Morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses revealed Geastrum yunnanense sp. nov. (Geastrales, Basidiomycota) from Southwest China

A new species (Geastrum yunnanense) from Yunnan Province in Southwest China is described and illustrated based on morphological and molecular evidence. This species is characterized by the globular or ovate endoperidial body, shallowly saccate exoperidium, and spherical basidiospores (2.0–2.5 × 1.9–2.5 µm in diameter). Sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and large subunit (nrLSU) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) markers of the studied samples were generated, and the phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogenetic analyses inferred from ITS+nrLSU dataset indicated that G. yunnanense nested within the genus Geastrum, forming a monophyletic lineage sister to G. velutinum, and G. javanicum. A full description, illustrations, and phylogenetic analysis results for the new species are provided.