New Genera of Fungi. VIII. Notes Concerning the Sections of the Genus Marasmius Fr.

Abstract

Since Kuhner's studies of the anatomy of Marasmius and the iodine reactions and the metachromatism of its tissues, a few minor additions to the knowledge of this genus have been published. Because there is only a very limited number of species of this genus in Europe, a large sample of the world flora was tested by the author of the present paper in order to find out whether Kfihner's classification-founded exclusively on European material-can serve as a basic arrangement for the species of this genus (see Lilloa 22: 321-340. 1951). The answer was affirmative, and consequently Kiihner's classification was accepted not only in the paper cited but in the Singer & Digilio Prodromo of the Argentine agaric flora (Lilloa 25: 183-217. 1952). What was added to Kuhner's scheme was merely the integration of the system by addition of such typically tropical elements as the section Apus Sacc. (strongly eccentric to lateral or pendulous species with inamyloid trama and hymeniform epicutis), the section Fusicystides Sing. (pleurotoid, with non-hymeniform epicutis and characteristic cystidia), and the section Spinosissimi Sing. (totally aberrant in basidiospore formation and covering layers) further discussed. On the other hand, several scores of species not occurring in Europe entered the existing scheme quite smoothly, and only recent special studies have revealed certain difficulties. These difficulties arise from the unsatisfactory delimitation of the sections Hygrometrici and Rotulae, and the existence of two species which do not fit in the existing set of sections: M. concolor sensu Sing. & Digilio, non Berk. (for which are proposed the new name M. neosessilis Sing.1 and the section Neosessiles Sing.2), and M. inaequalis Berk. (for which is proposed a new subsection in a forthcoming paper).