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

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

Figs 2 G View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 9 C View Figure 9

Etymology.

The specific epithet diversa is derived from the Latin adjective diversus, meaning “ different, varied, divers. ” It refers to the diverse vegetation found in the habitats where this species grows.

Diagnosis.

Early- to middle-appearing, small- to middle-sized morel, characterized mainly by a conical (sometimes oval or bluntly conical) pileus with shallow to deep, large and dominantly vertical pits of irregular sizes and shapes, and with primary vertical and secondary transecting horizontal tomentose ridges. Ridges dark brown to black at maturity. The color of pielus varying from grayish at juvenility to dark brown at maturity, sometimes light brown or yellowish, easily affected by environmental conditions. Stipe whitish to yellowish, short to middle length, finely mealy with whitish granules. Paraphyses slender, without obviously inflated at the apex. Occurring in subtropical broad-leaved or mixed forests, associated with Bamboo, Quercus sp. , Pinus sp. , Quercus sp. , and Daphniphyllum sp.

Type.

China • 1; Chongqing Municipality, Kaizhou District . 27 Mar 2024, Q. Qin ( FCNU 1247 — holotype preserved in the Fungal Herbarium of Chongqing Normal University). GenBank: ITS = PV 156381 ; EF 1 - a = PV 227299 ; RPB 1 = PV 211899 ; RPB 2 = PV 175817 .

Description.

Ascomata 68 mm high. Hymenophore 53 mm high; 23 mm wide at the widest point; conical or lanceolate; light brown with slightly glossy; pitted and ridged, with approximately 12–15 vertical ridges and numerous horizontal and transecting ridges; forming a honeycomb-like structure. Ridges thick, sometimes sharpened; obviously tomentose; dark brown to gray. Pits primarily elongated vertically; irregular in outline and size, relatively deep; finely tomentose; pale brown. Stipe slightly inflated at the base, 15 mm high; 11 mm wide; obviously mealy with whitish granules; pure white. Context whitish; 1–3 mm thick in the hollow hymenophore; sometimes slightly chambered near the base. Sterile inner surface whitish and pubescent.

Ascospores measuring (14.33 -) 15.04–20.32 (- 21.37) × (6.76 -) 7.75–10.53 (- 11.90) μm (Q = 1.70–2.57, Qm = 1.99 ± 0.19), elliptical to ovoid, with regular, obviously protuberant longitudinal ornamentation; contents homogeneous. Asci cylindrical, eight-spored, (229.47 -) 234.84–263.07 (- 263.63) × (15.34 -) 15.45–18.28 (- 19.99) μm. Paraphyses, cylindrical in shape, apices generally rounded but occasionally subclavate to clavate, septate, (109.84 -) 114.58–148.93 (- 159.68) × (8.72 -) 9.13–13.93 (- 15.20) μm, but difficult to measure their length. Elements on sterile ridges (74.00 -) 78.06–122.55 (- 123.38) × (11.62 -) 11.94–19.85 (- 20.66) μm. The number of ascospores in asci observed to vary among five, seven, and eight.

Habitat.

Occurring solitary or in clusters of two on the ground under Pinus sp.

Distribution.

This species is only recorded from China and Japan.

Other specimens examined.

China • 1; Chongqing Municipality, Kaizhou District . 27 Mar 2024, Q. Qin ( FCNU 1248 — paratype preserved in the Fungal Herbarium of Chongqing Normal University) .

Comments.

This morphologically distinct species corresponds to the previously reported phylospecies Morchella sp. Mel - 21 determined by multi-gene phylogenetic analysis in O’Donnell et al. (2011).