Calocera tibetica sp. nov. (Dacrymycetaceae, Dacrymycetales) from southwestern China

A new gelatinous species, Calocera tibetica, is described from southwest China based on morphological and molecular evidence. It is characterized by stipitate, tough, gelatinous, dichotomously branched, dendroid or staghorn-like basidioma with blunt tips, subclavate to clavate basidia measuring 45.0-53.0 x 4.8-6.0 mu m, and hyaline, oblong-ellipsoid to navicular, 3-4-septate mature basidiospores measuring 9.0-14.0 x 5.0-6.3 mu m. In the phylogeny, the new species is closely related to C. viscosa and C. cornea based on the nITS + nLSU dataset, but C. viscosa has basidioma with sharp tips, pale yellow, 1septate mature basidiospores; C. cornea has cylindrical, subulate, slightly branched basidioma, and sub-hyaline cylindrical to slightly curved-cylindrical, 1-septate mature basidiospores measuring 7-10 x 3-4.5 mu m. The new species is unique by its 3-4-septate mature basidiospores among species of Calocera.

Automated summary

A new gelatinous species, Calocera tibetica, has been described in southwest China, characterized by blunt-tipped basidioma and 3-4-septate mature basidiospores, distinguishing it from closely related species like C. viscosa and C. cornea.