Melanogaster coccolobae sp. nov. (Paxillaceae, Boletales), un hongo hipogeo tropical de las áreas urbanas de Quintana Roo, México

Abstract

Background and Aims: The genus Melanogaster is characterized by its hypogeous to semi hypogeous habit, brownish basidiomata, gel-filled gleba locules, and globose to ellipsoid basidiospores. The genus is distributed in temperate zones, but sequences from Coccoloba root tips and a few basidiome collections have revealed its presence in the tropics. The aim of this article is to describe a new species of Melanogaster based on ecological, molecular, and morphological data. Methods: Specimens were collected in urban vegetation of Quintana Roo in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. For morphological description, the classic protocols for sequestrate fungi were followed. The dried material was deposited in the mycological herbarium “José Castillo Tovar” of the Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria (ITCV) and the herbarium of the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY). Key results: Melanogaster coccolobae is presented as a new species from the urban gardens of Quintana Roo based on ecological, molecular, and morphological evidence. This species is characterized by its hypogeous to semi hypogeous basidioma, greyish orange, brown to reddish brown peridium composed of two layers, sweet smell, subglobose, ellipsoid or piriform basidiospores, and by its mycorrhizal association with Coccoloba spicata. Conclusions: Melanogaster coccolobae is the first species described from the Mexican Caribbean from urban gardens with Coccoloba spicata. More studies about the tropical sequestrate fungi are recommended.

Re-vegetation Improves Soil Quality by Decreasing Soil Conductivity and Altering Soil Microbial Communities: A Case Study of an Opencast Coal Mine in the Helan Mountains

“…However, fungi are usually more closely related to plant species than bacteria, while plant coverage and biomass were not significantly correlated with fungal community composition. To explain this, further study at a longer time scale is needed ( de la Fuente et al, 2021 ).…”

Three new Melanogaster species (Boletales, Paxillaceae) from southwestern China based on morphological and molecular evidence

“… Melanogaster basidiospores exhibit a range of shapes, including globose, ellipsoid, pyriform, or cirriform. Most species in the genus emit distinctive odors, ranging from sweet and pleasant to garlic-like or nauseating ( Castellano et al 1986 ; Montecchi and Sarasini 2000 ; Cázares et al 2008 ; Trappe et al 2009 ; de la Fuente et al 2021 ; Alvarado et al 2021 ; Xu et al 2022 ). Melanogaster can be differentiated from related sequestrate Paxillaceae such as Alpova C.W.…”