Paralepistopsis gen. nov. and Paralepista (Basidiomycota, Agaricales)

Paralepistopsis, a new genus in Agaricales, is proposed for the rare toxic species, Clitocybe amoenolens from North Africa (Morocco) and southern and southwestern Europe and C. acromelalga from Asia (Japan and South Korea). Paralepistopsis is distinguished from its allied clitocyboid genera by a Lepista flaccida-like habit, a pileipellis with diverticulate hyphae, small non-lacrymoid basidiospores with a smooth slightly cyanophilous and inamyloid wall, and the presence of toxic acromelic acids. Combined ITS-LSU sequence analyses place Paralepistopsis close to Cleistocybe and Catathelasma within the tricholomatoid clade. Our phylogenetic analysis further supports Lepista subg. Paralepista (= Lepista sect. Gilva) as an independent clitocyboid evolutionary line. We recognize the genus Paralepista, for which we propose twelve new combinations.