Two new Russula species (fungi) from dry dipterocarp forest in Thailand suggest niche specialization to this habitat type

Abstract

Dry dipterocarp forests are among the most common habitat types in Thailand. Russulaceae are known as common ectomycorrhizal symbionts of Dipterocarpaceae trees in this type of habitat. The present study aims to identify collections of Russula subsection Amoeninae Buyck from dry dipterocarp forests in Thailand. A multi-locus phylogenetic analysis placed Thai Amoeninae collections in two novel lineages, and they are described here as R. bellissima sp. nov. and R. luteonana sp. nov. The closest identified relatives of both species were sequestrate species suggesting that they may belong to drought-adapted lineages. An analysis of publicly available ITS sequences in R. subsect. Amoeninae did not confirm evidence of any of the new species occurring in other Asian regions, indicating that dry dipterocarp forests might harbor a novel community of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Macromorphological characters are variable and are not totally reliable for distinguishing the new species from other previously described Asian Amoeninae species. Both new species are defined by a combination of differentiated micromorphological characteristics in spore ornamentation, hymenial cystidia and hyphal terminations in the pileipellis. The new Amoeninae species may correspond to some Russula species collected for consumption in Thailand, and the detailed description of the new species can be used for better identification of edible species and food safety in the region.

Taxonomic and phylogenetic evidence reveal two new Russula species (Russulaceae, Russulales) from northern Thailand

“…The suprapellis and subpellis are also thinner than the type material. However, the species can easily be recognized based on small to medium sized pileus with red colour, a smooth to purinose pileus surface, inamyloid suprahilar spots, basidiospore ornamentations that are composed of spines or warts connected by ne lines, and with hymenial cystidia and pileocystidia absent (Wisitrassameewong et al 2022). Russula bellissima is morphologically and phylogenetically closely related to the R. intervenosa reported from India and frequently grows in association with Shorea robusta dominating forests.…”

A comparison between the ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associated with the natural and plantation populations of Dipterocarpus alatus

“…Therefore, several Russula taxa in this study are supposed to be novel species. Recently, it was reported that six Thai Russula species (Wisitrassameewong et al 2022) and 17 Thai Lactarius species, which constitute 87% of this genus collected from the northern part of Thailand (Hyde et al 2018), were newly identified species.…”

Notes on four species of Russula subgenus Heterophyllidiae (Russulaceae, Russulales) from southern China

“…In previous studies, about 161 species within subg. Heterophyllidiae were revealed around the world ( Ying, 1983 ; Li et al, 2013 , 2015 , 2018 , 2019 , 2021 ; Chen et al, 2014 , 2019 , 2021a , b , c , d ; Zhao et al, 2015 ; Zhang et al, 2017 ; Li and Deng, 2018 ; Song et al, 2018a , b , 2020 ; Wang et al, 2019 ; Yuan et al, 2019 ; Ghosh et al, 2020 ; Wisitrassameewong et al, 2020 , 2022 ; Vera et al, 2021 ; Altaf et al, 2022 ; Han et al, 2022 ; Song, 2022 ). Moreover, the edibility and poisonousness of the subgenus have also been noted, e.g., edible species, R. maguanensis J. Wang, X. H. Wang, Buyck and T. Bau, R. substriata J. Wang, X. H. Wang, Buyck and T. Bau, R. vesca Fr., and R. viridirubrolimbata J.…”