Clavaria lidaensis S. M. Tang & Z. L. Luo 2026, sp. nov.

Clavaria lidaensis S. M. Tang & Z. L. Luo sp. nov. Fig. 2 Chinese Name: 大理大学珊瑚菌 (Da Li Da Xue Shan Hu Jun) Etymology. The epithet “ lidaensis ” refers to the type locality, Dali University (abbreviated as “lida”), where the holotype of this species was collected. Holotype. China • Yunnan Province, Dali Autonomous Prefecture, Dali University, elev. 2,105 m, September 13, 2020, Jun He, Sj 615 (HKAS 148681). Description. Basidiomata incrustations fragile, simple, 10–30 mm tall, 1–4 mm wide, mostly solitary, rarely scattered to gregarious, mostly caespitose-connate at the base; mostly tubular with acute apex, smooth or irregularly ridged. Fertile part subcylindric to fusiform, soft yellow (# deca 86) to dark moderate orange (# af 9755), apex rounded, concolorous with fertile part, becoming dark orange (# 824725) with age. Sterile part narrow, concolorous, without tomentum or mycelial patch at the base. Context fragile, hymenium concolorous. Taste and odor were not recorded. Basidiospores (3.5 –) 4.3–6.8 (– 7.1) × (3.1 –) 3.3–4.5 (– 4.9) µm, av. 6.0 ± 0.6 × 3.8 ± 0.4 µm, thin-walled, hyaline, smooth, broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid. Basidia 30–51 × 7–8 µm, av. 38 ± 7.5 × 7.4 ± 0.5 µm, thin-walled, hyaline, clavate to subcylindrical, rarely spheropedunculate, with a clamp connection, mostly 4 – spores, rarely 2 – spores, sterigmata 5–7 µm long. Basidioles in the basidiomata middle, 21–36 × 2–7 µm, av. 31.6 ± 6.4 × 4.5 ± 1.9 µm, clavate to subcylindrical. Basidioles in the basidiomata top, 10–15 × 1–5 µm, av. 12.6 ± 1.4 × 2.5 ± 0.9 µm, flexuose, clavate or subcylindrical. Subhymenium clearly delimited from the context, composed of densely interwoven hyphae. Hyphae near subhymenium 3.4–7.6 µm wide, cylindrical to inflated, thin-walled, hyaline, parallel, without clamp connections. Hyphae distant from subhymenium 12.1–21.2 (– 30.3) µm wide, cylindrical to inflated, thin-walled, hyaline, parallel, without clamp connections. Habitat and distribution. Solitary in mixed forest dominated by Pinus sp. and various broadleaved trees; only known from Yunnan Province of Dali Autonomous Prefecture. GenBank accession numbers. ITS: HKAS 148681, PX 353115; HKAS 148682, PX 353116; LSU: HKAS 148681, PV 802692; HKAS 148682, PV 802693. Additional materials examined. China • Yunnan Province, Dali Autonomous Prefecture, Dali University, elev. 2,108 m, September 13, 2020, Jun He, Sj 617 (HKAS 148682). Notes. Clavaria lidaensis and C. amoenoides Corner, K. S. Thind & Anand are similar by yellow basidiomata. However, C. amoenoides has a larger basidiomata (10–30 vs 50–100 mm tall), and longer basidia (30–51 vs 45–60 µm long), and basidiospores 4.3–6.8 × 3.3–4.5 vs 6–9.5 × 3–4.5 µm (Roberts 2008); the ITS base differences between C. lidaensis (sj 615, holotype) and C. amoenoides (MHHNU 10551) is 15.3 % (85 / 555 bp). Phylogenetically, C. lidaensis is related to C. macounii Peck; however, C. macounii, originally distributed from Canada, has a greenish-yellow or pale-cinereous basidiomata, and smaller basidiomata (1.8–3.5 µm; Peck 1894). The ITS base difference between C. lidaensis (sj 615, holotype) and C. macounii (PK 1536) is 10.5 % (85 / 810).