Abstract
The recently revised Geastrum minimum species complex in sect. Geastrum subsect. Quadrifida revealed that the name G. minimum is a nomen ambiguum and dubium and was collectively used for at least two European species (viz. G. granulosum and G. marginatum). During the morphological revision of the Hungarian materials labelled as G. minimum, different crystal structures were found on the endoperidial body of some specimens than those of characteristic for G. granulosum and G. marginatum. These collections were exclusively found on open rocky grassy vegetation on dolomite bedrock in Hungary. Multigene phylogenetic analyses involving nrITS, nrLSU, rpb1, atp6 and tef1-α sequences of the collections with unique crystal morphology and ecology revealed that these form a distinct clade in close relationship with G. granulosum s.l. (i.e. specimens from Europe and North America). Based on molecular evidence, macro- and micromorphology as well as X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) characterisation of the mesoperidial crystals, here we propose the new species Geastrum dolomiticum.
Highlights
The worldwide distributed genus Geastrum Pers. is one of the largest genera of gasteroid fungi, encompassing ca. 130 species (He et al 2019)
The nine specimens from Hungary comprised in this study were grouped together with G. granulosum specimens collected in Europe and in the USA
Geastrum granulosum may occur in calcareous rocky grasslands, but it has a wider ecological range, most common in open sandy steppe areas
Summary
The worldwide distributed genus Geastrum Pers. is one of the largest genera of gasteroid fungi, encompassing ca. 130 species (He et al 2019). 130 species (He et al 2019). The taxonomy of Geastrum was intensively studied in the recent years and several new species were described from many parts of the world In contrast to the tropical regions, the genus Geastrum is considered as well-studied in Europe Taxonomy and systematics of European earthstars (Geastrum and Myriostoma Desv.) have been reviewed by Jeppson et al (2013), who accepted 30 Geastrum s. Zamora et al (2014) revised the section Schmidelia, and proposed Geastrum senoretiae J.C. Zamora as a new species from Spain. In a later study on phylogeny and classification of Geastrum sect. Zamora et al (2015) described three additional European species, two from Spain (G. benitoi J.C. Zamora and G. meridionale J.C. Zamora) and one from the United Kingdom (G. britannicum J.C. Zamora). Geastrum s. str. currently encompasses 34 species in Europe
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