MONTAGNEA HAUSSKNECHTII RAB. (PODAXALES) A RARE AGARICOID FUNGUS: FIRST RECORD FROM BRAZIL1

(Montagnea haussknechtii Rab. (Podaxales) a rare agaricoid fungus: first record from Brazil). This xerophilic species is recorded for the first time from Brazil, found on sandy soil from cerrado of the State of São Paulo. A description of the macro and microscopic features from mature basidiomata is given. Pictures of the spores under the scanning electron microscope are added.


Introduction
The genus Montagnea was established by E. M. Fries (1836) in honor to the French mycologist C. Montagne, who had initially sent the dried material, which served as the basis for the generic description.This genus is mainly characterized by its agaricoid appearance with the apex of the stipe expanded into a disc from the margin of which hang the radiating, lamelloid, black, naked tramal plates.
There are not enough studies about this genus from South America; few specimens in the herbaria were not even studied.This work highlights some results for a survey of gasteroid fungi from the cerrado areas in the State of São Paulo.The aim here is to get an improved insight on this polyphiletic group, by including a detailed description of micro and macroscopic features from mature basidiomata.

Material and methods
Fieldworks have been made in the "Estação Ecológica de Jataí", located in the State of São Paulo.This area is characterized by seasonal but moderately deciduous forest, occurring in the high-altitude (520-851m), also appearing on soils of intermediate fertility.Climatic conditions are of the AW type according to Köppen System.
Fresh and dried material were prepared for examination under light microscope by removing small sections of the hymenium, and soaking them in Melzer's reagent plus 5% KOH (Singer, 1986).Color terms in parenthesis are those of Kornerup & Wanscher (1978).The material is preserved at the Herbario do Estado Maria Eneyda P. K. Fidalgo (SP).

Montagnea haussknechtii
Montagnea and the genus Gyrophragmium share superficial resemblance, such as: size, color and texture of the gills and the presence of a small volva at the base of the stipe; but they differ mainly by the gills that are lamellate and radiate in Montagnea while in Gyrophragmium the tramal plates are separated and arranged in parallel lines.
From Brazil, there was only one record for this genus: M. schuppii, given by Rick (1928;1939).M. haussknechtii and M. schuppii differ mainly by the size and color of the pileus that in M. schuppii are bigger and clear.This is the first record of Montagnea haussknechtii from Brazil.

Israel Journal of Botany 12 Israel Journal of Botany 12 Israel Journal of Botany 12 Israel Journal of Botany 12 Israel Journal of Botany 12: 147
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