Mycena anoectochila sp. nov. isolated from mycorrhizal roots of Anoectochilus roxburghii from Xishuangbanna, China

During a study to isolate and identify endophytic fungi present in cortical tissues of the roots of tropical orchids of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, some white isolates were obtained from Anoectochilus roxburghii. One of them, with distinctive clamp connections, was found to belong to Mycena, Sect. Sacchariferae, and is evidently distinguished from previously described species of Mycena by clavate cheilocystidia which are covered with several to numerous ellipsoid to ovoid excrescences. A new taxon, M. anoectochila, is described and illustrated to accommodate this isolate. A sequence of symbiotic germination tests between seeds of 12 orchids and M. anoectochila demonstrated M. anoectochila was able to stimulate germination of 4 orchids, but was not effective in promoting seed germination or protocorm development in other orchids. This shows that M. anoectochila has the activity to stimulate seed germination.