Restingomyces, a new sequestrate genus from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest that is phylogenetically related to early-diverging taxa in Trappeaceae (Phallales)

Abstract

Restingomyces reticulatus gen. et sp. nov. is a recently discovered false truffle species from Atlantic “restinga” rainforest in northeastern Brazil. Molecular and morphological characters separate this new sequestrate species from other described taxa in the order Phallales (Phallomycetidae, Basidiomycota). In our phylogenetic analysis based on nuc 28S rDNA and atp6, R. reticulatus forms a sister clade to Trappea darkeri and Phallobata alba, with the three taxa forming the earliest diverging lineage within Phallales. Morphological and molecular data warrant the recognition of the new genus and species, described here, and we also amend the taxonomic description for the family Trappeaceae.

• Hypogeous sequestrate fungi
• molecular phylogenetics
• Neotropics
• sand dunes
• truffle-like fungi

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to Dr María P. Martín (Real Jardín Botánico, RJB-CSIS, Madrid, Spain) and Dr James Trappe (Corvallis, Oregon) for suggestions and comments. MAS thanks the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES) for the doctoral scholarship. The Program for Research into Biodiversity of the Semiarid (PPBio 503285/2009-9) awarded financial support. TG was co-financed through the EUFORINNO 7th FP EU Infrastructure Program (RegPot No. 315982), Research program Forest Biology, Ecology and Technology P4-0107 (Slovenian Forestry Institute) and bilateral cooperation project Slovenia – Brazil No. 490648/2010-0 (CNPq) (Brazil)/BI-BR/11-13-005 (Slovenia). Colleagues at the Laboratory for the Biology of Fungi of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte helped during collections. Dr Jomar Jardim (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte) provided photographs of basidiomata in the field and helped to identify plant species. Judcleidson C. Bezerra provided field assistance and help during preparation of plates. Julieth O. Sousa helped creating the map. CNPq granted fellowships and research grants to BTG and IGB. Funding for MES was provided in part by the US National Science Foundation Grant DEB-1354802 and also by the University of Florida’s Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS).