Amanita Sect Research Articles

Phylogenetic and morphological studies reveal large diversity and three new species in Amanita sect. Vaginatae (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from Europe

European members of the species-rich sect. Vaginatae of the genus Amanita are studied focusing on Central (Austria, Hungary, N Italy and Romania), Western (France) and North European (Norway) collections. The combination of a 4-locus (nrDNA ITS, nrDNA LSU, RPB1 and TEF1-α) molecular phylogenetic analysis and a morphological approach resulted in the discovery of three new species: Amanita deflexa and A. griseofulva from stirps Fulva and A. opaca from stirps Coryli. Furthermore, the albinotic white forms of A. griseofulva (f. albida) and A. opaca (f. cettoi) are formally named. As a result of the comprehensive taxonomic revision of Amanita sect. Vaginatae, 370 newly generated sequences are deposited to GenBank, and 17 species new to Hungary are reported. This study provides another step towards understanding the taxonomy and diversity of Amanita section Vaginatae in Europe.

Amanita vidua: A new record for Turkish Amanita Section Phalloideae based on morphological and molecular data

In the present study, fungal specimens collected from Yeşildere village in Uşak province, Türkiye were evaluated. The specimens underwent detailed examination through both mor-phological and DNA (nrITS rDNA region and TEF1a gene) sequence-based phylogenetic analysis. Based on the evaluation of micro- and macromorphological characteristics, and phylogenetic analyses, the specimen was identified as A. vidua Gasch, G. Moreno & P.-A. Moreau. This identification marks A. vidua as a new record for the Turkish Amanita section Phalloideae. The study described this newly recorded species, including specific details such as its location, habitat observations, geographical coordinates, collection date, and pho-tographs showcasing its macro and micromorphological features. Additionally, it also in-cludes illustrations of some microscopic structures of the species. The study is further en-riched with SEM images, offering a detailed view of the species characteristics, and the findings are briefly discussed.

Identification of lethal species in amanita section Phalloideae based on nucleotide signature and specific TaqMan-MGB probe and primer.

Amanita section Phalloideae consists of lethal toxic mushroom species, causing many fatal poisoning incidents worldwide. Molecular techniques of nucleotide signatures and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection could be used to develop a specific method for identifying lethal section (sect.) Phalloideae species. A comparison of 38 sequenced and 228 validated sequences from sect. Phalloideae species showed a 17-base pair nucleotide signature and an SNP site between the lethal and non-lethal species. A specific minor groove binder probe was designed based on them. The results indicated that this method exhibited excellent specificity for the lethal subgroup, good detection in samples subjected to simulated gastric digestion (60 min boiling and 120 min digestion), and a 10 pg./μL detection limit. This method enables accurate detection of target species in samples under complex conditions and can provide evidence for poisoning incidents caused by lethal sect. Phalloideae species to assist in targeted treatment strategies.

Determination of ibotenic acid and muscimol in species of the genus Amanita section Amanita from China

The genus Amanita sect. Amanita harbors approximately 150 species in the world, and 27 species have been recognized in China. Some of the species in China have continuously caused poisoning. The responsible toxins should be ibotenic acid (IBO) and muscimol (MUS). However, species of the section Amanita containing IBO and MUS and their systematic positions are unclear. In this study, the contents of IBO and MUS in 84 samples of 24 species in section Amanita were detected using UPLC‒MS/MS, and the distribution of toxin-containing species in the molecular phylogeny was analyzed by the combined (ITS, nrLSU, RPB2, TUB2 and TEF1-α) dataset using maximum likelihood (ML) analysis and Bayesian inference (BI). Our results indicated that 10 of the 24 species contained IBO and MUS ranging from 0.6125 to 32.0932 and 0.0056–5.8685 g/kg dry weight, respectively. Among these 10 species, the toxins of eight species, including Amanita altipes, A. concentrica, A. flavopantherina, A. griseopantherina, A. pseudopantherina, A. rubrovolvata, A. subglobosa and A. sychnopyramis, were detected for the first time. In addition, the IBO and MUS contents of A. subglobosa in different growth stages showed that both toxins decreased in the mature stage. The phylogenetic analysis showed that all species of sect. Amanita from China were divided into 5 groups. And IBO- and MUS-containing species were gathered in clades Ⅰ and Ⅳ, but not all of the species in the two clades contain the toxins. No presence of IBO and MUS in the species of clades Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅴ were confirmed.

Species Diversity of Amanita Section Vaginatae in Eastern China, with a Description of Four New Species.

Species of Amanita sect. Vaginatae (Fr.) Quél. are challenging to delimitate due to the morphological similarity or morphostasis among different taxa. In this study, a multi-locus (nuc rDNA region encompassing the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 with the 5.8S rDNA, the D1-D3 domains of nuc 28S rDNA, partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-a, and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II) phylogeny was employed to investigate the species diversity of the section in eastern China. Sixteen species were recognized, including four new species; namely, A. circulata, A. multicingulata, A. orientalis, and A. sinofulva. They were documented with illustrated descriptions, ecological evidence, and comparisons with similar species. A key to the species of the section from eastern China is provided.

Survey of Edible Amanita in Northern Thailand and Their Nutritional Value, Total Phenolic Content, Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities.

Edible wild mushrooms are extremely popular among consumers and are highly valued for their potential economic benefits in northern Thailand. In this present study, a total of 19 specimens of edible Amanita were collected during investigations of wild edible mushrooms in northern Thailand during the period from 2019 to 2022. Their morphological characteristics and the phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and partial large subunit (nrLSU) of ribosomal RNA, RNA polymerase II second-largest subunit (rpb2) and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef-1) indicated that the collected specimens belonged to A. hemibapha, A. pseudoprinceps, A. rubromarginata, A. subhemibapha, and Amanita section Caesareae. This is the first report of A. pseudoprinceps and A. subhemibapha from Thailand. Full descriptions, illustrations and a phylogenetic placement of all specimens collected in this study are provided. Subsequently, the nutritional composition and total phenolic content, as well as the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, of each species were investigated. The results indicate that the protein contents in both A. pseudoprinceps and A. subhemibapha were significantly higher than in A. hemibapha and A. rubromarginata. The highest total phenolic content was found in the extract of A. pseudoprinceps. In terms of antioxidant properties, the extract of A. pseudoprinceps also exhibited significantly high antioxidant activity by 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. However, the extract of A. rubromarginata had the lowest total phenolic content and level of antioxidant activity. Additionally, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity varied for different Amanita species and the highest level of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was found in the extract of A. pseudoprinceps. This study provides valuable information on the nutrient content, phenolic content and the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of edible Amanita species found in northern Thailand.

Notes on Amanita section Validae in Hainan Island, China.

Hainan is the second largest island in China with the most extensive and well-preserved tropical forests and is also the largest island of the Indo Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. It provides in situ conservation for the unique ecosystem of the island. Recent studies have shown that there are diverse fungal species in Hainan. In this study, about 40 collections of the genus Amanita have been studied based on the morphology and molecular systematics, including 35 Chinese specimens (24 from Hainan, and eleven from other regions) and three specimens from other countries (Singapore and Malaysia). In total, five new species belonging to Amanita section Validae are described: A. cacaina, A. parvigrisea, A. pseudofritillaria, A. pseudosculpta, and A. yangii. Amanita parvifritillaria is recorded for the first time in Hainan. It is also the first report of this fungus occurring, outside Yunnan Province, China. Among the five new species, two are unique in this section because of the appendiculate pileus margin and the absence of an annulus. Based on these new findings, the diagnosis of the section Validae should be slightly modified to include a few species with appendiculate margin and the lack of annulus.

Three species of Amanita section Lepidella (Amanitaceae, Agaricales) from northern Thailand

The genus Amanita, comprising three subgenera and eleven sections, is one of the most species diverse genera within the class Agaricomycetes. To date, 54 species have been validly reported from Thailand. During surveys of macro-fungi in northern Thailand in 2019 and 2020, three Amanita species were collected and identified as the members of Amanita sect. Lepidella based on morphological and molecular data. Among the three species, two species were identified as A. aureofloccosa and A. manicata and A. aureofloccosa is reported as a new record in Thailand. Interestingly, the third species was distinct from all other known species within sect. Lepidella. We describe the third species as a new species, namely A. albicarnosa. All these three taxa are documented with morphological characteristics, a phylogenetic tree, line drawings, color photographs, and comparisons with morphologically similar taxa. A distributional map of the sampling sites and a key to the Thai species of Amanita sect. Lepidella are also provided.

Historical biogeography and diversification of ringless Amanita (section Vaginatae) support an African origin and suggest niche conservatism in the Americas

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) sustain nutrient recycling in most terrestrial ecosystems, yet we know little about what major biogeographical events gave rise to present-day diversity and distribution patterns. Given the strict relationship between some ECM lineages and their hosts, geographically well-sampled phylogenies are central to understanding major evolutionary processes of fungal biodiversity patterns. Here, we focus on Amanita sect. Vaginatae to address global diversity and distribution patterns. Ancestral-state-reconstruction based on a 4-gene timetree with over 200 species supports an African origin between the late Paleocene and the early Eocene (ca. 56 Ma). Major biogeographic “out-of-Africa” events include multiple dispersal events to Southeast Asia (ca. 45–21 Ma), Madagascar (ca. 18 Ma), and the current Amazonian basin (ca. 45–36 Ma), the last two likely trans-oceanic. Later events originating in Southeast Asia involve Nearctic dispersal to North America (ca. 20–5 Ma), Oceania (Australia and New Zealand; ca. 15 Ma), and Europe (ca. 10–5 Ma). Subsequent dispersals were also inferred from Southeast Asia to East Asia (ca. 4 Ma); from North America to East Asia (ca. 11–8 Ma), Southeast Asia (ca. 19–2 Ma), Northern Andes (ca. 15 Ma), and Europe (ca. 15–2 Ma), respectively; and from the Amazon to the Caribbean region (ca. 25–20 Ma). Finally, we detected a significant increase in the net diversification rates in the branch leading to most northern temperate species in addition to higher state-dependent diversification rates in temperate lineages, consistent with previous findings. These results suggest that species of sect. Vaginatae likely have higher dispersal ability and higher adaptability to new environments, in particular compared to those of its sister clade, sect. Caesareae. Overall, the much wider distribution of A. sect. Vaginatae, from pan-tropical to pan-arctic, provides a unique window to understanding niche conservatism across a species-rich clade of ECM fungi.

Two new species of Amanita section Amanita from Central China

Two new species of Amanita section Amanita from Central China

Amanita Section Phalloideae Species in the Mediterranean Basin: Destroying Angels Reviewed.

Simple SummaryWhitish lethal species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae (‘destroying angels’) are known to be among the most poisonous fungi worldwide due to their production of amatoxins. The taxonomy of species occurring in the Mediterranean region is here revised, clarifying the identity of several names. Amanita decipiens, A. porrinensis, and A. virosa var. levipes are here considered later heterotypic synonyms of A. verna, A. phalloides, and A. amerivirosa, respectively, while a new name, A. vidua, is proposed for a spring-occurring taxon. The amatoxins and phallotoxins present in Mediterranean destroying angels were characterized, and their epidemiology discussed on the basis of the case study of available data from Spain.In Europe, amatoxin-containing mushrooms are responsible for most of the deadly poisonings caused by macrofungi. The present work presents a multidisciplinary revision of the European species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae based on morphology, phylogeny, epidemiology, and biochemistry of amatoxins and phallotoxins. Five distinct species of this section have been identified in Europe to date: A. phalloides, A. virosa, A. verna, the recently introduced North American species A. amerivirosa, and A. vidua sp. nov., which is a new name proposed for the KOH-negative Mediterranean species previously described as A. verna or A. decipiens by various authors. Epitypes or neotypes are selected for species lacking suitable reference collections, namely A. verna and A. virosa. Three additional taxa, Amanita decipiens, A. porrinensis, and A. virosa var. levipes are here considered later heterotypic synonyms of A. verna, A. phalloides, and A. amerivirosa, respectively.

Amanita pallidoverruca, a new species of Amanita section Validae from the Hengduan Mountains, southwestern China

Amanita pallidoverruca, a new species of A. sect. Validae, is described from the Hengduan Mountains, southwestern China. This species is associated with Picea trees and is characterized by a greyish brown pileus decorated with dirty white to greyish warts, non-striate and non-appendiculate pileal margin, subapical annulus with a greyish yellow to olivaceous edge, and amyloid, ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 8–10 × 6–7 μm. Phylogenetic analyses based on nrLSU, ITS, rpb2 and tef1-α indicated that it is closely related to A. excelsa. Illustrated morphological descriptions, and comparisons with closely related and similar species are provided.

Amanita sect. Phalloideae: two interesting non-lethal species from West Africa

The members of Amanita sect. Phalloideae (Fr.) Quél. are responsible for many fatalities worldwide. However, some species in this section have previously been reported as non-lethal and lacking deadly toxins. Sequences of five genes (ITS, nrLSU, RPB2, TEF1-α, TUB2) of species belonging to the section from tropical Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe were included in this study to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships among the species. The results indicated that the lethal species are in one clade (subclade I) while the non-lethal species are divided into two clades (subclades II and III) within the section. Moreover, two non-lethal species from tropical Africa, namely A. ballerinoides and A. bulbulosa are newly described based on both morphology and molecular approaches. Phylogenetically, they cluster in the same subclade III with other known non-lethal amanitas, including A. ballerina, A. chuformis, A. franzii, A. levistriata, and A. pseudogemmata. Neither amatoxins nor phallotoxins were detected in A. ballerinoides and A. bulbulosa by LC-HRMS, which agrees with their placement in the non-lethal subclade III within A. sect. Phalloideae. Finally, a key to the West African species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae is provided.

Two New Amanita Species in Section Amanita from Thailand

Based on a survey of macro-fungi in northern and northeastern Thailand, nine samples collected in 2020 are identified as Amanita and introduced here as two new species, Amanita kalasinensis and A. ravicrocina. Typical macro- and microscopical characteristics indicate that both of these two species belong to Amanita section Amanita, but differ from other currently known species. Amanita kalasinensis is characterized by having a greyish yellow pileus covering with a conical to granuliform, yellowish white volval remnant; the presence of clamps; and a broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid basidiospore. Amanita ravicrocina is characterized by having a brown to greyish orange pileus covering with a patchy, white volval remnant; a collar-like volval remnant on the stipe; and a subglobose to broadly ellipsoid basidiospore. Multi-gene phylogenetic analysis of partial nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), partial nuclear rDNA large subunit region (nrLSU), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α), and beta-tubulin gene (TUB) also revealed that positions of A. kalasinensis and A. ravicrocina are well-supported within A. section Amanita, but form distinct lineages and do not show any close relationship with any species. The detailed morphological features, line-drawing illustration, and comparison with morphological similar taxa are provided.

A new saprotrophic species of Amanita (Amanitaceae, Agaricales) from Inner Mongolia, China

A new saprotrophic species in Amanita sect. Lepidella, A. orientisororia, was discovered on lawn and sand dunes in Northeast China. This species was macroscopically characterized by a small white pileus, conical to subconical to pyramidal volval remnants on pileal surface, large broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 9–13×7–9.5 μm, and the common presence of clamps in all parts of basidiomata. It was described and compared with related species in the genus, based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic evidence inferred from sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal region (nrLSU).

Amanita annulata, a new species of Amanita section Vaginatae with an annulus from southwestern China

A species with an annulus is rare within Amanita section Vaginatae. In this study, A. annulata is proposed as a new species based on morphological and molecular evidence. It is the second annulate species of the section in China, the first being A. cingulata. The new species is found in forests dominated by Fagaceae in Yunnan Province of China. It is characterized by its large basidioma, white pileus covered with large, white, dingy yellow-tipped pyramidal warts that break off easily, a stipe with a mealy, evanescent, white annulus, the base of the stipe covered with concolorous pyramidal warts, and broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 11−15 × 9−12 μm. Moreover, it is compared with similar species, especially the annulate taxa of Amanita section Vaginatae.

Two new species of Amanita section Roanokenses with a radicating basal bulb

Two new species of Amanita section Roanokenses with a radicating basal bulb

Amanita parvirufobrunnescens (Agaricales: Amanitaceae), a new species in A. sect. Amidella from India

Amanita parvirufobrunnescens, a new species of Amanita sect. Amidella is described here based on morphological and molecular evidence. This new species is recognized by its small sized basidiomata, snow‐white pileus covered by light grey to grey to brownish volval remnants on the pileus, context turning brownish to reddish‐brown on cutting or bruising, ellipsoid to elongated basidiospores measuring 10.0–17.0 × 6.0–10.0 μm and its occurrence in coniferous forests dominated by Abies pindrow and Picea smithiana. Morphological characters and molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrLSU) data support that the present species differs from other members of A. sect. Amidella. Description, discussion, drawings, photographs and a phylogenetic framework for the new species are given.

Amanita chuformis, a new Amanita species with a marginate basal bulb.

Amanita chuformis, a new species in the A. pseudogemmata-A. ballerina subclade of Amanita section Phalloideae, is described from China with both multi-gene phylogenetic and morphological data. This species occurs in subalpine coniferous forests in southwestern China and is characterized by its brownish pileus decorated with conical to patch-like volval remnants, a slightly striate pileal margin, a marginate basal bulb, and weakly amyloid to amyloid, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 9.5-11 × 8-9.5 μm. Phylogenetic analyses based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the nuclear ribosomal RNA large subunit (nrLSU) and the genes for the polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) and for translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1α) indicate A. chuformis is close to A. pseudogemmata and A. levistriata. The new species is described, illustrated and compared with closely related and similar species.

<p align="left"><strong>A new species with pink lamellae of Amanita section <em>Caesareae</em> from China</strong></p>

Amanita fense is described and illustrated as a new species from China based on morphological and molecular evidence. This fungus is mainly distributed in the eastern, northeastern and southwestern regions of China, such as Anhui, Liaoning, and Yunnan. It is characterized by medium-sized basidiomata, a buff to cacao brown pileus with long-striate pileus margin, pinkish lamellae, and ellipsoid to elongate inamyloid spores. This is the fifth taxon with pink lamellae within Amanita section Caesareae. We provide a comparison with similar species and a key to those taxa that have pink to pinkish gills in this section.