Leucocoprinus lilacinogranulosus ( Henn . ) Locq . in Poland

The paper presents the first finding of Leucocoprinus lilacinogranulosus in Poland, the rare, exotic fungus, sporadically found in Europe. The species was found indoors, on soil in terrarium. A description based on the specimens from Poland as well as photographs and microcharacter drawings are presented.


INTRODUCTION
The genus Leucocoprinus Pat.(Agaricales, Basidiomycota) groups the saprotrophic and terrestrial fungi, growing on soil, woodchips, wood or compost heaps.They form more or less fragile, lepiotoid to almost coprinoid basidiomata, characterized by striate pileus (at least in marginal zone), free lamellae, annulus and pale spore print.The Leucocoprinus spores are thick-walled, dextrinoid.The basidia are surrounded by pseudoparaphyses.Cheilocystidia are present, while the pleurocystidia do not occur.Clamps are absent in all parts of basidiomata (Vellinga 2001).

© The Author(s) 2014 Published by Polish Botanical Society
In 2011 Leucocoprinus lilacinogranulosus (Henn.)Locq., the species new to Poland, was found indoor, in terrarium.This paper presents the description of this interesting species based on the specimens found.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The basidiomata of L. lilacinogranulosus were studied according to standard methods used in the taxonomy of fungi.The microscopic structures were examined in dried material, mounted in Congo Red (1% in 10% ammonia solution) using Bresser Bino Researcher microscope.

© The Author(s) 2014 Published by Polish Botanical Society
The first arguments for and against the conspecifity of both species were given by Reid (1989), but the author did not present any conclusion.Bon (1993) has followed this concept and synonimised them, although he speculated that the differences in spore sizes and the presence of sclerotium (in L. lilacinogranulosus) may suggest that they are separate but close related species.Also the authors of some later crucial monographs and keys, e.g.Flora Agaricina Neerlandica (Vellinga 2001) or Röhlinge and Blätterpilze (Horak 2005) have synonymised them.Ludwig (2012b) has described L. lilacinogranulosus and separated it from L. ianthinus in discussion.This conception has also been accepted by Migliozzi (1996).The differences between these two taxa are collected in Table 1.As the molecular studies of these species have not been hitherto performed, there are no modern arguments on the thesis of their conspecifity, therefore we agree with the opinion of the mycologists, who separate this species.
There is some inconsequency in the description of L. lilacinogranulosus (and/or L. ianthinus).Reid (1989), Knudsen (1992) and Wasser (1993) have written "cheilocystida absent" while others authors of Leucocoprinus and Lepiotaceae monographs as well as mycological keys (e.g.Ludwig 2012a or Smith, Weber 1982) have reported the presence of the cheilocystidia in this species.This difference may come from the shape and character of cheilocystidia -they are well formed only in young specimens and disappear with age (Göger, Mohr 1992) and in some collections they are similar to basidioles or not distinct (Bon 1981;Canduso, Laznoni 1990).
Our collection meets better the description of L. lilacinogranulosus (Henn.)Locq.The basidiomata have a sulcate pileus margin and not dark violet colours of the cap covering.The spores are over 6 μm broad.The cheilocystidia are present in the specimens studied, but difficult to find in old basidiocarps.
Other similar species of genus Leucocoprinus, which may be confused with the fungus described here is L. cepistipes (Sow.)Pat. which differs macroscopically mainly in the colour of pileus, which has not lilaceous or purplish tinges.The microscopic differences are more pronounced -the later species has a distinct cheilocystidia with apical excrescences and different kinds of the elements of the pileus covering (veil is composed from branched, cylindrical hyphae and contains fusoid terminal elements; the subglobose elements are absent).Somewhat similar is also L. brebissonii (Godey) Locq.Its dark coloured, contrasting with background scales may fade with age and turn to purplish-brown.Hover the young basidiomata are distinctly different in colour, moreover the spores of L. brebissonii are more elongated then that of L. lilacinogranulosus and have a distinct papilla-like apex.whitish with violet base white to whitish Spores 10-13 × 7-9 μm (Hennings 1898) (7)8-10.5(11)× (5.5)6-7.5(8) μm (Ludwig 2012b) 7.5-9.75× 5-7 μm (Wasser 1993) 6.5-10 × 5.75-6.5 μm (Reid 1989) © The Author(s) 2014 Published by Polish Botanical Society Leucocoprinus ianthinus seems to be much rarer than L. lilacinogranulosus, since only a few reports on its finding have been published (see Habitat and Distribution).However, due to taxonomic subtleties and different species concept, in the case of some publication it is difficult to distinguish which of the above discussed species is mentioned, especially if the authors have not given the description and photographs of the specimens found.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION
In Europe both species have been hitherto found only indoors, in flowerpots in buildings and greenhouses or outdoor in warmer regions, but always with cultivated plants, in gardens.L. lilacinogranulosus is widespread but everywhere rare and sporadically collected.

CONCLUSIONS
The intensified import of ornamental exotic plants as well as different kinds of organic substrata for plant growing have caused expansion of some fungi, therefore much attention should be given to the species forming basidiomata in flower pots, in greenhouses and on flower-beds with ornamental plants.As shown (Desprez-Loustau 2009; Wojewoda, Karasiński 2010), some of them may spread out and acclimatize, moreover they may become invasive species.
Although Leucocoprinus lilacinogranulosus is strictly stenothermal species, and there is no information about its outdoor growing in Europe, the climate warming and natural selection may cause its acclimatization and penetration of natural © The Author(s) 2014 Published by Polish Botanical Society habitats.This species, together with the others belonging to genus Leucocoprinus, are often mentioned on the internet discussion boars of plant-keepers and gardeners.There are no premises that these species may disturb the growing of plants.The finding described in this article, on soil in terrarium without any plants, shows that it is a saprobic species, not a mycorhizal or parasitic one.
TAXONOMIC REMARKS