Leucocoprinus beninensis Sarawi 2026, sp. nov.

Leucocoprinus beninensis Sarawi, sp. nov. (Fig. 2) HOLOTYPE. — Benin • Borgou Department, Okpara, Forêt de Okpara; on sandy soil, in woodland dominated by Isoberlinia doka Craib & Stapf and Uapaca togoensis Pax; 9°14’13.2”N, 2°43’26.4”E; 200 m alt.; 12.VI.2022; S. Sarawi, S. Badou, D. Dongnima, F. Hampe, C. Manz, B. Olou, A. Rühl SeSa113; FR-0246101, isotype: UNIPAR; GenBank PX634060 (ITS). ETYMOLOGY. — The epithet beninensis refers to Benin, the country in which the type specimens of this species were collected. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL. — Benin • Collines Department, near Kilibo; on sandy soil, in woodland dominated by Isoberlinia doka and Uapaca togoensis; 8°36’57.6”N, 2°39’54”E; 320 m alt.; 21.VI.2022; S. Sarawi, D. Dongnima, F. Hampe, C. Manz, A. Rühl SeSa186; FR-0246102; GenBank PX634061 (ITS). MYCOBANK. — MB#861479. ECOLOGY, HABITAT, AND DISTRIBUTION. — Basidiomata solitary or gregarious, pressumably saprotrophic, on soil, in woodland. Currently only known from Benin. DESCRIPTION Basidiomata small to medium sized. Pileus 5-25 mm diam., initially campanulate or hemispherical, then convex and eventually plano-convex, umbonate, pileus covered by almost erect, tomentose squamules, light reddish brown to light brown (7C2-4, D3-5, 8C2-4, D3-6), sometimes greyish-brown (7E2-3, F2-3) with a darker reddish brown to brown pileus centre (7E5- 6, 8E 4-6, F4-6), sometimes purplish-brown or grey (9E3-5, F1-5), on a slightly striate, white background. Lamellae free, moderately crowded, ventricose, 1-3 mm deep, white. Stipe 10-30 × 1-3 mm, cylindrical, equal, not bulbous at the base, smooth, white, towards the base yellowish to light brown (6A1-3; B1-2). Annulus persistent, ascending, white. Odour and taste not recorded. Basidiospores (80/2/2) (5.3–)5.8–6.4-6.9(–7.6) × (3.8–)4.1–4.3-4.5(–4.8) µm, Q = 1.33-1.69, Qav = 1.46-1.51, amygdaliform, ellipsoid to ovoid, hyaline, smooth, without germ pore, dextrinoid, non-metachromatic. Basidia (16–)17-20(–23) × (6.7–)7.6- 9.0(–10.0) µm, clavate, hyaline, with oily content, mostly 4-spored, sometimes 1- or 2-spored, with up to 5 µm long sterigmata, pseudoparaphyses absent. Lamella edge fertile, consisting of a homogeneous mixture of basidia and basidioles. Cheilocystidia absent. Pleurocystidia absent. Pileus covering a hymeniderm made up of chains of cylindrical to subglobose elements, sometimes disorderly arranged, terminal elements narrowly clavate to clavate, sometimes with acute apex, (23–)29-43(–47)×(6.5–)8.5-16.0(–20.0) µm, with pale brown to brown intracellular pigment and sometimes with encrusted brown pigments. Clamp connections absent in all parts of the basidiomata.