Two new species of true morels from Newfoundland and Labrador: cosmopolitan Morchella eohespera and parochial M. laurentiana

Abstract

Morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of true morels (Morchella) in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador resulted in the discovery of two undescribed species in the M. elata clade that we initially distinguished by the informal designations Mel-19 and Mel-36. The latter species, also collected in New Brunswick, Canada, is hitherto known only from the St Lawrence River Basin. Mel-36 is described here as a novel, phylogenetically distinct species, M. laurentiana. Before the discovery of Mel-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Washington state it was only known from central China and central and northern Europe. Mel-19 is described here as a novel species, M. eohespera.

• Ascomycota
• molecular phylogenetics
• Morchella elata clade
• Morchellaceae
• Pezizales

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Gro Gulden, Roy Kristiansen, Maria Voitk and Jon-Otto Aarnæs for assistance and support during the spring 2015 collection trip to Norway to look for fresh material of M. norvegiensis from the type locality, Claudia Hanel for guiding trips to collect morels in western Newfoundland and Tony Chubb for a collection of M. eohespera from central Labrador. We thank Dave Malloch for submitting the collections of M. laurentiana and M. eohespera from NB that let us extend their ranges. Thanks are also due Stacy Sink for expert technical assistance, Arthur Thompson for assistance with the SEM and Nathane Orwig for running sequences in the NCAUR DNA Core Facility. We are grateful for two anonymous reviewers and the editors for their help with strengthening the presentation. The mention of company names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the US Department of Agriculture over other companies or similar products not mentioned. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.