Gymnopus sinodryophilus J. J. Hu, B. Zhang & Y. Li 2025, sp. nov.

Gymnopus sinodryophilus J. J. Hu, B. Zhang & Y. Li sp. nov. Figs 2 B, 4 Etymology. Refers to the species similar to G. dryophilus. Diagnosis. [English] This species is characterized by the yellowish-white to light-brown basidiomata, arisen from coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, coralloid but inflated pileipellis elements, and a non-coralloid apex of cheilocystidia. Type. China. Jilin Province • Changchun City, Jingyue District, Mt. Lianhua, 09 August 2021, Jia-Jun Hu and Bo Zhang, ZNU-F -005 (Collection No.: Hu 809), holotype. Description. Basidiomata small to medium. Pileus 1.0– 4.4 cm in diameter, applanate-hemispheric to convex, light yellow to light brown, darker at center, brown, occasionally with brown spots, with an umbo sometimes, smooth, glabrous; margin entire, involute, yellowish white to light yellow. Context thin, fresh, white to light yellow, odorless. Stipe 1.3–8.8 cm long and 0.3–0.9 cm wide, central, clavate, light brown to brown, paler downwards, becoming light yellow to yellowish white, striped, smooth, glabrous, fistulose, fibrous. Lamellae adnexed, close to crowded, yellow to light brown, unequal. Occurrence in leaf litter in mixed forest. Basidiospores (4.0) 5.0–6.0 (6.2) × 3.0–3.8 µm, Q = (1.33) 1.39–2.00 (2.07), Qm = 1.67 ± 0.18, elliptic, hyaline, smooth, inamyloid, thin-walled. Basidia (12) 13–23 × 4–8 µm, clavate to cylindrical, 2 - or 4 - spored, hyaline, smooth, thin-walled. Cheilocystidia (11) 13–27 (31) × 3–8 µm, cylindrical to clavate, umbonate-mamiform with a short apical projection, occasionally forked, hyaline, smooth, thin-walled. Pleurocystidia and caulocystidia not observed. Pileipellis a “ dryophila - type ” cutis, (5) 7–10 (12) µm wide, hyaline, smooth, thin-walled. Clamp connections present in all tissues. Habit, habitat, and distribution. Scattered to gregarious. Saprotrophic, with humicolous habitat, found in mixed forests. So far, only known from Jilin Province, China. Other specimens examined. China. Jilin Province • Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Antu County, Erdaobaihe Town, 26 June 2021, Jia-Jun Hu and Bo Zhang, ZNU-F -006 (Collection No.: Hu 743) • Changchun City, Jingyue District, Jingyuetan National Forest Park, 08 August 2021, Jia-Jun Hu, Bo Zhang, ZNU-F -004 (Collection No.: Hu 807) • Changchun City, Jingyue District, Jingyuetan National Forest Park, 08 August 2021, Jia-Jun Hu, Bo Zhang, ZNU-F -007 (Collection No.: Hu 811) • Changchun City, Jingyue District, Jingyuetan National Forest Park, 08 August 2021, Zheng-Hao Zhang, Jia-Jun Hu, Bo Zhang, ZNU-F -008 (Collection No.: Hu 892). Note. This species is characterized by the yellowish-white to light-brown basidiomata, which arise in summer; coralloid but inflated pileipellis elements; and a non-diverticulate apex of cheilocystidia. This species is extremely similar to G. dryophilus due to the analogous morphology. However, this species differs from G. dryophilus by appearance in summer, smaller basidiospores, and the apex of cheilocystidia not being diverticulate.