Scleroderma capeverdeanum M.P. Martín, M. Dueñas & Tellería

(1.2) Scleroderma capeverdeanum M.P. Martín, M. Dueñas & Tellería View in CoL , in Crous et al.,

Persoonia 36: 413 (2016)

( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 )

Description:— Basidiomata small, 12–20 mm in diameter, 7–15 mm in height including a stipe 2–7 mm long, subglobose; odor fungal; taste unknown. Peridium leathery, 0.25–0.5 mm thick, merino white (#F9F5EC), turning reddish after damaged, with thin, flaky, coffee-bean brown (#483625) squamules. Gleba compact at first, becoming pulverulent, flint brown (#736960). Basal rhizomorphs abundant, whitish.

Basidiospores {40/2/1} 9.5–11.5 (12) [10.84 ± 0.68, 11.50] µm in diameter including ornamentation, mostly globose, rarely subglobose, thick-walled, with echinulate ornamentation 0.5–1.5 µm high, brownish to purplish, often surrounded by remnants of placental cells. Basidia collapsed. Gleba trama composed of 2–5 μm wide, thin-walled to slightly thick-walled, nearly colorless to slightly brownish, compact, moderately branching, subregularly arranged to interwoven hyphae without clamp connections. Peridial squamules composed of 2.5–5.5 μm wide, slightly thick-walled, brownish, moderately compact, moderately to frequently branching, subregularly arranged to interwoven hyphae without clamp connections. Peridial trama composed of 2.5–6.5 μm wide, slightly thick-walled, nearly colorless to slightly brownish, compact, moderately to frequently branching, subregularly arranged to interwoven hyphae without clamp connections.

Habits and distribution:— Gregarious, on soil, usually in subtropical forests, associated with plants of Asparagaceae , Gentianaceae , Myrtaceae and Verbenaceae . Currently known from Asia ( China, Japan & India), Europe ( Spain), South America ( Brazil), Africa ( Cameroon, Cape Verde & Senegal) and Oceania ( Australia) with molecular evidence.

Collection examined:— China, Guangdong Province, Shantou City, Jinping District, 23°11'32"N, 113°32'25"E, elevation 3 m, June 24, 2023, Z. H. Zhang, ZhangZH61-S23287 ( HTBM0998 ). GoogleMaps

Notes:— As confirmed in the current phylogeny ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ), S. capeverdeanum is widely distributed across Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and Oceania. Several collections labeled as “ S. albidum ” from Brazil, India and Spain clustered with S. capeverdeanum collections are regarded as misidentifications here, because the basidiospores from the holotype of S. albidum is significantly larger than those of S. capeverdeanum (Guzmán et al. 2013).

According to the phylogenetic position, this species may be poisonous to cause gastroenteritis and psycho-neurological disorder.

This is the first report of S. capeverdeanum in China.