Studies in Lepiota (Agaricales, Verrucosporaceae): supporting the merger of Chamaemyces into Lepiota and proposing two new species

2026/05/28 by Li X, Bin Chen, Guohua Qu +2 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Lichen and fungal ecology #Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions #Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases

paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/mycokeys.133.186351

openalex publication_date 2026/05/28 · openalex created_date 2026/05/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

The taxonomic status of Chamaemyces as a genus separate from Lepiota has recently been questioned, as its type species has been transferred to Lepiota , implicitly rendering the merger of Chamaemyces as a synonym without a resolved sectional assignment or morphological validation. Multilocus (ITS, LSU, rpb 2, mtSSU) phylogenetic analyses robustly place this transferred species within L. sect. Cristatae , and detailed morphological re-evaluation further supports the merger. The recently proposed seven-section classification of Lepiota is largely supported by the phylogenetic framework, which also clarifies the phylogenetic position of L. angusticystidiata . Furthermore, two novel species are described and illustrated: L. pallidovelata (sect. Lepiota ), which is characterized by whitish squamules on the pileus with veil remnants, and L. stillispora (sect. Helveolae ), distinguished by its droplet-shaped basidiospores. Both the sectional assignment and the proposal of novel species were further independently confirmed by a comprehensive ITS phylogeny of the genus. This study provides conclusive phylogenetic and morphological evidence for the prior merger and expands the known diversity of Lepiota in East Asia with two new taxa.

Citations

• Phylogenetic and taxonomic re-assessment of the genera Echinoderma and Lepiota
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• Improving phylogenetic inference of mushrooms with RPB1 and RPB2 nucleotide sequences (Inocybe; Agaricales)
• ITS primers with enhanced specificity for basidiomycetes ‐ application to the identification of mycorrhizae and rusts
• Profiling of Amatoxins and Phallotoxins in the Genus Lepiota by Liquid Chromatography Combined with UV Absorbance and Mass Spectrometry
• Multilocus phylogeny and morphology reveal two new species of Lepiota (Agaricales, Verrucosporaceae) from southwestern China

Discussions

• 🍄 The long-debated merger of the mushroom genus Chamaemyces into Lepiota has been definitively confirmed! 🔬 Additionally, two new East Asian species have been identified and described in this study [bsky, 4 points, 0 comments]

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