Cortinarius sinoconfirmatus Zhu L. Yang, Liu K. Jia & Zi R. Wang, 2025

Cortinarius sinoconfirmatus Zhu L. Yang, Liu K. Jia & Zi R. Wang sp. nov.

Fig. 6 View Figure 6

Etymology.

The epithet “ sinoconfirmatus ” (Lat.) refers to the species in China that is similar to C. confirmatus .

Holotype.

China • Yunnan Province: Lijiang City, Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Taian Township , in a subalpine temperate coniferous forest with trees of Pinus , 26°48.91'N, 100°5.96'E, elevation 2,633 m, 9 August 2023, Zi-Rui Wang 160 ( KUN-HKAS 145320 ). GenBank: ITS: PQ 772205, nrLSU: PQ 772217 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Cortinarius sinoconfirmatus looks like C. confirmatus Rob. Henry , but differs in its dark brown pileus center, more brown lamellae, thinner stipe, and larger basidiospores ( Henry 1983; Mahiques et al. 2001; Ortega et al. 2007; Liimatainen et al. 2017).

Description.

Basidioma medium-sized. Pileus 1.2 cm diam when young, 3–4.3 cm diam when mature, hemispherical when young, later convex, viscid; pale brown (6 B 2–6 B 4) to brown (5 C 6–5 C 7), covered with white (1 A 1) fibrillose squamules when young; brown (6 C 4–6 C 6), pale brown (6 B 2–6 B 4) towards the margin, dark brown (6 E 7) towards the center when mature; margin covered with brown (6 C 7) fibrillose squamules; context of pileus gelatinous, pale brown (6 B 2–6 B 4) to brown (6 C 7). Lamellae emarginate, crowded (L = 74–95, l = 46–52), pale brown (6 B 2–6 B 3) with a faint pinkish (12 A 2) tint when young, later brown (6 B 6–6 C 6). Stipe 5–7 × 0.5–0.7 cm, cylindrical, dirty white (1 A 1–1 B 1), pale brown (6 B 2–6 B 3) to brown (6 C 6), with a pale violaceous (16 A 2–16 A 3) tint at the stipe apex when young, later the upper 1 / 2 stipe dirty white, pale brown (6 B 2–6 B 3) to brown (6 C 6) with a pale violaceous (16 A 2–16 A 3) tint, covered with brown (7 C 4) fibrillose squamules, the lower 1 / 2 brown to dark brown (7 B 4–7 E 4); context of stipe dirty white (1 A 1–1 B 1) and brown (7 C 6); basal mycelium white (1 A 1).

Basidiospores [60 / 3 / 3] 7.5–11.5 × 4–5 (6) μm, Q = (1.5 –) 2–3.13, av. = 9.92 ± 1.19 × 4.85 ± 0.59 μm, Qav. = 2.06 ± 0.28, ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid, moderately to strongly verrucose, inamyloid. Basidia 27.5–35 × 5–7.5 μm, 4 - spored, clavate. Trama of lamellae regular, composed of pale yellowish, smooth hyphae 12.5–15 μm wide. Cystidia absent. Pileipellis duplex: epicutis weakly developed, 10–14 μm thick, gelatinous, composed of only 2–4 layers of interwoven to parallel, colorless to pale yellow, smooth, thin-walled, long-celled hyphae 2.5–5 µm wide; hypocutis composed of interwoven to parallel, colorless, cylindrical, thin-walled hyphae 12.5–17.5 μm wide. Clamp connections common in all parts of basidioma.

Habitat / host.

Summer. Gregarious on soil in subalpine temperate coniferous forests with trees of Pinus .

Distribution.

Currently known from southwestern China.

Additional specimens examined.

China • Yunnan Province: Lijiang City, Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Taian Township , in a subalpine temperate coniferous forest with trees of Pinus , 26°48.91'N, 100°5.96'E, elevation 2,633 m, 9 August 2023, Zi-Rui Wang 154 ( KUN-HKAS 145319 ) GoogleMaps ; same Township and date, 26°48.32'N, 100°4.35'E, elevation 2,700 m, Dong-Mei Li 331 ( KUN-HKAS 145318 ) GoogleMaps .

Notes.

Cortinarius sinoconfirmatus is closely related to C. confirmatus , but the latter differs from the former by its paler pileus with vinaceous or violaceous tints, paler, adnate lamellae, more robust stipe, and narrower basidiospores (8.8–10 × 5.2–5.6 μm, Q = 1.55–1.9) ( Henry 1983; Mahiques et al. 2001; Ortega et al. 2007; Liimatainen et al. 2017). Cortinarius sinoconfirmatus is also closely related to C. imbutus Fr. and C. saturninus (Fr.) Fr. However , C. imbutus differs from C. sinoconfirmatus by its pale yellow pileus and whitish stipe with somewhat violaceous tint at the stipe apex ( Fries 1838), and C. saturninus differs from C. sinoconfirmatus by its dark reddish brown pileus, violet stipe with purplish red squamules ( Fries 1838).

Morphologically, C. sinoconfirmatus looks like C. lucorum (Fr.) E. Berger , but the latter differs from the former by its pileus with marble-like stripes and more prominent bulbous stipe base ( Bidaud et al. 2000; Matheny and Ammirati 2006).