Lepiota varia M. L. Han, L. A. Wang & Q. An 2026, sp. nov.

Lepiota varia M. L. Han, L. A. Wang & Q. An sp. nov. Figs 2 e – h, 5 Etymology. The specific epithet varia (from varius, Latin) refers to the variable color of pileus and stipe. Holotype. China • Hebei Province, Zhangjiakou, Zhuolu County, Huangyangshan National Forest Park, 39°55'52"N, 115°07'16"E, 1,300 m asl., 6 September 2023, on ground, leg. L. A. Wang, ZL-1-59 (LFNC 0002558). Diagnosis. Similar to L. microstenospora, but differs in having a cream to flesh-pink pileus with squamules ranging from flesh-pink, brownish vinaceous to rose, smaller cheilocystidia (14–29 × 5.0–9.5 µm), and smaller terminal cells of the pileus covering (32–90 × 6.6–13.3 µm). Description. Basidiomata small, gregarious. Pileus 29–37 mm in diameter, hemi-spherical to convex, or applanate with distinct umbo; surface dull and dry, cream (4 A 2 / 3) to flesh-pink (8 A 3 / 9 A 4) covered with flesh-pink (8 A 3 / 9 A 4), brownish vinaceous (9 B 4 / C 5) to rose (13 A 4 / 5) squamules at center becoming paler toward the margin; context white (1 A 1); margin decurved becoming straight at maturity. Lamellae free, moderately close with 1–2 tiers of lamellulae, white (1 A 1), cream (4 A 2 / 3) to straw-yellow (3 A / B 3); edge fimbriate, concolorous with faces. Stipe 50–65 × 3.5–6 mm, central, cylindrical to subclavate, swelling at base, fibrillose, hollow, with rhizomorphs; surface cream (4 A 2 / 3) to clay-buff (6 D 4), covered by buff (4 A 4), flesh-pink (8 A 3 / 9 A 4) to fawn (7 D / E 4) squamules in lower half. Odor not distinctive. Basidiospores [100 / 4 / 4] (4.0 –) 5.0–6.1 (– 7.2) × (2.8 –) 3.0–4.0 (– 4.5) μm, X mm = 5.76 ± 0.67 × 3.53 ± 0.45, Q = 1.24–2.33, Qm = 1.63 ± 0.20, ellipsoid to long-ellipsoid in frontal view, oblong, sub-triangular or amygdaliform in side view, with truncate to spurred base, thick-walled (0.3–0.5 µm), smooth, hyaline, dextrinoid, congophilous, cyanophilic, not metachromatic, with granular contents, without suprahilar depression and germpore. Basidia 19–41 × 5–10 μm, thin-walled, frequently 4 - spored, rarely 2 - spored, clavate to broadly clavate, with granular content, hyaline in KOH; sterigmata up to 2.5 µm long. Lamellar trama subregular; hyphae 1.2–3.0 µm wide, hyaline, thick-walled. Cheilocystidia 14–29 × 5.0–9.5 µm, narrowly clavate to clavate, hyaline, thin-walled. Pleurocystidia absent. Pileal trama interwoven, composed of slightly inflated, septate, 3.0–4.3 µm wide, thick-walled to solid, hyaline hyphae. Pileus covering a trichoderm composed of hyphae 1.5–3.2 μm wide, thick-walled, terminal elements erect, narrowly clavate to subcylindrical, 32–90 × 6.6–13.3 μm, normally with rounded apex, rarely with tapered apex, thick-walled to solid, with or without clamp connections, containing pale yellowish intracellular pigments. Stipe covering a cutis made up of hyphae 1.5–3.5 μm wide, parallel, compactly arranged, thick-walled to solid; terminal elements narrowly clavate, with rounded apex or tapering apex, 43–134.1 × 5.8–12.1 μm, containing grayish yellow intracellular pigments. Clamp connections present in all parts of basidiomata. Habitat and distribution. Solitary on the ground in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests dominated by Quercus spp., Betula platyphylla, Larix principis-rupprechtii, and Pinus tabuliformis, Hebei province, China. Additional specimens examined (paratypes). China • Hebei Province, Zhangjiakou, Zhuolu County, Huangyangshan National Forest Park, 39°54'44.11"N, 115°07'22.19"E, 1,300 m asl., 6 September 2023, on ground, leg. L. A. Wang, ZL-2-66 (LFNC 0002559); • Yu County, Xiaowutai National Nature Reserve, 39°53'51"N, 114°59'18"E, 1,350 m asl., 7 September 2023, on ground, leg. X. Zhao, YX-2-18 (LFNC 0002560); • Zunhua, Dangyu Town, Yanjiayu village, 40°11'44.38"N, 117°57'47.56"E, 310 m asl., 5 August 2023, on ground, leg. X. Zhao, QA-33 (LFNC 0002561). Notes. Phylogenetic analyses place L. varia in a well-supported clade in sect. Stenosporae, close to L. citrophylla (Berk. & Broome) Sacc. and L. flavonigrescens Sarawi & Reschke (Fig. 1). Morphologically, L. citrophylla and L. flavonigrescens are distinguished by larger basidiospores (L. citrophylla: 6.0–8.5 × 3.8–4.3 µm, Sysouphanthong et al. 2011; L. flavonigrescens: 6.7–7.9 × 3.0–3.6 µm, Sarawi et al. 2025 b). Lepiota aureofulvella and L. boudieri possess basidiospores similar to those of L. varia; however, they differ in having a darker-colored pileus surface, a cutis-like pileus covering, and an annulus (Sysouphanthong et al. 2011; Liang 2016). Several recently described species in sect. Stenosporae (Suppl. material 2), L. hongshiensis, L. microstenospora, L. brunneoolivacea, and L. flavostipitata, share similar basidiospore dimensions and shapes with L. varia; however, they differ in pileus coloration and micromorphological features. Lepiota hongshiensis is distinguished by its white pileus with grayish-yellow to olive-brown squamules and undifferentiated cheilocystidia; L. microstenospora is characterized by light orange to brownish-orange squamules and larger cheilocystidia (23–38 × 5–9 µm) and terminal cells of the pileus covering (89–247 × 6–15 µm) (Zhou and Bau 2026). Lepiota brunneoolivacea has a light yellowish-brown to dark yellow pileus, whereas L. flavostipitata features a white pileus covered with light orange to reddish-brown or brown squamules (Sarawi et al. 2025 b).