Termitomyces floccosus

Pileus 5–6 cm diam., plano-convex, with a broadly conical perforatorium with obtuse apex; surface brownish orange (6C4–6C5) at center, then pale brownish grey (6C2 to 6B2 to 5A–B2), gradually slightly paler toward margin, with white, sparse, and labile floccose squamules; context white, up to 0.6 cm thick under perforatorium. Lamellae free, 2–3 mm broad, close, white (1A1) to pinkish white with age; margins fimbriate, concolorous; lamellulae in 1–2 tiers. Stipe 2–2.3 × 0.7–0.8 cm, central, subcylindrical, solid, off-white to pale grey, exannulate but more or less densely covered with greyish squamules below a narrow smooth apical. Pseudorrhiza strongly tapering; surface whitish to greyish white, longitudinally striate; context solid, fibrous. Odour slightly fragrant. Taste sweet. Spore print pinkish.

Basidiospores [48/2/1] (5.5)5.8–5.98–7.6(8.0) × (3.0)3.2–3.52–4.4 μm, Q = 1.71 ± 0.17, ovoid to ellipsoid, thin-walled, hyaline. Basidia (15.0)15.6–22.1(23.0) × (4.5)4.8–6.3(6.8) μm, clavate, sometimes flexuose, with two sterigmata. Pleurocystidia 32.0–43.2 × 6.2–6.7 μm, mostly fusiform, sometimes utriform, thin-walled, hyaline. Cheilocystidia 25.8–40.4 × 8.5–12.5 μm, mostly utriform, sometimes fusiform. Hymenophoral trama 150–200 μm wide, regular, of thin-walled and hyaline hyphae, 10.2–17.0 μm wide. Hymenial layer 200–360 μm wide. Pileipellis a cutis, 200–335 μm thick, of radially oriented hyphae, 11.0–12.7 μm wide. Pseudorrhiza context of thin-walled, hyaline hyphae, 14.0–23.0 μm wide. (Fig. 1)

MycoBank: MB 833128, Faces of Fungi: 06725

Holotype: THAILAND, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thung Song District, Tham Yai, 8°10.17’N, 99°44.31’E, 130 m a.s.l., 27 April 2019, collected by Song-Ming Tang (MFLU19-1312, holotype!).

Habitat and distribution: Gregarious on forest soil, above subterranean termitarium. Currently known only from the type locality in Thailand, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.