Cover | A new species of Conocybe
November 2025 Cover
Photograph by Mohamed N. Al-Yahya'ei
Download the high-resolution image
The photo represents the holotype collection of Conocybe salalahensis, collected by the authors during August 2022, at Dhofar region, in the city Salalah, in southern Oman.
Read the Free to Read paper in Nordic Journal of Botany, by Hussain et al. (2025): Morphology and multigene phylogeny revealed a new species and a new record of Conocybe (Bolbitiaceae) from Oman.
Abstract:
Conocybe is a large assemblage of small and delicate brown mushrooms, growing saprotrophically in roadsides, lawns, and forest floors. The delimiting characters of the genus are a conical pileus, microscopically with characteristic oil-flask shaped (lecythiform) cystidia (cells with a rounded head or capitulum and a broad base), and rusty-brown basidiospores with a prominent germ-pore. Phylogenetically, Conocybe is monophyletic in Bolbitiaceae, differentiated from its close relative Pholiotina by the absence of an annulus. In this study, a new species, Conocybe salalahensis and a new report of Conocybe karakensis are described from the Dhofar region, southern Oman. Species were described based on morphological characters of basidiomata and phylogenetic analyses of three DNA regions, including ITS, 28S and EF-1α.
Conocybe salalahensis is characterized by a broadly conical pileus with acute center, and lecythiform caulocystidia, cheilocystidia, and pileocystidia. A detailed description, photographs, illustrations, and morphological comparisons with similar species are provided. Based on the presence of lecythiform caulocystidia and phylogenetic position, the new species is hypothetically classified in C. section Conocybe. Furthermore, we also report the presence of Conocybe karakensis in Oman, extending the distribution of this species. Conocybe karakensis was previously known only from its type locality in Pakistan.
Nordic Journal of Botany—who are we?
NORDIC JOURNAL OF BOTANY: An International Journal for Botany and Mycology is an Open Access journal owned by the Nordic Society Oikos.
We are an international journal publishing research on all aspects of plant and fungal ecology, evolution, conservation, biogeography, and taxonomy. We welcome cross-disciplinary research such as plant-pollinator interactions, human-plant relations, and plant-ecosystem connections. Our scope includes algae and bryophytes and all groups of fungi. We explore trending topics in plant sciences and publish research from both established experts and early-career researchers.
Thinking about publishing with us?
NJB publishes Research Articles, Short Communications, and Review Papers
We value ethical standards in science (EDI, Open Access, waivers, accessible data and code, CRediT)
Check out NJB’s journal metrics and see our Author Guidelines
Our journals, our society—join us!
The Nordic Society Oikos engages the global scientific community through five international journals…
…and supports the national ecological societies of the five Nordic countries. Anyone worldwide can join the Nordic Society Oikos.
NSO is a home for ecologists, a nexus for knowledge, and a guiding light for ecology worldwide. We are an active network of ecologists in the Nordic region and around the globe.
Why join NSO? Membership benefits include:
Connections across a global community of ecologists and five national societies
NSO newsletters with member-only updates about Nordic ecology and society activities
Ongoing opportunities for promotion on NSO’s digital platforms and social media channels
Discounted registration for NSO’s biennial conference
Eligibility to apply for NSO Grants
Each member receives additional benefits from one of our five national societies:
Danish Oikos Society
Oikos Finland
Icelandic Ecological Society
Norwegian Ecological Society
Swedish Oikos Society
When you join NSO, you also become a member of one of our national societies. Which one? That’s up to you! Each national society provides its own benefits, including discounts to national conferences. Learn more about us at nordicsocietyoikos.org.