Taxonomy of Armillariain the Patagonian forests of Argentina

The taxonomy of Armillariain southern South America has received little attention since the work of Singer and others. In this study we examine the morphological traits and cultural features for taxa representing the lineages revealed based on molecular phylogeny, and we link them to previously described taxa based on morphology. Lineages I–IV were identified as Armillaria novaezelandiae, A. montagnei, A. umbrinobrunneacomb. nov. and A. sparreirespectively. They could be differentiated morphologically based on dimension, features of the epicutis, annulus, stipe, hymenophoral trama and flavor and characteristics in culture. Furthermore there was no evidence of host preference for the species recognized. This is the first study integrating the phylogeny and morphology of Armillariaspecies from Patagonia, and it provides a foundation for future research on these fungi in South America.