Greetings from belowground: two new species of truffles in the genus Pachyphlodes (Pezizaceae, Pezizales) from México

• Published in: MycoKeys (Sofia, Bulgaria) Vol. 82; pp. 159 - 171
• Main Authors: Piña Páez, Carolina, Healy, Rosanne A., Guevara, Gonzalo, Orijel, Roberto Garibay, Castellano, Michael A., Cázares, Efrén, Trappe, James M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 17.08.2021
• Subjects: Americas; Ascomycota; DNA barcoding; Mexico; Molecular systematics; North America; Pezizales; Taxonomy
• ISSN: 1314-4057; 1314-4049
• DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.82.67685

Pachyphlodes is a lineage of ectomycorrhizal, hypogeous, sequestrate ascomycete fungi native to temperate and subtropical forests in the Northern Hemisphere. Pachyphlodes species form ectomycorrhizae mainly with Fagales hosts. Here we describe two new species of Pachyphlodes , P. brunnea , and P. coalescens , based on morphological and phylogenetic analysis. Pachyphlodes brunnea is distributed in the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León in northern México, occurring with Quercus and Juglans species. It is characterized by its dark brown peridium, white gleba, and spores with capitate columns. Pachyphlodes coalescens is distributed in the states of Michoacán and Tlaxcala in central and southwestern México co-occurring with Quercus and is distinguished by its reddish-brown peridium, light yellow gleba, and spore ornamentation. Both species, along with P. marronina , constitute the Marronina clade. This clade contains North American species characterized by a brown peridium and spores ornamented with capitate spines to coalesced spine tips that form a partial perispore.