Scleroderma bovista Fr.

(3.1) Scleroderma bovista Fr., Systema Mycologicum (Lundae) 3(1): 48 (1829) (Fig. 17) = Scleroderma griseobrunneum Ke Wang, T.Z. Wei & P. Hong, in Wang, Liu, Liu, Hong, Wei, Wang, Phurbu, Zhou & Wei, Mycology 10.1080/21501203.2024.2392014, 19 (2024) Description:— Basidiomata small to medium-sized, 19–58 mm in diameter, 25–42 mm in height including a stipe 4–15 mm long, subglobose to tuberiform; odor indistinct; taste mild. Peridium leathery, 0.5–1 (1.5) mm thick, beach yellow (#F9F3C9) to silk brown (#CAB7AA), usually without a color change after damaged, occasionally turning reddish after damaged, with flaky to granular, light teak brown (#BCAC84) to coffee-bean brown (#483625) squamules. Gleba compact at first, becoming pulverulent, thatch yellow (#F1ECC5), flint brown (#736960) to dull black (#0B0C0E). Basal rhizomorphs moderately abundant to abundant, whitish. Basidiospores {40/4/4} (9.5) 10–16 (17) [12.33 ± 1.91, 12.50] µm in diameter including ornamentation, mostly globose, rarely subglobose, thick-walled, with reticulate ornamentation 1–2 µm high, brownish to purplish, often surrounded by remnants of placental cells. Basidia collapsed. Gleba trama composed of 2–5 μm wide, slightly thick-walled, nearly colorless to slightly brownish, compact, moderately to frequently branching, subregularly arranged to interwoven hyphae sometimes with clamp connections. Peridial squamules composed of 2–5 μm wide, slightly thick-walled, brownish, moderately compact, moderately to frequently branching, interwoven hyphae without clamp connections. Peridial trama composed of 3–6 μm wide, slightly thick-walled, nearly colorless to slightly brownish, compact, moderately to frequently branching, subregularly arranged to interwoven hyphae occasionally with clamp connections. Habits and distribution:— Gregarious, on soil, usually in subtropical forests, associated with plants of Cupressaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae, Pinaceae and Rosaceae. Currently known from Asia (China, Japan, Pakistan & South Korea), Europe (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden & UK), North America (Canada & USA), South America (Argentina, Brazil & Colombia), Africa (Cape Verde) and Oceania (New Zealand) with molecular evidence. Collections examined:— China, Hunan Province, Yueyang City, exact location unknown, May 29, 2023, Kun L. Yang, kindly donated by anonymous net friends, S2376 (HTBM0319). China, Jiangsu Province, Wuxi City, Jiangyin County, Xuxiake Town, exact location unknown, June 10, 2023, Rang Xing, Fei-Yang Chen, Kun L. Yang et al., S23115 (HTBM0358). China, Jiangsu Province, Nanjing City, Nanjing Forestry University, Central Green Land, 32°04'46''N, 118°48'34''E, elevation 10 m, June 27, 2023, Qi-Hua Xie, 23604-1-S23113 (HTBM0356). China, Jiangsu Province, Nanjing City, Xuanwu District, Zijinshan Mountain, exact location unknown, August 11, 2023, Xia Chen, Jia Y. Lin & Kun L. Yang, ChenXia530 - S23367 (HTBM1478); same location, November 18, 2023, Xia Chen & Jia Y. Lin, ChenXia722 - L23524 (HTBM1814); same location, November 19, 2023, Xia Chen & Jia Y. Lin, ChenXia830 - L23526 (HTBM1816). Notes:— As confirmed in the current phylogeny (Fig. 1), S. bovista is widely distributed across Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Oceania, and the recently described S. griseobrunneum could be a morphotype of S. bovista.