Scleroderma venenatum Y.Z. Zhang, C.Y. Sun & Hai J. Li

(1.7) Scleroderma venenatum Y.Z. Zhang, C.Y. Sun & Hai J. Li , in Zhang, Sun, Sun, Zhang, Zhang, Guo, Zhou, Zheng & Li,

Phytotaxa 438(2): 113 (2020)

( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 )

Description:— Basidiomata small, 14–36 mm in diameter, 12–22 mm in height including a stipe 2–11 mm long, subglobose to tuberiform; odor fungal; taste unknown. Peridium leathery, 0.5–1 mm thick, merino white (#F9F5EC) to pale earthy orange (#F8E8C4), turning reddish to purplish after damaged, with thin, flaky, flint brown (#736960) to coffee-bean brown (#483625) squamules. Gleba compact at first, becoming pulverulent, merino white (#F9F5EC), dull lavender purple (#75647A) to dull black (#0B0C0E). Basal rhizomorphs abundant, whitish.

Basidiospores {40/4/4} (8.5) 9–14 (15) [11.10 ± 1.63, 10.00] 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 2.5–5.5 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 3–5.5 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 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, in subtropical forests, associated with plants of Cupressaceae , Fagaceae and Pinaceae . Currently known from Asia ( China, Japan, Russia & South Korea), Europe ( Austria, France & Italy) and North America ( Mexico) with molecular evidence.

Collections examined:— China, Hunan Province, Changsha City, exact location unknown, June 5, 2023, Wu-Ping Luo, Kun L. Yang et al., S2396 ( HTBM0339 ). China, Guizhou Province, Qiannan Buyi-Miao Autonomous Prefecture , Duyun City, in a forest dominated by plants of Fagaceae , exact location unknown, June 5, 2023, Jia-Xi Pan & Kun L. Yang, S2398 ( HTBM0341 ). China, Zhejiang Province, Ningbo City, Jiangbei District, Baoguo Temple Forest Park , exact location unknown, June 8, 2023, Bin Chen & Kun L. Yang, S23111 ( HTBM0354 ). China, Hunan Province, Huaihua City, Zhongpo Forest Park , exact location unknown, June 12, 2023, Chang-Zhuo Liu & Kun L. Yang, S23127 ( HTBM0370 ). China, Sichuan Province, Dazhou City, Tongchuan District, Pujia Town , exact location unknown, June 14, 2023, Xian-Mei Yang & Kun L. Yang, S23152 ( HTBM0395 ). China, Jiangsu Province, Nanjing City, Xuanwu District, Zijinshan Mountain , exact location unknown, June 20, 2023, Xia Chen & Kun L. Yang, ChenXia310-S23167 ( HTBM0410 ). China, Shanghai Municipality, exact location unknown, June 29, 2023, Jia-Ming Cai, S23241 ( HTBM0484 ). China, Jiangsu Province, Nanjing City, Xuanwu District, Zijinshan Mountain , exact location unknown, August 11, 2023, Xia Chen & Jia Y. Lin, ChenXia446-S23358 ( HTBM1469 ) ; same location, August 12, 2023, Xia Chen & Jia Y. Lin, ChenXia598-S23374 ( HTBM1485 ) .

Notes:— Scleroderma venenatum ( var. venenatum ) and an additional variety macrosporum were validly published by Zhang et al. (2020). However, earlier, these names were annotated as “nom. inval.” in the Index Fungorum database ( Index Fungorum Partnership 2025). Such mistakes have been corrected after the personal communication between us and the Index Fungorum curators on February 4, 2025.

Basidiospores in four different collections (HTBM0339, HTBM0354, HTBM0370 & HTBM0395) were independently measured, each collection with 10 basidiospores from a single basidioma. In the result, HTBM0339 got a diameter range of 10.5–15 μm, HTBM0354 got a diameter range of 10–14 μm, HTBM0370 got a diameter range of 9–14.5 μm, and HTBM0395 got a diameter range of 8.5–10.5 μm. Therefore, the two varieties of S. venenatum could not be clearly delimited.

This species is poisonous, causing gastroenteritis and possibly also psycho-neurological disorder (Zheng et al. 2020).