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Abstract
Melanomphalia thermophila (Sing.) Sing. is a rarely collected agaric previously known only from Florida and Brazil. This taxon was originally described as a species of Tubaria and much of Singer's rationale for placing Tubaria within the Crepidotaceae (Imai) Sing. was based on anatomical similarities between T. thermophila and Crepidotus (Fr.) Staude. In later works, T. thermophila was transferred to Melanomphalia M.P. Christ., again forming the basis upon which Singer placed Melanomphalia within the Crepidotaceae. Based on examination of newly collected specimens from Puerto Rico and Panama, type studies, and nuclear large subunit rDNA analysis, we conclude that this taxon is, in fact, a centrally stipitate Crepidotus. Melanomphalia thermophila is transferred to Crepidotus, fully described and illustrated.
Field work in Puerto Rico was funded by grant DEB-95-25902 to the State University of New York College at Cortland from the National Science Foundation, Biotic Surveys and Inventories Program. Our research was facilitated also by the USDA-Forest Service's International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF), especially the International Forestry Program. The lead author (MCA) also received funding in part from a Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid-of-Research. The authors are indebted to Dr. Rytas Vilgalys, Dr. Jean-Marc Moncalvo, and the mycology lab of Duke University for the generous use of facilities and databases for the sequencing portion of this study. The logistic support for fieldwork in Puerto Rico was arranged by Dr. D. Jean Lodge and Dr. Sharon Cantrell. We also thank Drs. Donald H. Pfister (FH), D. Jean Lodge (CFMR) and Clark L. Ovrebo (CSU) for kindly arranging loans of collections for our studies. Dr. Sharon Cantrell and Mr. J. Mercado contributed to this study by providing field notes and collections as well. Finally, we thank Dr. D. Jean Lodge for suggesting improvements to an earlier version of this manuscript. This paper is based in part on a dissertation submitted by the first author to Virginia Tech as a requirement for a Ph.D. degree.