Tuber elevatireticulatum sp. nov., a new species of whitish truffle from Taiwan.

Background: There are estimated 180-220 species of Tuber described in the world, but the diversity of the genus in Taiwan is poorly known, with only two species recorded, i.e., Tuber formosanum and T. furfuraceum. During our survey of hypogenous fungi in Taiwan, a whitish truffle belongs to Puberulum clade was collected from roots of Keteleeria fortunei var. cyclolepis in central Taiwan and appeared to differ from the two recorded species.

Results: The whitish truffle is herein described as a new species Tuber elevatireticulatum, which is distinguished from closely resembled Asian whitish truffles species like Tuber thailandicum, T. panzhihuanense, T. latisporum and T. sinopuberulum by the association with Keteleeria host, small light brown ascocarps with a dark brown gleba, dark brownish and elliptical ascospores ornamented with a prominently raised alveolate reticulum. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of both ITS and LSU loci clearly supports T. elevatireticulatum as a new species without any significant incongruence.

Conclusions: The whitish truffle is herein described as a new species T. elevatireticulatum based on the evidence from morphology and DNA sequences. T. elevatireticulatum is the first scientific record of whitish truffle in Taiwan.