Candolleomyces conicus Haqnawaz, Niazi & Khalid 2025, sp. nov.

Candolleomyces conicus Haqnawaz, Niazi & Khalid sp. nov. Figs 3, 4 Etymology. The species name “ conicus ” (Latin) refers to the conical pileus. Holotype. Pakistan • Punjab Province: Lahore District, University of the Punjab, (31°29'39"N, 74°18'06"E, 227 m a. s. l.), on loamy soil, rich in organic matter, under Dalbergia sissoo, 10 August 2024, Muhammad Haqnawaz, PU–08 (LAH 38582). GenBank: PV 265173 [ITS], PV 265184 [LSU], PV 357393 [tef -1α]. Diagnosis. Candolleomyces conicus is different from the closest species, C. sindhudeltae, by its relatively larger (20–90 mm diam.), conical, plane, reddish gray to light gray pileus with uplifted margins; brownish gray to dull reddish-brown lamellae, a large stipe (50–130 × 4–8 mm), a sheathing annulus with a wavy fibrillous margin, lecythiform, fusiform, tibiform cheilocystidia, and the pileipellis, a transition between hymeniderm and epithelium. Description. Pileus 20–90 mm diam., parabolic to campanulate with undulating margin in young stages, conical to campanulate than plane with uplifted and undulating margin when old; with a conical umbo, appressed scales, cracked at center, presence of veil elements; dull orange (7.5 YR 7 / 3) with grayish brown (7.5 YR 6 / 2) center when young, reddish gray (5 R 6 / 1) to light gray (10 YR 8 / 2) with dull orange (5 YR 6 / 3) center when old, with light gray (5 YR 8 / 1) squamules. Lamellae adnate, narrow to broad, even, with 3–7 tiers of lamellulae, light brownish (5 YR 7 / 1) when-young, brownish gray (5 YR 6 / 1) to dull reddish brown (2.5 YR 5 / 3) when mature. Stipe 50–130 × 4–8 mm, central, flexuous, tomentose, broad at base and narrow at apex, fibrillose, grayish white (N 8 / 0) to light gray (7.5 Y 7 / 2). Annulus sheathing, wavy and fibrillous at the margin. Basidiospores [200 / 4 / 2], (6 –) 6.5–8.5 (– 9) × (4 –) 4.5–5 (– 6) µm, Q = 1.3–1.8, Qav = 1.65, ellipsoid to amygdaliform, thick – walled, smooth, guttulate, central germ pore present, red in water. Basidia (12 –) 13–21 (– 22) × (6 –) 7–9 (– 10) µm, clavate, hyaline in water, thick – walled, smooth, with 2–4 sterigmata. Cheilocystidia (11 –) 12–49 (– 50) × (10 –) 11–44 (– 45) µm, utriform, narrowly clavate to broadly clavate, ovoid, globose to subglobose, capitate to lecythiform, cylindrical, oblong, lageniform, flexuose, fusiform, tibiform, hyaline to olive yellow in water, thick-walled. Pleurocystidia absent. Pileipellis a transition between hymeniderm and epithelium, one-layered, thin-walled, 36–60 × 29–50 µm, globose to subglobose and ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, clavate to broadly clavate, cylindrical cells, hyaline to olive yellow in water. Stipitipellis a cutis, hyphae subregular, branched 6–17 µm in diameter, thin-walled, septate, and hyaline to yellow in water. Caulocystidia (18 –) 19–39 (– 40) × (9 –) 10–15 (– 16) µm, utriform, clavate to broadly clavate, ellipsoid, oblong, hyaline to olive yellow in water. Clamp connections present in all tissues. Ecology and habitat. Terrestrial, caespitose, on loamy soil rich in organic matter, under the dead trunk of Dalbergia sissoo. Additional material examined. Pakistan • Punjab Province: Kot Addu, Pirhar Gherbi (30°32'48"N, 70°50'40"E, 136 m a. s. l.), on loamy soil, 11 Aug. 2023, Muhammad Haqnawaz, HQ–210 (LAH 38583). GenBank: PV 265174 [ITS], PV 265185 [LSU], PV 357394 [tef -1α]. Notes. According to phylogenetic analyses, the new species Candolleomyces conicus forms a separate clade from its sister species, such as C. sindhudeltae and C. undulatus. Morpho-anatomically, Candolleomyces conicus is different from C. sindhudeltae by having a plane, reddish gray pileus with uplifted margins, dull reddish-brown lamellae, a long stipe (50–130 mm length), lecythiform, and tibiform cheilocystidia. Candolleomyces sindhudeltae has an umbonate, grayish white, scalloped to cracked pileus with a decurved margin, small stipe (20–35 mm length), ovoid-pedunculate cheilocystidia (Haqnawaz et al. 2023 b). Candolleomyces undulatus has small (10–27 mm), straight shape, light purplish gray pileus with light brownish gray center, 1–3 tiers of lamellulae, light reddish gray lamellae, small stipe (15–46 × 2–4 mm), cylindrical, spherical with broad peduncle of basidia, ovoid, spheropedunculate, and globose caulocystidia (Li et al. 2025).