Abstract
A new species, Calvatia natarajanii, is presented as well as brief notes on the distribution of Calvatia sensu stricto and Langermannia in India. Calvatia natarajanii is distinguished by basidiomes having yellowish white to orange-white exoperidium, brownish orange to grayish red, persistent endoperidium, grayish orange to brownish orange cottony gleba, persistent cellular subgleba and globose to subglobose, echinulate basidiospores. It is described, illustrated and compared with the closely related taxa C. cyathiformis, C. fragilis, C. rugosa, C. aff. rugosa, C. pyriformis, C. vinosa and C. rosacea. Maximum Parsimony analysis based on ITS sequences confirmed that C. natarajanii is closely related to C. fragilis and distinct from other morphologically similar species. In addition, a key to the species of Calvatia and Langermannia recorded in India is presented. Four species recognized under Calvatia are excluded from the key since their transfer to Lycoperdon.