Similiboletinus tomentopileatus gen. et sp. nov. from Tropical China, a New Boletoid Taxon Based on Morphological and Molecular Data

TL;DR

A new bolete species, Similiboletinus tomentopileatus, is described from tropical China using both physical and genetic evidence.

Contribution

The discovery and formal description of a new genus and species in the Boletaceae family from tropical China.

Findings

Phylogenetic analysis places Similiboletinus within the Suillelloideae subfamily.

Distinctive morphological features include a tomentose pileus and broadly ellipsoid basidiospores.

The species highlights the underexplored biodiversity of boletes in tropical China.

Abstract

Boletaceae, a family of profound ecological influence and economic value, has been the subject of prolific taxonomic research over the past decade, with new taxa continually being discovered. In this study, Similiboletinus tomentopileatus gen. et sp. nov., collected from a tropical region of China, is proposed based on integrative morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analyses of a multigene dataset (LSU-rpb2-tef1-α-atp6) strongly support the position of Similiboletinus within the Suillelloideae. Morphologically, it is characterized by a tomentose and yellow–brown pileus, a subdecurrent hymenophore, unchanging context when injured, a boletoid hymenophoral trama, a cutis-type pileipellis, and broadly ellipsoid to ovoid basidiospores. The identification of Similiboletinus further underscores the striking and largely unexplored diversity of Boletaceae within tropical China.

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