A new species, Leucoagaricus karjaticus, was described from the tropical region of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analysis. Leucoagaricus karjaticus is characterised by its yellowish brown to reddish brown granular scales on the pileus, stipe apex exudes colourless drops, broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid to ovoid basidiospores, clavate to cylindrical, catenulate cheilocystidia with subglobose to cylindrical ante-terminal elements. Further, the molecular markers nrITS and nrLSU sequence data analyses of Leucoagaricus karjaticus with their sister taxa revealed the distinct phylogenetic position of the new species.
Keywords: Lepiotoid fungi; phylogeny; taxonomy.
2024, by The Mycological Society of Japan.