2024, Two new polyporoid species of Fomitopsidaceae (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) from India, pp. 122-136 in European Journal of Taxonomy 935 on pages 131-133, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.935.2551, http://zenodo.org/record/11353417