Entoloma mengsongense sp. nov. (Entolomataceae, Agaricales), a remarkable blue mushroom from Yunnan Province, China

Abstract

A new agaric species, Entoloma mengsongense, is described and illustrated from samples collected in Mengsong, Yunnan Province, China. Microscopic observations were carried out to describe the micro- and macromorphological characteristics of specimens, and molecular identification was performed to verify the novelty of the species. The species is mainly recognized by its conical to plano-concave pileus, with yellowish brown fibril and 4–8 × 4–6 µm sized, cuboid–quadrate basidiospores. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using ITS sequence data also indicated that this is a new species closely related to E. virescens and E. hochstetteri. Morphological and molecular phylogenetic differences separate E. mengsongense from all other known species of Entoloma.