Ossicaulis lachnopus (Agaricales, Lyophyllaceae), a species similar to O-lignatilis, is verified by morphological and molecular methods
Abstract
Identity of Ossicaulis lachnopus and O. lignatilis was studied using both classical and molecular methods. While O. lignatilis is a well-known species, O. lachnopus is almost unknown, having been resurrected to modern mycology by M.
Contu in 2000. Based on collections from six European countries, both classical and molecular methods independently proved that the species really represent two separate entities.
They form two well-supported clades that correlate to morphologically separable groups. The most important distinguishing characters are the size of spores, especially their length, and a pileus colour.
O. lachnopus has small spores and a grey or beige-grey tinged pileus, whereas O. lignatilis has larger spores and a whitish to cream pileus, with a slight beige-greyish tinge at most. In this paper, we discuss taxonomy, ecology and distribution of both species and propose a preliminary key for their identification.