A systematic revision of species of Clavariaceae (Agaricales) from the Pacific Northwest

Toyota Auditorium, Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy

The diversity of Clavariaceae has been underestimated in the Pacific Northwest of North America and thorough taxonomic revisions are much needed. Molecular methods of species recognition have not been extensively used in the Clavariaceae and are found to elucidate species level diversity, which had been previously unidentified. Several species complexes have been observed that feature high morphological and nucleotide sequence diversity. Morphological differentiation of some molecularly distinctive species is not yet possible, and cryptic species may be present. A monographic revision of the Clavariaceae in the Pacific Northwestern North America with taxonomic keys, illustrations and descriptions is being compiled and will be published pending further investigation. At present, thirty-four species in the family have been identified based on herbarium and recent field collections. Eleven of these are tentatively considered undescribed. Overall, the Pacific Northwest is represented by two species of Camarophyllopsis (one new), ten species of 8 Clavaria (one new), one species of Clavicorona, seven species of Clavulinopsis (three new), four species of Mucronella, and ten species of Ramariopsis (six new).