Coprinopsis rugosomagnispora: a distinct new coprinoid species from Poland (Central Europe)

Abstract

A new coprinoid fungus, Coprinopsis rugosomagnispora, is described from Poland (Central Europe). Its macromorphological characters are similar to species belonging to the subsection Nivei of Coprinus s.l. However, C. rugosomagnispora has unique micromorphological characters: very large, ornamented spores, voluminous basidia and cystidia, and smooth veil elements. The large spores and pattern of spore ornamentation (densely pitted) make this species unique within all coprinoid species described so far. The structure (arrangement and shape) of veil elements in C. rugosomagnispora is intermediate between members of the subsections Nivei and Lanatuli of Coprinus s.l. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on single-locus (ITS) maximum likelihood and Bayesian evolutionary trees recovered C. rugosomagnispora within a lineage containing species having morphological characters of the subsection Lanatuli (though within the so-called Atramentarii clade) that contradicts its morphological similarity to members of the subsection Nivei.