Lepiota in California: species with a hymeniform pileus covering

Abstract

Eight Lepiota species with a hymeniform pileus covering that are known in California are presented and discussed. Lepiota phaeoderma is described as new; this species is characterized by a dark pileus surface, which splits open into small patches around the umbo, and the absence of an annulus. Lepiota neophana, a species with an annulus and a closed brown pileus surface, and L. lilacea, with a conspicuous dark annulus, are both recorded for the first time west of the Rocky Mountains. The identity of L. neophana is reviewed and clarified based on morphological and molecular data. The type collection of L. rufipes was studied, and L. rufipes was placed in synonymy with Cystolepiota seminuda. A key to the species is given.

• Agaricaceae
• biodiversity
• Callitropsis macrocarpa
• nrITS and EF1-α sequences
• taxonomy
• type studies

The San FranciscoPUBLIC Utilities Commission granted permission to inventory the Monterey cypress groves of the San Francisco watershed area (west of Crystal Spring Reservoir). Dimitar Bojantchev, John Brown, Jennifer Kerekes, Anna Simonin, Douglas Smith and the curators of the herbaria ISC, NY and SFSU contributed material for study and examination. Dr Nicholas P. Money and Dr Michael A. Vincent were extremely helpful in tracing the location of A.P. Morgan’s “Preston”. Rosanne Healy and Deborah Q. Lewis of the Ada Hayden Herbarium (ISC) sent me original Morgan material of L. rufipes, and modern collections of L. neophana from Iowa. Dr Jan Frits Veldkamp proposed the Latin diagnosis. John Lennie made very helpful suggestions regarding presentation. Remarks and comments by the two anonymous reviewers and Dr P.B. Matheny were very useful. Financial support through NSF grant DEB 0618293 is gratefully acknowledged.