New species of Hymenagaricus and Xanthagaricus (Agaricaceae), from Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Based on morphological and molecular evidence, two new species, namely Hymenagaricus indicus and Xanthagaricus nigrosquamosus, are described from tropical region of Maharashtra, India. Hymenagaricus indicus is morphologically circumscribed by its small basidiomata, covered with brown plate-like squamules at the centre along with small, numerous squamules scattered towards margin, pileal squamules composed of globose to subglobose elements, and yellowish brown, ellipsoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, smooth basidiospores. Xanthagaricus nigrosquamosus is characterised by its yellowish pileus covered with black squamules, epithelial pileipellis, and broadly ellipsoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, rugulose-rough, basidiospores. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, and partial 28S rDNA sequences also confirmed that they are distinct from their closest taxa.