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

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

Figs 2 H – J View Figure 2 , 8 D View Figure 8

Etymology.

The specific epithet eoa is derived from the Latinized Greek word eōas (from Eōs, the goddess of dawn), meaning “ eastern ” or “ of the dawn. ” It refers to the species’ distribution currently only found in Eastern Asia.

Diagnosis.

Middle-appearing, small- to middle-sized morel, characterized by an oval or bluntly conical pileus with middle, deep, and relatively dense pits in irregular and polygonal sizes and primary vertical and rich transecting horizontal ridges. Stipe whitish to yellowish, of medium length, with a distinctly wrinkled surface, glabrous or finely mealy with yellowish granules, without obvious inflated. Paraphyses slender, slightly inflated at the apex. Occurring under Pinus sp.

Type.

China • 1; Chongqing Municipality, Qianjiang District . 7 Apr 2024, Q. Qin ( FCNU 1364 — holotype preserved in the Fungal Herbarium of Chongqing Normal University). GenBank: ITS = PV 156412 ; EF 1 - a = PV 227270 ; RPB 1 = PV 227209 ; RPB 2 = PV 175872 .

Description.

Ascomata 124 mm high. Hymenophore 62 mm high; 34 mm wide at the widest point; conical to bluntly conical; pale brownish yellow or yellowish; with 9–11 primary vertical ridges and some shorter, secondary vertical ridges, and transecting horizontal ridges, forming a honeycomb-like or reticulate pattern. Ridges undulate, forming maze-like irregular geometric patterns; light yellowish-brown. Pits irregular polygonal, with serrated margins, moderate light brown. Stipe clavate to subclavate, 62 mm high; 16 mm wide; glabrous or finely mealy with yellowish granules. Context whitish; 2–3 mm thick in the hollow hymenophore; sometimes slightly chambered near the base. Sterile inner surface whitish and pubescent.

Ascospores (16.93 -) 18.40–23.00 (- 28.12) × (7.93 -) 10.87–15.24 (- 15.62) μm (Q = 1.37–3.55, Qm = 1.60 ± 0.34), elliptical to ovoid, with nearly irregular longitudinal and interconnecting transverse ornamentation; contents homogeneous. Asci cylindrical, eight-spored, (236.10 -) 251.78–254.87 (- 371.77) × (17.58 -) 19.20–24.88 (- 25.19) μm. Paraphyses, cylindrical, septate, apices generally merely rounded but occasionally subclavate, (113.03 -) 115.07–174.92 (- 177.91) × (10.84 -) 10.90–16.49 (- 19.65) μm, but difficult to measure their length. Elements on sterile ridges (75.37 -) 80.45–131.94 (- 150.68) × (12.05 -) 12.11–20.32 (- 21.02) μm. The number of ascospores in asci observed to vary from one to nine.

Habitat.

Solitary on the ground under Pyrus sp. and Populus sp.

Distribution.

Currently, this species is only recorded from southwestern China, such as Chongqing, Xizang, and Yunnan.

Other specimens examined.

China • 1; Chongqing Municipality, Qianjiang District . 7 Apr 2024, Q. Qin ( FCNU 1365 — paratype preserved in the Fungal Herbarium of Chongqing Normal University) . China • 1; Chongqing Municipality, Qianjiang District . 7 Apr 2024, Q. Qin ( FCNU 1366 — paratype preserved in the Fungal Herbarium of Chongqing Normal University) .

Comments.

This morphologically distinct species corresponds to the previously reported phylospecies Morchella sp. Mes- 15 determined by multi-gene phylogenetic analysis in Du et al. (2012 a).