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Issue: Vol. 759 No. 2: 28 May 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-28
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.759.2.2
Page range: 124-140
Abstract views: 0
PDF downloaded: 0

Along the forest trails: Russula viatica sp. nov. (Russulaceae, Russulales), a new ochre-spored species of subgenus Brevipes from Kazakhstan

Institute of Zoology of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Al-Farabi Avenue 93; Almaty 050060; Kazakhstan
Fungi Basidiomycota Central Asia ITS rDNA molecular phylogeny

Abstract

The fungal biodiversity of Central Asia, particularly within the vast pine forests of Kazakhstan, remains significantly under-studied. In this study, a new species, Russula viatica (Russulaceae), is described based on morphological and molecular evidence. The specimens were collected from Pinus sylvestris forests of the Kokshetau Hills. Taxonomically, R. viatica belongs to subgenus Brevipes, subsection Pallidosporinae. The new species is distinguished by its association with pine forests, an ochre spore print (Romagnesi IIIb), and subreticulate amyloid spore ornamentation, along with characteristic dimensions of basidia and basidiospores. An integrative taxonomic approach was employed, combining detailed macro- and microscopic examinations with phylogenetic analyses of ITS rDNA sequences. The results demonstrate that R. viatica represents a genetically distinct lineage, clearly separated from known Eurasian taxa. Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided, and the phylogenetic position of the new species is discussed in the context of recent systematic revisions of the subgenus. Finally, to facilitate correct identification of similar taxa, a key to the Eurasian species of Russula subgen. Brevipes with dark spore prints is provided.

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How to Cite

Fedorenko, V.A. (2026) Along the forest trails: Russula viatica sp. nov. (Russulaceae, Russulales), a new ochre-spored species of subgenus Brevipes from Kazakhstan. Phytotaxa 759 (2): 124–140. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.759.2.2