Morphological and molecular data for Australian Hebeloma species do not support the generic status of Anamika

Abstract

The first collection of a macrofungal agaric species, with morphological features similar to already described Anamika species, has been found in association with animal bones in north Queensland, Australia. This species also shares features with several, commonly occurring and previously described Australian Hebeloma species. An integrated morphological and molecular study has resulted in the conclusion that all Anamika species belong in Hebeloma. As a result, already described species of Anamika are recombined as H. indicum (K.A. Thomas, Peintner, M.M. Moser and Manim.) B.J. Rees & Orlovich, H. angustilamellatum (Zhu L. Yang and Z.W. Ge) B.J. Rees & Orlovich and H. lactariolens (Clémençon and Hongo) B.J. Rees & Orlovich. A. phylogenetic tree based on ribosomal ITS sequences examines the relationship of these species with other Hebeloma species from both hemispheres. Four new species, Hebeloma youngii B.J. Rees, H. nothofagetorum B.J. Rees, H. subvictoriense B.J. Rees, H. lacteocoffeatum B.J. Rees, and one form, H. aminophilum f. hygrosarx B.J. Rees, are described as new from Australia.

• ammonia fungi
• Anamika
• Australia
• Hebeloma
• Hymenogastraceae
• ITS

Acknowledgments

The project has been supported by a federal grant awarded to the senior author by Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, for a treatment of the genus Hebeloma in Australia for inclusion in the Fungi of Australia series and by support awarded to DAO from the Shore Fund and Performance-Based Research Fund, University of Otago. The authors acknowledge generous assistance from colleagues at University of Sydney: Kathy Donohoe from the School of Biological Science, Ian Kaplin, senior microscopist, Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis and Nicole Sawyer, R&D Director, SUPAMAC; University of Otago: Xinyue Wang and Vickey Tomlinson, Department of Botany, Martyn Kennedy and David Winter, Department of Zoology. We also greatly appreciate loans of collections from herbaria AD, BRI, HO, KEW, MEL, PERTH, PDD, UNSW and owners of private collections such as David Ratkowsky, Genevieve Gates and Patrick Leonard. Help with Latin translation is also valued from Drs Peter Wilson and David Rees. We thank the two anonymous referees and Associate Editor P. Brandon Matheny, whose valuable comments greatly improved this manuscript.