Newly Reported Elaphomyces Species from Kırklareli, Türkiye: A Morphological and Molecular Approach

This study aims to enhance our understanding of Elaphomyces diversity in Türkiye by combining morphological and molecular techniques to document newly discovered species. Fungal samples were collected from Kırklareli Province between October and December 2022. Their morphological characteristics were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, while molecular phylogenetic analyses of nrITS (rDNA) sequences provided complementary evidence for species identification. The research identified three new Turkish collections: Elaphomyces aculeatus, E. americanus, and E. virgatosporus, whose ITS sequences showed over 99% similarity to corresponding entries in the GenBank database. Additionally, this study provides detailed morphological descriptions, habitat information, and phylogenetic analyses.