Leptonia is a subgenus of fungi in the genus Entoloma. Called pinkgills in English, basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are agaricoid, mostly (but not always) mycenoid (like species of Mycena) with slender stems.[1] All have salmon-pink basidiospores which colour the gills at maturity and are angular (polyhedral) under a microscope. Recent DNA evidence has shown that at least 12 species belong in Leptonia in temperate Europe and Asia.[1]

Leptonia
Entoloma (Leptonia) dichroa, Czech Republic
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Entolomataceae
Genus: Entoloma
Subgenus: Leptonia
(Fr.) Noordel. (1981)
Type species
Leptonia euchroa
(Pers.) P.Kumm. (1871)
Synonyms

Agaricus trib. Leptonia Fr. (1821)
Leptonia (Fr.) P.Kumm. (1871)

Taxonomy

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Leptonia was introduced in 1821 by the Swedish mycologist Elias Magnus Fries as a "tribe" of Agaricus comprising small, slender agarics with convex to flat caps and pink spores.[2] In 1871 German mycologist Paul Kummer raised the tribe to genus level.[3]

Recent molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has shown that Leptonia, as previously defined, was paraphyletic (an artificial grouping).[4] By excluding species unrelated to the type, however, Leptonia has been redefined as a monophyletic (natural) grouping.[1] In this new sense, Leptonia has so far been treated as a subgenus of Entoloma.[1]

The redefined Leptonia is substantially smaller than before and excludes Entoloma cyanulum, Entoloma serrulatum, and related species (now placed in subgenus Cyanula), Entoloma cocles and related species (now placed in subgenus Griseorubida), and Entoloma watsonii and related species (now placed in subgenus Rhamphocystotae).[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Morozova O, Noordeloos M, Vila J (2014). "Entoloma subgenus Leptonia in boreal-temperate Eurasia: Towards a phylogenetic species concept" (PDF). Persoonia. 32: 141–169. doi:10.3767/003158514X681774. PMC 4150075. PMID 25264388.
  2. ^ Fries EM. (1821). Systema Mycologicum (in Latin). Vol. 1. Lundin, Sweden: Ex Officina Berlingiana. pp. 10, 207.
  3. ^ Kummer, Paul (1871). Der Führer in die Pilzkunde : Anleitung zum methodischen, leichten und sichern Bestimmen der in Deutschland vorkommenden Pilze : mit Ausnahme der Schimmel- und allzu winzigen Schleim- und Kern-Pilzchen. Zerbst: Verlag von E. Luppe's Buchhandlung. pp. 94–97.
  4. ^ Co-David D, Langeveld D, Noordeloos ME (2009). "Molecular phylogeny and spore evolution of Entolomataceae" (PDF). Persoonia. 23: 147–76. doi:10.3767/003158509X480944. PMC 2802732. PMID 20198166.