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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #350531
Title: Four new species of Morchella from the Americas

Author
item BARONI, TIMOTHY - State University Of New York- College Of Environmental Science And Forestry
item BEUG, MICHAEL - Evergreen State College
item CANTRELL, SHARON - University Of Turabo
item CLEMENTS, TERRI - Collaborator
item ITURRIAGA, TERESA - University Of Illinois
item LAESSOE, THOMAS - Natural History Museum Of Denmark
item HOLGADO ROJAJS, MARIA - National University Of Saint Anthony The Abbot In Cuzco
item AGUILAR, FRANK - National University Of Saint Anthony The Abbot In Cuzco
item QUISPE, MIGUEL - National University Of Saint Anthony The Abbot In Cuzco
item LODGE, D - Us Forest Service (FS)
item O Donnell, Kerry

Submitted to: Mycologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/5/2018
Publication Date: 12/4/2018
Citation: Baroni, T.J., Beug, M.W., Cantrell, S.A., Clements, T.A., Iturriaga, T., Laessoe, T., Holgado Rojas, M.E., Aguilar, F.M., Quispe, M.O., Lodge, D.J., O'Donnell, K. 2018. Four new species of Morchella from the Americas. Mycologia. 110(6):1205-1221. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2018.1533772.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2018.1533772

Interpretive Summary: True morels (genus Morchella) are among the most intensively collected edible fungi during the span of a few short weeks each spring in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Because these gourmet fungi are in increasing demand by foodies and restaurants, commercial harvesting has become a multimillion-dollar cottage industry in North America and other regions where morels fruit abundantly. To develop science based conservation policies that help insure commercial harvesting remains sustainable, we initiated this study to increase our understanding of their genetic diversity in North and South America. Through the use of DNA data, the present study extends our knowledge of their genetic diversity and geographic distribution via the discovery of four new species from the Americas. Two of the newly discovered species are in the group of black morels. One of these was discovered on the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona and the other in the Dominican Republic. The other novel species are members of the yellow morel group. One of these is broadly distributed in the cooler cloud forests of the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Ecuador, whereas a recently discovered Peruvian species has only been collected in high altitude relic Andean forests in Peru. In addition, the European species, M. vulgaris (Pers.) Gray, was discovered in Washington State, a first record of this species in North America. These new discoveries raise the number of morel species known from the Americas to 28 and the number of morel taxa found in both Europe and the Americas from seven to eight. By providing the four newly discovered morels with scientific names, this should foster accurate communication among the diverse range of scientists (i.e., conservation biologists, biotechnologists, and foresters) who are engaged in protecting and commercializing this invaluable genetic resource.

Technical Abstract: Morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of true morels (Morchella) in North America, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru led to the discovery of four undescribed species of Morchella. Two new species in the Elata clade, one from the Dominican Republic, initially distinguished by the informal designation Mel-18, and a newly discovered sister species from northern Arizona, are now recognized. Mel-18 is described as a novel phylogenetically distinct species, M. hispaniolensis. Its sister species from Arizona is described as M. kaibabensis, also recovered as an endophyte of Rocky Mountain juniper. Two additional species in the Esculenta clade, M. peruviana discovered in Peru and M. gracilis (previously reported as Mes-14) from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Ecuador, are described as new. We also demonstrate that scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging of ascospores using rehydration/dehydration/critical point drying preparation techniques provides for enhanced resolution of spore wall surfaces, thereby increasing the number of morphological traits available to assess differences among otherwise closely related species.