Rare and interesting species of Psathyrella found in the Tatra National

Three species of the genus Psathyrella are described and illustrated in the paper. One of them: P. hydrophiloides is new to Poland, while two others: P. conopilus and P. murcida are new to the Polish Carpathians.


MATeRiALS AnD MeTHoDS
in a framework of the study devoted to the diversity of agarics and boletes of the Sarnia Skała massif in the Tatra National Park (Ro n i k i e r 2005) a few interesting species of Psathyrella were found.The fungi were collected during the years 2000-2003 in a beech forest of lower montane belt (Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum) of a calcareous massif of Sarnia Skała.The descriptions of macro-and microcharacters provided below are based exclusively on the collected material.References to colours in descriptions of Psathyrella conopilus and P. murcida follow k o r n e r u p and Wa n s c h e r (1965).The spores were measured in 5% koH.The spores for measurements were taken from a spore-print, from natural spore deposit present at stipe apex or only mature (the darkest) spores lying on a gill surface were measured.Drawings of microcharacters were made with the aid of drawing tube (nikon Y-iDT).All measurements were done directly through the microscope (under oil immersion objective), not from the drawings.The distribution map provided for P. conopilus is based on literature data only and includes the new locality reported in this paper.Because usually there is no description of specimens which localities are mentioned in the source literature, the information could not be verified -no herbarium material was revised.The material is deposited at the Herbarium of the W. Szafer institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, kraków (kRAM) or the Herbarium of the T. Chałubiński Museum, Zakopane (ZAMU).
specimens examineD: S Poland, the Western Tatra Mts, the Sarnia Skała massif, mouth of the Dolina Strążyska valley, orographically right side of the valley, N slopes of the Grześkówki ridge, alt.950 m a.s.l., Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum, on soil, n 49°16'43'' e 19°56'27'', 14.10.2003, leg. A. Ronikier, kRAM F-54148.notes: Psathyrella conopilus is a very remarkable fungus easy to distinguish from other species.it is characterized macroscopically by brown conical cap without red tinges, long stipe, slightly swollen at base and absence of veil.The most distinctive microscopical character is the presence of thick-walled setae in pileipellis.The species belongs to the section Subatratae (Romagn.)ex Singer and it is the only european member of this section.For the synonymy of the species see k i t s v a n Wa v e r e n ( 1985) and e n d e r l e (1992).Distribution in polanD: The species was reported from several localities in Poland (Fig. 2).The interpretation of the species in older literature is not clear.in most source data only the name of species is given, without any description of specimens.Sometimes the description is provided, but it is too short or it disagrees with the modern interpretation of the species (e.g.spores are smaller).Without revision of herbarium specimens it is not possible to verify such data.For this reasons older records (before 1945) are marked with empty circle in the map.
The locality from the Tatra Mts is the first one in the Polish Carpathians.
notes: P. hydrophiloides belongs to the section Hydrophilae Romagn.ex Singer emend.kits van Wav., for which chief characters are, among others, small, relatively pale spores and pigmented hymenophoral trama (k i t s v a n Wa v e r e n 1982).The species is very close to P. piluliformis (Bull.: Fr.) P.D.orton (=P.hydrophila (Bull.)Maire apud Maire et Werner) from which it differs by a scanty veil, solitary occurrence and a distinct germ pore in spores. in the original description k i t s v a n Wa v e r e n (1982) mentions the terrestrial habitat of the species.on the other hand, he states that specimens of Drosophila appendiculata var.piluliformis ss.Ricken described by k ü h n e r and Ro m a g n e s i (1953) belongs to the same species.Although k ü h n e r and Ro m a g n e s i (1953) did not mention the habitat of the variety, the fungus depicted in the fig.494 is presented on a piece of wood (black element at the stipe base).The specimens from the Tatra Mts. were also collected on wood.
Distribution in polanD: The species is new to Poland.

Fig. 2 .
Fig. 2. Distribution of Psathyrella conopilus in Poland; white circle -localities reported before 1945 (some of them may be doubtful), black circle -after 1945, black triangle -new locality.