Russula wuyishanensis J. Q. Yan, B. J. Zhong & S. N. Wang sp. nov.
Fig. 4
Diagnosis.
Russula wuyishanensis is mainly characterised by its small to medium-sized basidiomata, a reddish-grey to purplish-brown pileus with a slightly greyish to dark greyish-green centre, three types of lamellulae, basidiospores with many obtuse isolated warts partially connected by short lines or ridges and occasionally subreticulate, clavate, subcylindrical or fusiform hymenial cystidia with obtuse or acute apices and frequent papillae, and cylindrical or clavate pileocystidia with obtuse or acute apices and frequent papillae.
Holotype.
China • Fujian Province, Nanping City, Shaowu City, Wuyishan Longhu Logging Camp, 27°32'16"N, 117°30'47"E, alt. 478 m, 9 May 2023, Hui Zeng, Zhi-Heng Zeng, Bin-Rong Ke, Cheng-Feng Nie (HFJAU 4809).
Etymology.
‘ wuyishanensis’ refers to Wuyishan, the type locality of the species.
Chinese name.
武夷山红菇.
Description.
Basidiomata small to medium-sized. Pileus 45–75 mm in diameter, applanate to depressed in the centre; surface slightly viscid, smooth, glabrous, occasionally cracked; young pileus reddish-grey (11 B 2), centre slightly greyish (11 F 1), mature pileus purplish-brown (11 E 4) with a darker centre or tinged dark greyish-green (26 F 3). Lamellae 3.0–4.0 mm wide, decurrent, without furcations, with 3 types of lamellulae, moderately crowded, 8–11 per cm near pileus margin, white (1 A 1), occasionally with rust-colored (6 E 8) patches. Stipe 35–45 × 7.0–9.0 mm, cylindrical, central, spongy, white (1 A 1). Context thick, white (1 A 1), turning yellowish-brown (5 D 4) when bruised; taste and odour not recorded.
Basidiospores (6.2 –) 7.0–8.9 (– 9.7) × (5.2 –) 6.0–7.2 (– 7.7) μm, Q = (1.08 –) 1.13–1.35 (– 1.40), globose, subglobose, broadly ellipsoid or ellipsoid; ornamentation composed of many obtuse isolated warts, sparse (2–5 in a 3 μm diam. circle), partially connected by short lines or ridges, occasionally subreticulate, amyloid; suprahilar plage inamyloid; warts 0.3–0.6 μm high. Basidia 38.0–54.0 × 9.5–11.5 μm, clavate or subclavate, 2 - or 4 - spored. Hymenial cystidia on lamellae sides 48.5–87.5 × 6.0–8.5 μm, clavate, subcylindrical or fusiform, apically obtuse or acute, often with a papilla, thin-walled, contents heteromorphous or crystalline, turning greyish-black in sulphovanillin. Hymenial cystidia on lamellae edges 43.5–75.0 × 5.0–8.0 μm, clavate, subcylindrical or fusiform, apically obtuse or acute, often with a papilla, contents heteromorphous, turning greyish-black in sulphovanillin. Pileipellis metachromatic in cresyl blue, indistinctly two-layered, ca. 150–210 μm thick; suprapellis 60–90 μm deep, composed of erect to repent hyphae that are attenuated at the apex; subpellis 60–120 μm deep, composed of interwoven hyphae. Hyphal terminations near the pileus margin thin-walled, often flexuous, sometimes forked; terminal cells 15.0–39.5 × 2.5–4.0 μm, subcylindrical, apically attenuated or constricted. Hyphal terminations near the pileus centre similar to those near the margin; terminal cells 15.2–41.4 × 2.2–3.0 μm, subcylindrical, apically attenuated or constricted. Pileocystidia near the pileus margin 18.0–72.5 × 2.5–4.5 μm, cylindrical or clavate, apically obtuse or acute, often with a papilla, thin-walled; contents granular, turning greyish-black in sulphovanillin. Pileocystidia near the pileus centre 16.0–81.5 × 3.0–5.0 μm, cylindrical or clavate, apically obtuse or acute, often with a papilla, thin-walled; contents granular, turning greyish-black in sulphovanillin. Cystidioid hyphae in pileipellis and context with granulose or heteromorphous contents; oleiferous hyphae in subpellis with refractive contents.
Habitat.
Mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest dominated by Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Theaceae, and Fagaceae.
Additional specimens examined.
China • Fujian Province: Nanping City, Guangze County, Wuyishan, Lingxiaxi, 27°32'39"N, 117°28'09"E, alt. 402 m, 7 June 2022, Jun-Qing Yan and Lin-Gen Chen, HFJAU 3581; • Nanping City, Shaowu City, Wuyishan, Longhu Logging Camp, 27°32'16"N, 117°30'47"E, alt. 478 m, 9 May 2023, Hui Zeng, Zhi-Heng Zeng, Bin-Rong Ke and Cheng-Feng Nie, HFJAU 4761.
Notes.
Based on characteristics such as small to medium-sized basidiomata, a reddish-grey to purplish-brown pileus, the presence of lamellulae, basidiospores with an inamyloid suprahilar plage, a pileipellis that is metachromatic in cresyl blue, and the presence of unicellular pileocystidia, this species is assigned to subgenus Heterophyllidiae subsection Cyanoxanthinae. Phylogenetically, this species shares the highest ITS sequence similarity (95 % – 97 %) with R. perviridis Y. L. Chen, B. Chen & J. F. Liang, R. cyanoxantha (Schaeff.) Fr., and R. nigrovirens Q. Zhao, Y. K. Li & J. F. Liang. Its LSU sequence shares similarities in the range of 96 % – 98 % with R. lotus F. Li, R. sublaevis (Buyck) Buyck, and R. vesca Fr. However, R. perviridis has a greyish-green to dark green pileus, frequently forked lamellae, and partially reticulate spore ornamentation (Chen et al. 2024 a). Russula cyanoxantha has a greenish-purple pileus and longer cylindrical hymenial cystidia (up to 100 μm) (Bon 1988; Sarnari 1998). Russula nigrovirens has a dark green pileus with the surface cracking into small patches and shorter cheilocystidia (up to 55.0 μm) (Zhao et al. 2015). Russula lotus features a pinkish pileus, completely isolated spore warts without connections, and wider pleurocystidia (up to 16.0 μm) (Li and Deng 2018). Russula sublaevis has a yellow pileus, nearly smooth spore ornamentation, and wider pleurocystidia (up to 13.0 μm) (Manz et al. 2025). Russula vesca has a pale purplish-flesh or wine-brown pileus, forked lamellae, and subfusiform or subclavate pileocystidia (Sarnari 1998).
Morphologically, only R. purpureorosea Yu Song, R. phloginea J. Song & Jun F. Liang, and R. lavandula Y. L. Chen are quite similar to this species, as all share purplish pileus tones, spore ornamentation height not exceeding 0.6 μm, and clavate or fusiform hymenial cystidia. However, R. purpureorosea has intervenose lamellae, longer cheilocystidia (up to 95 μm), and shorter terminal cells at the pileus centre (6.5–15.5 μm) (Song 2022). Russula phloginea features small white crust-like spots or saddle-brown thin scales on the pileus surface, frequently forked lamellae near the stipe, and often moniliform pileocystidia (Song et al. 2019). Russula lavandula has a yellow centre on the pileus, a pale-yellow tinge at the stipe base, and shorter hymenial cystidia (up to 64.5 μm) (Chen et al. 2024 a).
Publication Date: 2026-06-23