Coprinopsis aesontiensis explained

Coprinopsis aesontiensis is a species of mushroom producing fungus in the family Psathyrellaceae.^{[1] [2]}

Taxonomy

It was first described in 2016 by the Italian mycologists Andreas Melzer, Giuliano Ferisin & Francesco Dovana and classified as Coprinopsis aesontiensis based on DNA analysis.^[3]

Description

Coprinopsis aesontiensis is a small grey mushroom found rarely in North Eastern Italy.

Cap: Up to 30mm wide by 20mm tall. Campanulate (bell shaped) or conical. Grey with small white tufts or powdery scales. Gills: Start white maturing to dark brown. Crowded. Stem: 60-80mm long and 6-8mm in diameter. Slightly bulbous base. White with small hairs or downy tufts. Spores: Ellipsoid with a germ pore. 9.6-10.6 x 5-6 μm. Taste: Indistinct. Smell: Indistinct.

Habitat and distribution

The species was discovered in the North Eastern Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy which borders Austria and Slovenia. Its distribution remains unclear.

Etymology

The specific epithet aesontiensis is named for the Aesontius river,^[4] a historical name for the Isonzo river in Slovenia.

Similar species

DNA analysis shows that Coprinopsis pulchricaerulea is closely related. However this species has a blue cap as opposed to grey and is found in the subtropical rainforests of Australia.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mycobank Database - Coprinopsis aesontiensis .
2. Web site: Melzer . Andreas . Ferisin . Giuliano . Dovana . Francesco . January 2016 . 2016 . COPRINOPSIS AESONTIENSIS, a new SpecieS found in Friuli Venezia Giulia, ital . January 2016.
3. Web site: Species Fungorum - Coprinopsis aesontiensis A. Melzer, Ferisin & Dovana, Micol. Veg. Medit. 31(2): 124 (2017) . 2022-07-17 . www.speciesfungorum.org.
4. Web site: Bender . H. . 2020-12-14 . G. Moosbauer, R. Talbert, Sean Gillies, M. Puhane, Ryan Horne, Jeffrey Becker . Aesontius (river): a Pleiades place resource . 2022-07-17 . Pleiades: a gazetteer of past places . en.
5. Web site: Lebel . Teresa . Davoodian . N. . Bloomfield . M.C. . Syme . K. . March 2022 . 2022 . A mixed bag of sequestrate fungi from five different families: Boletaceae, Russulaceae, Psathyrellaceae, Strophariaceae, and Hysterangiaceae . Board of the Botanic Gardens & State Herbarium (Adelaide, South Australia) . 50–54 . March 2022.