A New Genus of the Tulasnellaceae

The only tremellaceous fungus previously described in which the basidium is characterized by the formation of incomplete septa is Metabourdotia, found by Olive (1957) in Tahiti. During a collecting tour in Guatemala in the summer of 1963, the writer found the fungus to be described in this paper as a new genus. It is at once apparent that the new fungus and Metabourdotia are related by virtue of the incomplete septation of their basidia, but whereas Metabourdotia forms sterigmata 2 that show a close affinity with similar structures of the Tremellaceae or of the Ceratobasidiaceae, the basidia of the Guatemalan fungus produce sterigmata that are diagnostic of those found in the Tulasnellaceae. The Guatemalan collection is therefore closely identified with this family but is distinguished from all other members thereof by its partially septate basidia. A new genus is therefore proposed to accommodate it.