Two new species of Geastrum (Geastraceae, Basidiomycota) found in Brazil

We have studied molecular and morphological data of Geastrum aculeatum sp. nov. and G. echinulatum sp. nov. These two species were found in Brazil’s semi-arid region and in central Amazon. It is characterized by the nature of the mycelial layer with aculeate tufts. Geastrum echinulatum differs from G. aculeatum in the size of the spores, presence of subiculum and structural details in the mycelial tufts. The phylogenetic analyses were performed through parsimony and Bayesian methods, using the atp6 and LSU regions. These analyses confirm that both species are distinctly segregated from the other Geastrum species analyzed here.