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

Clavaria minirubella S. M. Tang & Z. L. Luo sp. nov. Fig. 3 Chinese Name: 小红珊瑚菌 (Xiao Hong Shan Hu Jun) Etymology. The species epithet “minirubella” refers to the small and red basidiomata. Holotype. China • Yunnan Province, Dali Autonomous Prefecture, Dali University, elev. 2,005 m, September 13, 2020, Jun He, Sj 619 (HKAS 148689). Description. Basidiomata fragile, simple, 10–20 mm tall, 1–3 mm wide, mostly solitary, rarely scattered to gregarious; mostly tubular with obtuse apex, smooth. Fertile part subcylindric to fusiform, dark red (# 99302 d), apex rounded, concolorous with fertile part. Sterile part narrow, slightly dark moderate red (# a 95 a 51), without tomentum or mycelial patch at the base. Context fragile, hymenium concolorous. Taste and odor were not recorded. Basidiospores (4.1 –) 5.1–6.8 (– 7.1) × (2.7 –) 2.9–3.6 (– 3.9) µm, av. 5.4 ± 0.4 × 3.3 ± 0.2 µm, thin-walled, hyaline, smooth, broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid. Basidia 31–41 × 6–7 µm, av. 35 ± 4.8 × 6.5 ± 0.5 µm, thin-walled, hyaline, clavate to subcylindrical, with a clamp connection, 4 – spores, sterigmata 1–3 µm long. Basidioles in the basidiomata middle, 22–33 × 3–6 µm, av. 28.3 ± 3.9 × 4.2 ± 0.7 µm, clavate to subcylindrical. Basidioles in the basidiomata top, 10–20 × 1–4 µm, av. 15.3 ± 1.2 × 2.8 ± 0.5 µm, mostly flexuose, rarely clavate. Subhymenium clearly delimited from the context, composed of densely interwoven hyphae. Hyphae near subhymenium 2.8–7.6 µm wide, cylindrical to inflated, thin-walled, hyaline, parallel, without clamp connections. Hyphae distant from subhymenium 7.2–12.1 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 148689, PX 353114; HKAS 148690, PX 353113; LSU: HKAS 148689, PV 802694; HKAS 148690, PV 802695. Additional materials examined. China • Yunnan Province, Dali Autonomous Prefecture, Dali University, elev. 2,005 m, September 13, 2020, Jun He, Sj 620 (HKAS 148690). Notes. Our multi-locus phylogenetic analysis indicates that C. minirubella is related to C. salentina Agnello & Baglivo. However, C. salentina is originally distributed from Italy, and the ITS base difference between the specimen C. salentina (AMB _010297) and C. minirubella (sj 619, holotype) is 12.0 % (98 / 814). Morphologically, Clavaria minirubella can be easily confused with Clavulinopsis sulcata Overeem because of its strong orange basidiomata (van Overeem 1923). However, the ITS base difference between the specimen C. minirubella (sj 619, holotype) and Clavulinopsis sulcata (PDD _111965) is 31.8 % (205 / 644), thus they are considered to be separate genera.