Abstract
Balsamia, a hypogeous, sequestrate genus in the
Helvellaceae, has been characterized variously as having three to eight species in North America, and these have been considered either different from or conspecific with European species. No available modern systematic treatment of
Balsamia exists to allow for accurate identification at the species level. We sequenced DNA from recent western North American
Balsamia collections, assessed relationships by sequence similarity, and identified molecular taxonomic units. From these data, we determined which matched descriptions and types of named species. ITS sequences supported 12
Balsamia species in western North America, five originally described by Harkness and Fischer and seven new species that we describe here. No sequences from Balsamia collections in western North America were nested among those of European species. We found no clear evidence for separation of
Balsamia into multiple genera.
Keywords
hypogeous fungi,
Pezizomycotina,
Pseudobalsamia,
sequestrate fungi,
truffles
Citation
Southworth, D.; Frank, J.L.; Castellano, M.A.; Smith, M.E.; Trappe, J.M. 2018. Balsamia (Sequestrate
Helvellaceae, Ascomycota) in western North America. Fungal Systematics and Evolution. 2: 11-26. https://doi.org/10.3114/fuse.2018.02.02.