Morphological and phylogenetic evidences unveil a novel species of Gyroporus (Gyroporaceae, Boletales) from Indian Himalaya

Repeated macrofungal forays to the east district of Sikkim followed by morphological and phylogenetic studies of collected wild mushrooms revealed an undescribed species, proposed here as Gyroporus paramjitii. This species is characterized by hemispheric to plane dark brown to brownish orange pileus, concolorous or darker stipe, snow white to pale yellow pore surface which is immutable when bruised, 2- to 4-spored basidia, reniform to elliptic basidiospores, presence of pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia, absence of caulocystidia, trichoderm pattern of pileipellis and stipitipellis with encrusted erect hyphal elements and occurrence under Castanopsis sp. Macro- and micro-morphological details coupled with molecular phylogenetic analyses (based on nrITS and nrLSU data) are presented for this taxon.