Entoloma punjabensis N. Fatima, Usman & Khalid 2023, sp. nov.

Entoloma punjabensis N. Fatima, Usman & Khalid sp. nov. (Figs. 1 & 2) MycoBank: MB845490 Etymology:—specific epithet “ punjabensis ” (Latin) refers to the type locality of the taxon. Diagnosis:— Entoloma punjabensis differs from its closely related species E. griseofibrillosum by having pileus subumbilicate at maturity with reddish to brown central depression, larger globose to subglobose basidiospores 8.5– 13.4 × 7.2–11.5 µm and hyaline hyphae of pileipellis. Holotype:— PAKISTAN. Punjab: Sahiwal, Chichawatni Forest 30° 32’ 16”N, 72° 40’ 4”E, elev. 163 m, on soil rich in organic matter, 9 July 2019, Nadia Fatima, N-101(LAH37544), GenBank OP 315658 (ITS); OP315660 (LSU). Description:— Basidiomata small, scattered. Pileus 9–15 mm in diam., convex to plano-convex, subumbilicate at maturity, non-hygrophanous, dry, smooth surface, crenate and deflexed margin, slightly striate up to center, light gray at young age (10YR 8/1), dark brown (5YR 3/6) at maturity, central depression brownish gray (5YR 6/1) changing reddish brown (5YR 4/8) from center towards margin with age. Lamellae decurrent, pale reddish (2.5YR 7/3), slightly crisped and wavy, thick, broad and subdistant, with 1–2 tiers of lamellulae. Stipe 7–10 × 1–3 mm, short, central, solid, grayish brown (5YR 5/2) straight but slightly compressed and bent at base, almost smooth, base whitish and slightly pruinose at young stage. Taste and smell not observed. Basidiospores [100/2/2] (8.08–) 8.45–13.24 (–13.51) × (6.44–) 7.2–11.45 (–12.05) µm, (av. L × av. W = 10.8 × 9.32 µm) Q = 1.1–1.3, Qav. = 1.2 globose to sub globose, rarely with very weak angles, thick-walled, guttulate, hyaline in 5% KOH, smooth with prominent apiculus. Basidia clavate to sub-cylindrical 31.84–43.47 × 9.29–18.64 µm, mostly tetra-sporic, sometimes bi- or tri-sporic, smooth, thin-walled, hyaline. Cheilocystidia rare, 27.66–38.16 × 9.54–14.05 µm, clavate to cylindrical. Pleurocystidia absent. Pileipellis a cutis composed of thin-walled, smooth, hyaline hyphae, 6.66–16.63 µm wide, av. W =9.2 µm, constricted at the septa, terminal cells 8.2–10.02 µm wide and modified to clavate ends. Stipitipellis hyphae 3.81–13.49 µm wide, av. W = 7.72 µm, regular, thin-walled, hyaline, septate. Clamp connections are absent in all tissues. Habit and habitat:—Solitary and scattered on soil rich in organic matter. Additional specimen examined:— PAKISTAN. Punjab: Sahiwal, Chichawatni Forest 30°32’15.82”N, 72°39’24.30”E, elev. 163 m, on soil mixed with plant debris, 2 August 2020, Nadia Fatima N-001, LAH! LAH37545. GenBank OP 315659 (ITS); OP315661 (28S).Published as part of Usman, Nadia Fatima Muhammad & Khalid, Abdul Nasir, 2023, Entoloma punjabensis sp. nov. of Rusticoides group from Chichawatni Forest, Pakistan, pp. 217-228 in Phytotaxa 612 (2) on pages 222-226, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.612.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/832349