Two new species of true morels from Newfoundland and Labrador: cosmopolitan Morchella eohespera and parochial M. laurentiana

Abstract

Morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of true morels (Morchella) in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador resulted in the discovery of two undescribed species in the M. elata clade that we initially distinguished by the informal designations Mel-19 and Mel-36. The latter species, also collected in New Brunswick, Canada, is hitherto known only from the St Lawrence River Basin. Mel-36 is described here as a novel, phylogenetically distinct species, M. laurentiana. Before the discovery of Mel-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Washington state it was only known from central China and central and northern Europe. Mel-19 is described here as a novel species, M. eohespera.

Keywords: Ascomycota; Morchella elata clade; Morchellaceae; Pezizales; molecular phylogenetics.