– A – F Lepiota punjabensis sp. nov. 

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... genus Lepiota (Pers. ex Fr.) S.F. Gray (family Agaricaceae, tribus Lepioteae) is characterized by very small to large robust carpophores, white to variously colored, convex to applanate or campanulate pileus with characteristic squamules or floccose elements over its surface; typically free and light colored gills; annular veil present on stipe; spore print white, pale or rarely pinkish; basidiospores dextrinoid, always smooth without pore, small or large, no metachromatic reaction with cresyl blue; cheilocystidia mostly present; pleurocystidia occasional or absent; clamp connections present or absent (Pegler 1977). This genus is represented by 400 species the world over (Kirk et al ., 2008). The genus Volvariella Speg (family Pluteaceae) is characterized by small to medium or large fruiting bodies; convex to expanded, dry to viscid or smooth or scaly pileus; free, pink, crowded gills; central stipe; persistent veil present as volva; spore print sordid pink to cinnamon pink; basidiospores ovoid to ellipsoid, smooth, inamyloid; hymenophoral trama convergent type; pileus surface an undifferentiated repent epicutis of radially parallel hyphae; clamp connections mostly absent (Pegler 1977). This genus is represented by 50 species the world over (Kirk et al ., 2008). Punjab is situated in the North- Western corner of India having 22 districts. North- Eastern parts of Punjab Includes mainly the six districts- Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala falling within an altitude range of 250 m to 700 m. This area is very rich in mushroom diversity, as this area falls in the foothills of Shivalik hills. During the fungal forays to various localities of North Eastern Punjab, 10 collections have been made and Lepiota punjabensis and Volvariella indica are reported as new to Science and are taxonomically described in this paper. Standard methods for collection, preservation and description of agarics were followed, using the terminology and Field key to mushroom collector given by Atri et al., (2005). The terminology used for describing the color tone of carpophores parts and spore print is after Kornerup and Wanscher (1978). The specimens were hot air dried at temperature between 45 –50 ̊C by using a specially designed wooden drier (Atri et al., 2005) using a low voltage (500 Watt) heater. Macroscopic examinations including habit, habitat, any color change on cutting or bruising, locality, field photographs, size of the carpophore etc were carried out on fresh specimens in the field. Microscopic details were studied from free hand sections mounted in 5% KOH, stained in cotton blue (0.16 g cotton blue dissolved in 100 ml lactic acid). The identified specimens have been deposited in the Herbarium, Department of Botany, Punjabi University, Patiala (Punjab) India, under the Accession No. PUN. For taxonomic treatment, Singer (1986) and Kirk et al ., (2008) have been followed. Microscopic details are shown in Figs 1 – 6. Lepiota punjabensis N.J. Kaur, M.K. Saini, N.S. Atri sp. nov. Fig. 1 (A – F); 2; 3. Mycobank no.: MB 804761 Etymology – The name of species is based on the area surveyed. Pileus 2.0 – 6.3 cm broad, convex to flattened depressed, scaly, pileal veil present; Lamellae free, crowded, trabeculate, orange white to orange gray; stipe 6 – 11.5 cm long, 0.3 – 0.7 cm broad, white (1A 1 ) changing grayish red (8C 5 ) to reddish brown (8D 6 ) on bruising; annulate, annulus single, funnel shaped; basidiospores 3.58 – 4.48 (5.37) × 2.68 – 3.58 μm; cheilocystidia 12.5 – 18 × 7.0 – 10 μm; clamp connections present. Carpophores 7.0 – 12 cm in height. Pileus 2.0 – 6.3 cm broad, convex to flattened depressed at maturity, olive yellow centre (3C 6 ); scaly, dull, grayish yellow (3B 4 ) squamulose scales present on offwhite background, more concentrated in the centre, scattered all over the surface; umbo absent; margin regular to irregular, splitting at maturity; surface moist; cuticle fully peeling; flesh upto 0.3 cm thick, offwhite changing to browing on exposure; pileal veil patch present in the centre of pileus and appendiculate veil type at the margins; taste and odour mild. Lamellae free, unequal, 4 lengths, crowded, orange white (5A 2 ) to orange gray (5B 2 ) at maturity, moderatey broad, upto 0.6 cm broad, trabeculae, forking and lamellulae present; gill edges smooth to lacerate, fragile. Stipe central, 6 – 11.5 cm long, 0.3 – 0.7 cm broad, white (1A 1 ) changing grayish red (8C 5 ) to reddish brown (8D 6 ) on bruising, equal in diameter throughout with spindle shaped swollen base, white cottony mycelial mats prominent at the base of the stipe, hollow, smooth, shining; annulate, annulus single, superior, funnel shaped when young, patchy at maturity. Spore print grayish orange (5B 3 ). Basidiospores 3.58 – 4.48 (5.37) × 2.68 – 3.58 μm (excluding apiculus), (Q=1.36), ellipsoid, double walled, granulated; apiculate, apiculus upto 0.9 μm long, mostly excentric. Basidia 10.74 – 21.48 × 5.37 – 7.16 μm clavate, half granular, 2 – 4 spored; sterigmata upto 1.8 μm long. Pleurocystidia absent; Cheilocystidia 12.5 – 18 × 7.0 – 10 μm, fusoid to ballon shaped, granular and encrustrated at apex, abundant. Gill edges heteromorphous. Carpophore context homoiomerous. Pileus cuticle cellular, each cell measuring 9. – 21 × 10 – 18 μm; context made up of upto 5.37 μm broad septate hyphae. Hymenophoral trama regular. Stipe cuticle hyphal, made up of longitudinally tangled upto 7.0 μm broad septate hyphe; context made up of upto 13 μm broad septate hyphae. Clamp connections present in stipe. Collection examined – India, Punjab, Patiala (251 m), village Bahadurgarh (30 ̊19’49.5”N to 76 ̊23’41.2” E) , growing scattered on leaf litter in a garden, 17 September 2011, Narinderjit Kaur, PUN 4688 ( Holotype ). Remarks – The macroscopic and microscopic details of the above examined collection do not match with any of Lepiota species. It is somewhat similar in its color tones, basidiospore ...