Morchella huoguo Q. Qin & X. H. Du, 2025

Morchella huoguo Q. Qin & X. H. Du sp. nov.

Figs 2 C View Figure 2 , 8 C View Figure 8

Etymology.

The specific epithet huoguo (火锅, Mandarin Pinyin: huǒguō) refers to hotpot, a globally renowned culinary tradition originating from the type locality of this species, Chongqing, China. The name honors Chongqing’s iconic gastronomic cultural heritage while phonetically preserving the Mandarin term for “ hotpot ” in Latinized form.

Diagnosis.

Middle-appearing, small- to middle-sized morel, characterized by a bluntly conical pileus with very large, deep, and relatively sparse pits in irregular size and with primary vertical and few transecting horizontal ridges. Stipe long, usually slightly inflated at the top, obviously wrinkled at the surface, glabrous or finely mealy with yellowish granules. Paraphyses slender, inflated at the apex. Occurring under Pinus sp.

Type.

China • 1; Chongqing Municipality , Yunyang County. 14 Apr 2024, Q. Qin ( FCNU 1337 — holotype preserved in the Fungal Herbarium of Chongqing Normal University). GenBank: ITS = PV 156399 ; EF 1 - a = PV 227237 ; RPB 1 = PV 227231 ; RPB 2 = PV 204692 .

Description.

Ascomata 79 mm high. Hymenophore 37 mm high; 23 mm wide at the widest point; conical or bluntly conical; the hymenophore attached to the stipe with a notable sinus; pitted and ridged, with 12–15 primary vertical ridges and some shorter, secondary vertical ridges, and transecting horizontal ridges, forming a honeycomb-like structure. Ridges slender, finely tomentose; pale yellowish to yellow-brown. Pits asymmetrical, mainly large; primarily elongated vertically; deep and irregular in outline and size; glabrous or finely tomentose; yellowish. Stipe cylindrical, 42 mm high; 12 mm wide; glabrous or finely mealy with whitish granules; whitish to pale yellowish. Context whitish; 1–2 mm thick in the hollow hymenophore; sometimes slightly chambered near the base. Sterile inner surface whitish and pubescent.

Ascospores measuring (17.78 -) 19.87–23.78 (- 24.66) × (11.47 -) 11.83–15.22 (- 15.99) μm (Q = 1.34–1.85, Qm = 1.60 ± 0.14), elliptical to ovoid, with light irregular longitudinal and interconnecting transverse ornamentation; contents homogeneous. Asci cylindrical, eight-spored, (158.68 -) 180.73–356.59 (- 359.35) × (10.93 -) 11.45–29.92 (- 30.10) μm. Paraphyses, cylindrical in shape, apices generally rounded but occasionally subclavate to clavate, septate, (105.59 -) 115.34–169.05 (- 171.49) × (7.60 -) 9.86–14.84 (- 16.94) μm, but difficult to measure their length. Elements on sterile ridges (85.83 -) 88.14–172.47 (- 199.01) × (9.19 -) 9.36–17.57 (- 17.92) μm, difficult to measure their length. The number of ascospores in asci observed to vary from one to eight.

Habitat.

Solitary on the ground under Pinus sp.

Distribution.

This species is only recorded from Chongqing, China.

Other specimens examined.

China • 1; Chongqing Municipality , Yunyang County. 14 Apr 2024, Q. Qin ( FCNU 1335 — paratype preserved in the Fungal Herbarium of Chongqing Normal University) .

Comments.

Morchella huoguo is phylogenetically close to M. palazonii , making them sister species. However, they are easy to distinguish by morphological features, particularly pit size and density, with M. huoguo having fewer and larger pits.