A New Species of Sarcoscypha, S. orientalis sp. nov., and a Newly Recorded Species, S. vassiljevae, from Korea.

Abstract

Two species of Sarcoscypha, including the new species S. orientalis sp. nov. and the first Korean record of S. vassiljevae, are reported based on morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit (LSU), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) sequence data. Specimens of S. orientalis sp. nov. are morphologically similar to S. occidentalis but differ in possessing completely sessile apothecia. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that sequences previously attributed to S. occidentalis were separated into two geographically distinct clades corresponding to USA and East Asian lineages; the Korean specimens were placed within the East Asian lineage. Based on this morphological and phylogenetic evidence, the East Asian specimens are proposed as the new species, Sarcoscypha orientalis sp. nov. The remaining specimens were identified as S. vassiljevae, which is characterized by ivory to pale cream hymenial surfaces and ellipsoid ascospores containing a single large guttule. These specimens clustered with reference sequences of S. vassiljevae in the phylogenetic analyses. These findings expand the known diversity of the genus Sarcoscypha in Korea and provide new insights into the geographic differentiation and taxonomic diversity within the genus.