ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbe and Virus Interactions with Plants
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1540570
Additions to the Inocybe sect. Leptocybe (Agaricales) in China: new species from tropical rainforests, new geographical distributions and toxin detection
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
- 2Analysis and Test Center, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
- 3Hainan Academy of Inspection and Testing, Haikou, Hainan Province, China
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Inocybe is a cosmopolitan ectomycorrhizal genus of the family Inocybaceae. Members of the genus are considered to be a group of toxic mushrooms, linked to poisoning incidents worldwide. Clarification of the species diversity and toxin profiles within this genus is critical for both taxonomy and public health. In the present study, two newly identified species, I. bicystidiata sp. nov. and I. microcarpa sp. nov., are described based on phylogenetic analysis and morphological evidence. Phylogenetically, the two new species belong to Inocybe sect. Leptocybe. Inocybe bicystidiata is characterised by nodulose basidiospores with saddle-shaped projections and the coexistence of thick-walled pleurocystidia and thin-walled paracystidia on the lamellar side. Inocybe microcarpa is characterised by very small basidiomata, spinose basidiospores with forked projections, absence of pleurocystidia and thin-walled cheilocystidia. Ecologically, the two new species both occur in tropical rainforests dominated by Parashorea chinensis, which is considered as their presumed host. In addition, new geographic data are reported for three previously documented species of I. sect. Leptocybe, I. acutata, I. juji and I. peppa, based on newly obtained specimens. Comprehensive UPLC-MS/MS toxin screening revealed no detectable levels of muscarine, psilocybin, psilocin, bufotenine, or baeocystin in ten examined species of sect. Leptocybe. This contrasts with known toxin-producing Inocybe lineages, suggesting a divergent secondary metabolism in this clade.
Keywords: Inocybaceae, New taxa, molecular phylogeny, Taxonomy, Toxin detection
Received: 06 Dec 2024; Accepted: 28 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Wu, Zhou, Yu and Fan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yu-Ling Zhou, Hainan Academy of Inspection and Testing, Haikou, Hainan Province, China
Wen-Jie Yu, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
Yu-Guang Fan, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
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