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. 2023 Jun:11:71-84.
doi: 10.3114/fuse.2023.11.06. Epub 2023 Mar 31.

Additions to the knowledge of the genus Helvella in Europe. New records and de novo description of five species from the Nordic region

I Skrede  1 , S B Løken  1 , C Mathiesen  1 , T Schumacher  1
Affiliations

Additions to the knowledge of the genus Helvella in Europe. New records and de novo description of five species from the Nordic region

I Skrede et al. Fungal Syst Evol. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Helvella is a species-rich genus, forming a large variation of astounding ascocarps in many different habitats. During the last decade, molecular markers and morphological characters have been combined to delimit and identify cryptic species in this genus. We report on a list of 54 species of Helvella s.s. in the Nordic region and describe five new species, i.e. H. bresadolae, H. convexa, H. japonica, H. nordlandica and H. oroarctica. The morphological and molecular characteristics of the new species and the emended / hypocrateriformis, / fibrosa-macropus, and / fallax-pezizoides lineages of Helvella s.s. are shortly commented upon. Further we include a discussion of the distribution of species in the Nordic region based on a large set of studied collections. The ecological versatility and variable geographic patterns of these species indicate that cryptic species may have contrasting ecology in their local habitats. Citation: Skrede I, Løken SB, Mathiesen C, Schumacher T (2023). Additions to the knowledge of the genus Helvella in Europe. New records and de novo description of five species from the Nordic region. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 11: 71-84. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2023.11.06.

Keywords: Pezizales; cryptic species; geographic distribution; molecular phylogeny; new taxa.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Map of the distribution of the species of the Helvella corium species aggregate (species defined according to Løken et al. 2020) from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Svalbard and Greenland based on the collections in the fungaria C, O, S, TRH, TROM and UPS.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Maximum likelihood tree made using the GTRCAT approximation in RAxML of new and representative species of Helvella. Dissingia confusa is used as outgroup. The tree is based on a partitioned alignment of the three molecular markers hsp, rpb2 and LSU.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Helvella nordlandica, coll. C-F-102977 – holotype; Norway, Nordland, Rana, Store Alteren, 7 Sep. 1972 leg. S. Sivertsen & H. Dissing. A. Dried specimens. B. Envelope, originally labelled Helvella cupuliformis.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Helvella oroarctica, coll. TRH-F-7436 – holotype; Norway, Troms, Storfjord, 29 Jul. 1979, leg. & det. S. Sivertsen. A. Dried specimens. B. Envelope, originally labelled Helvella rivularis. C. Coll. TROM-F-610003 – Norway, Troms og Finnmark, Målselv, Iselvdalen, Håkåfjell, 16 Aug. 2017, leg. S. Bua Løken & T. Schumacher, photo of fresh specimens in situ.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Helvella convexa, coll. UPS-F-14567 – holotype; Sweden, Gästrikland, Valbo, Lindesnäs, 10 Aug. 1957, leg. J. A. Nannfeldt. A. Dried specimens. B. Envelope, originally labelled H. atra, later annotated H. pezizoides.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Helvella japonica, coll. O-F-253389 – holotype; Japan, Honshu, Tochigi, Okunikko, Chuzenjikohan, 22 Aug. 1983, leg. T. Schumacher J33/83. A. Dried specimens. B. Vertical median section of apothecium stained in safranin – fast green.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 7.
Helvella bresadolae, coll. TROM-F-610068 – holotype; Norway, Nordland, Saltdal, Junkerdalen, 10 Aug. 2016, leg. S. Bua Løken & T. Schumacher. A. Dried specimens. B. Envelope, originally labelled Helvella sp. nov. C. Coll. S-F-126515 – Austria, Süd Tyrol, leg. G. Bresadola 1883, original envelope of collection labelled “Helvella Bresadolae Rehm nov. spec. in lett. ad Bres. 31/XII 83”, stamped MUS. BOT. STOCKH. EX HERB. REHM, collection later annotated Helvella pezizoides.
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