Phallus serrata H.L. Li, L. Ye, P.E. Mortimer, J.C. Xu & K.D. Hyde, 2014

Phallus serrata H.L. Li, L. Ye, P.E. Mortimer, J.C. Xu & K.D. Hyde , sp. nov. Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 . B-1, B-2.

MycoBank MB 804688

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan Province: Xishuangbanna, Mengsong Village , UTM-N2379744.485281, UTM-E653217.753714, alt. 1600m, 21 September 2012, Lei Ye ( HKAS78340 , holotype) .

Basidiocarp 150–210 mm high × 15–20 mm wide when mature, subglobose or egg-shaped when young; exoperidium soon rupturing to reveal the cap and stipe on maturity. Cap 40–42 mm high × 34–35 mm wide, nearly half egg-shaped, with a somewhat prominent apex, a white hole, strongly reticulate, white ridges and olive (1E3–5) sticky gleba in the pits. Stipe white, 150–155 mm high × 15–20 mm wide, cylindrical, spongiform. Indusium 135mm – 140mm long, white, well-developed, at first contracted under the edge of the cap, later expanding to a skirt-like net whose margin almost touches the ground. The holes within the indusium are round, nearly round, or polygonal, and their edges are serrated ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 . B-1). Volva brownish-grey (6C2 to 6C4), without scales, attached by a rhizomorph to the soil. Basidiospores [50/2/2] 4–5 × 2–3 µm, L=4.7, W=2.7, Q=1.7, ellipsoid or elongate, hyaline, smooth, and thick walled. Basidia and cystidia not seen. Hyphae of volva 3–5 µm wide, branched, thinwalled, clamp connections present. Hyphae of indusium and stipe foam-like (not tightly packed), with subglobose, hyaline hyphal elements 40–60 µm diameter ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ). Odour: foul, attractive to flies.

Habitat/Distribution: —on soil, in decaying litter, solitary or in groups, Yunnan Province, China.

Etymology: —the species epithet “serrata” refers to the serrated edges of the holes within the indusium.

Other material examined:— CHINA. Yunnan Province: Xishuangbanna, Mengsong Village , UTM-N2379744.485281, UTM-E653217.753714, alt. 1600m, 8 September 2012, Lei Ye ( HKAS78341 , paratype) .

Notes: ―The main distinguishing characters of Phallus serrata are a white indusium, whose holes are round, nearly round, or polygonal with serrated margins ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 . B-1), nearly half egg-shaped cap, with a somewhat prominent apex which has a white opening, and white, cylindrical and spongy stipe. This species closely resembles Phallus indusiatus Vent. (1798: 520) ( Dictyophora indusiata (Vent.) Desv. (1809: 92) , Phallus echinovolvata (M. Zang, D.R. Zheng & Z.X. Hu) Kreisel (1996 ?277), Dictyophora echinovolvata M. Zang, D.R. Zheng & Z.X. Hu (1988: 146) and Phallus duplicatus Bosc (1811: 86) ( Dictyophora duplicata (Bosc) E. Fisch (1988: 6)) . P. serrata is comparable with P. indusiatus (Cunnigham 1944) ; however, the cap of P. indusiatus is campanulate and dingy yellow under the olivaceous gleba, and the indusium is polygonal without serrated margins around the holes. P. serrata should also be compared with P. echinovolvata ( Zang et al. 1988) ; however, the cap of P. echinovolvata is conical or campanulate and whitish yellow under an olivaceous brown gleba, and the indusium is fragile without a serrated margin in the holes, and the volva surface of P. echinovolvata is echinulate ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ). P. sarrata closely resembles P. duplicatus ( Liu et al. 2005) ; however, the indusium of P. duplicatus is not serrate, and is 60–70mm long, which is shorter than P. serrata . The spores of P. duplicatus are also smaller than P. serrata , and P. duplicatus has an annulus under the indusium unlike P. serrata ( Table 4 View TABLE 4 ).