A contribution to the knowledge of the genus Spodocybe (Hygrophoraceae, Agaricales) in China Author Ma, Jing 0000-0001-7069-4958 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China & Yunnan College of Modern Biomedical Industry, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China majdldx@163.com Author Zhang, Guo-Li 0000-0002-9594-0585 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China & Yunnan College of Modern Biomedical Industry, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China 272505339@qq.com Author Zhang, Wen-Hao 0000-0002-8983-7346 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China & Yunnan College of Modern Biomedical Industry, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China 1163545854@qq.com Author Pu, Yun-Ju 0000-0002-7017-7819 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China & Yunnan College of Modern Biomedical Industry, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China 2403831853@qq.com Author Tang, Li-Ping 0000-0002-6905-3157 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China & Yunnan College of Modern Biomedical Industry, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, China lipingtang11@qq.com text Phytotaxa 2024 2024-05-31 652 1 47 58 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.652.1.4 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.652.1.4 1179-3163 13216559 Spodocybe alpina L.P. Tang & J. Ma , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2a – b , 3a , 4a ) Chinese name: Ả山灰ȅ杯伞 MycoBank:—MB844214 Diagnosis:—Differs from S. bispora in having smaller basidiomata and smaller basidiospores, growing on the ground of dark coniferous forests. Etymology:— “ alpina ” refers to the occurrence in high-elevation. Holotype :— CHINA . Yunnan province : Yulong Naxi Autonomous prefecture ( 玉ÁaewNJÞ治县 ), Tai'an Town ( kae乡 ), Observatory ( 天Ý台 ), on the soil of coniferous forests dominated by Pinus armandii and P. densata , 26°42.05'N , 100°2.12'E , elev. 3150 m , 27 July 2021 , Wen-Hao Zhang 642 (MHKMU Zhang-642!, GenBank Acc. No.: nrLSU = ON595779, ITS = ON595770). Description:— Basidiomata medium, texture flexible. Pileus 2−3.5 cm diam., nearly explanate, center depressed; surface finely tomentose, white (1B1) when young, grey-white (3B1) to grey-brown (5D1−2) when mature; context dirty white (2A1), thick about 0.3 cm wide. Lamellae decurrent, slightly crowded, white (1B2), about 0.2 cm wide. Stipe 5.5−6.5 cm long, 0.4−0.6 cm in diam., cylindrical, hollow, concolorous with pileus at apex part, gradually paler towards the base. Mycelial hyphae white. Basidiospores [60/2/1] 4.5−6 × (2.5−) 3−3.5 μm, Q = 1.43−2.0, Q m = 1.73±0.18, ellipsoid to elongate, hyaline, smooth, thin-walled, inamyloid. Basidia 20−25 × 4.5−5.5 μm, clavate, thin-walled, usually 4-spored, occasionally 2- spored or 3-spored; sterigmata 2−4 μm long. Cystidia absent. Lamellar trama subregular, hyaline, consisting of hyphae 3–9 μm, thin-walled. Pileipellis a cutis, comprised of hyphae 3–11 μm wide, thin-walled or slightly thickened (about 1 μm). Pileitrama comprised of parallel hyphae 3–10 μm wide, thin-walled. Stipitipellis a cutis, comprised of hyphae 3–9 μm wide, thin-walled or slightly thickened (about 1 μm). Stipititrama comprised of parallel hyphae 3–10 μm wide, thin-walled. Mycelial hyphae 2–9 μm wide, thin-walled. Clamp connections present in all tissues. Habit and habitat:—Usually scattered on the ground of dark coniferous forests dominated by Pinus armandii and P. densata . FIGURE 2. Basidioma of four taxa in Spodocybe from southwest China. a, b S. alpina (MHKMU Zhang - 642, holotype); c, d S. bispora ( c MHKMU Huang - 093, d MHKMU Huang - 078); e–g S. microspora ( e–g MHKMU Mu - 127, holotype); h S. rugosiceps (HKAS 69830) ( a, b photos by W.H. Zhang; c, d photos by H.Y. Huang; e–g photos by M. Mu; h photos by L.P. Tang). FIGURE 3. Basidiospores of four taxa in Spodocybe from southwest China. a S. alpina (MHKMU Zhang-642, holotype); b, c S. bispora ( b HKAS 73310, holotype; c MHKMU Huang-093, MHKMU Tang-3049); d S. microspora (MHKMU Mu-127, holotype; MHKMU Pu- 008, MHKMU Niu-080); e S. rugosiceps (HKAS 71071); Bars: a–e = 20 μm. ( a–e photos by J. Ma). Distribution:— CHINA : currently known only from Yunnan province (Dali city, Yulong Naxi Autonomous prefecture) at elevations ranging from 3,100 –4,100 m . Additional material examined:— CHINA . Yunnan province : Dali City ( 大DZṁ ), Cangshan ( ẠƜ ), XiaoCen Feng ( 小Ẹē ), 26°68.23'N, 100°09.32'E , elev. 4,100 m , 20 July 2019 , KUN-HKAS 112565 (Genbank Acc. No.: nrLSU = MW763015, ITS = MW762890). Comments:— Spodocybe alpina was treated as an unknown species in He & Yang 2021 (KUN-HKAS 112565). This new species is distinguished by its medium basidiomata ( 2–3.5 cm diam), grey-brown stipe, ellipsoid to elongate basidiospores, basidia usually 4-spored, and usually scattered on ground in forests of P. armandii and P. densata . Currently, this taxon is known only in Yunnan province , and is the only known one with the highest distribution elevation ( 3100−4100 m ). Spodocybe alpina is likely to be confused with S. bispora . Both have a nearly smooth and grey-brown pileus, but S. bispora differs in its larger basidiomata ( 3−5 cm vs. 2−3.5 cm ), larger basidiospores (7−8.5 × 3−4 μm vs. 4.5−6 × 3−3.5 μm), longer basidia (20–30 × 4–5.5 μm vs. 20−25 × 4.5−5.5 μm), usually 2-spored, and gregarious on the ground of broad-leaved or mixed forests at lower altitudes ( 1900−2700 m vs. 3100−4100 m ).