Description of the Fifth New Species of Russula subsect. Maculatinae from Pakistan Indicates Local Diversity Hotspot of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi in Southwestern Himalayas

Abstract

Russula subsect. Maculatinae is morphologically and phylogenetically well-defined lineage of ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with arctic, boreal, temperate and Mediterranean habitats of Northern Hemisphere. Based on phylogenetic distance among species, it seems that this group diversified relatively recently. Russula ayubiana sp. nov., described in this study, is the fifth in the group known from relatively small area of northern Pakistan situated in southwestern Himalayas. This is the highest known number of agaric lineage members from a single area in the world. This study uses available data about phylogeny, ecology, and climate to trace phylogenetic origin and ecological preferences of Maculatinae in southwestern Himalayas. Our results suggest that the area has been recently colonised by Maculatinae members migrating from various geographical areas and adapting to local conditions. We also discuss the perspectives and obstacles in research of biogeography and ecology, and we propose improvements that would facilitate the integration of ecological and biogeographical metadata from the future taxonomic studies of fungi in the region.

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

“…The Laos record (UNITE accession number UDB033872) is from an urban area of Vientiane city on the northeastern Thai border and the Singapore record (GenBank accession number MZ519838) is also from Singapore Botanical Garden collected with Shorea leprosula . Because all collections of our new species are located in Mainland Southeast Asia, this result suggests that this area’s endemic Russula diversity developed under specific climate, geomorphology and available ECM host range, such as already suggested for southwestern Himalayas 29 . In this respect it is worth to mention that sister to both our new species collected in dry dipterocarp forests are sequestrate species (Figs.…”