Chroogomphus mediterraneus, a species described from the Balearic Islands, is confirmed as belonging to the genus Chroogomphus, instead of the genus Gomphidius, as it appears in taxonomic databases. Chroogomphus mediterraneus shows macroscopic features similar to Chroogomphus fulmineus and C. rutilus, species with which it has been confused in the literature. However, analyses based on comparison of barcoding sequences (internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA), and a review of the morphological features, support C. mediterraneus as a separate species close to C. albipes, a gasteroid fungus, and C. confusus, a species described from Yunnan, China. Chroogomphus mediterraneus is also reported for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula.
The genus Morchella has gone through turbulent taxonomic treatments. Although significant progress in Morchella systematics has been achieved in the past decade, several problems remain unresolved and taxonomy in the genus is still in flux. In late 2019, a paper published in the open-access journal Scientific Reports raised serious concerns about the taxonomic stability of the genus, but also about the future of academic publishing. The paper, entitled "High diversity of Morchella and a novel lineage of the esculenta clade from the north Qinling Mountains revealed by GCPSR-based study" by Phanpadith and colleagues, suffered from gross methodological errors, included false results and artifactual phylogenies, had misapplied citations throughout, and proposed a new species name invalidly. Although the paper was eventually retracted by Scientific Reports in 2021, the fact that such an overtly flawed and scientifically unsound paper was published in a high-ranked Q1 journal raises alarming questions about quality controls and safekeeping procedures in scholarly publishing. Using this paper as a case study, we provide a critical review on the pitfalls of Morchella systematics followed by a series of recommendations for the delimitation of species, description of taxa, and ultimately for a sustainable taxonomy in Morchella. Problems and loopholes in the academic publishing system are also identified and discussed, and additional quality controls in the pre-and post-publication stages are proposed.
Leucoagaricus viridariorum is proposed as a new species based on material collected in different areas of Spain. This taxon is characterised macroscopically by its small, whitish basidiomes, minutely squamulose-fibrillose pileus, evanescent ascendant annulus and growth in man-made environments. Microscopically, its subglobose to broadly ellipsoid spores, the clavate cheilocystidia and the trichodermic pileipellis are diagnostic. Based on molecular data of the internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrITS) this species belongs to the Leucoagaricus/Leucocoprinus clade of the Agaricaceae where it is sister to Leucoagaricus amanitoides.
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