Abstract
Molecular analysis of the genus Balsamia was conducted with ITS and 28S sequences available, including newly gained sequences from Chinese specimens. Combined with the morphological examinations, a new hypogeous species, Balsamia lishanensis was described and illustrated from North China, which is morphologically characterized by reddish brown ascomata covered with fine warts, the whitish gleba with numerous small chambers, 3–5 layers peridium with reddish brown polygonal cells and the smooth and regular ellipsoid ascospores with one large oil drop. Two species previously described as Barssia were transferred to Balsamia. Balsamia platyspora was confirmed to be in existence in China based on newly collected specimen. A key to the Chinese Balsamia species was provided.
Highlights
The genus Balsamia Vittad. (Helvellaceae, Pezizales), with B. vulgaris Vittad. as the type species, was established in the early 19th century (Vittadini 1831), usually forming ectomycorrhizae with both broad leaf and conifer trees (Southworth et al 2018; Hansen et al 2019)
Two new species of the genus Barssia have been described from China (Xu et al 2018), their taxonomic position, needs to be reassessed because Hansen et al (2019) synonymized Barssia under Balsamia based on their phylogenetic analysis from three loci (28S, RPB2, EF-1α) and morphological studies
Both the molecular analyses and morphological examinations are conducted for the Chinese samples, and our aims are:1) to illustrate the position of Chinese Balsamia species based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 28S sequences newly obtained from Chinese Balsamia collections with distinct features in this study as well as recently published and used sequences ; 2) to give a detailed characterization of a new species based on morphological features and phylogenetic evidences
Summary
The genus Balsamia Vittad. (Helvellaceae, Pezizales), with B. vulgaris Vittad. as the type species, was established in the early 19th century (Vittadini 1831), usually forming ectomycorrhizae with both broad leaf and conifer trees (Southworth et al 2018; Hansen et al 2019). Two new species of the genus Barssia have been described from China (Xu et al 2018), their taxonomic position, needs to be reassessed because Hansen et al (2019) synonymized Barssia under Balsamia based on their phylogenetic analysis from three loci (28S, RPB2, EF-1α) and morphological studies. An un-described Balsamia species is recognized when we check the specimens newly collected from north China In this paper, both the molecular analyses and morphological examinations are conducted for the Chinese samples,, and our aims are:1) to illustrate the position of Chinese Balsamia species based on ITS and 28S sequences newly obtained from Chinese Balsamia collections with distinct features in this study as well as recently published and used sequences ; 2) to give a detailed characterization of a new species based on morphological features and phylogenetic evidences
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