Mating tests in Agrocybe cylindracea sensu lato. Recognition of Agrocybe wrightii as a novel species

Mating compatibility tests among seven collections of A. cylindracea (Basidiomycetes, Agaricales) from distant geographic origins were carried out with the aim of determining if A. cylindracea includes one or more taxons from a biological perspective. Fruit body production was used to obtain spore prints, monosporic cultures and to evaluate the fructification potential of compatible crossings. Protoplast isolation, purification and regeneration were used to attempt obtaining monokaryotic isolates from 2-spored specimens. Mating tests evidenced inter-fertility of Asian, American and European strains and the inter-sterility of the Argentinean strain WT-54. These results, in addition to mitochondrial small subunit variable domains phylogeny and morphological data, lead us to consider this strain as a novel species, A. wrightii. The European, Asian and the rest of the American strains belong to A. cylindracea. The concept of A. cylindracea sensu lato includes at least two different species: A. cylindracea and A. wrightii.