The gilled fungi and boletes of Iran: diversity, systematics, and nrDNA data

A first annotated checklist of agarics and boletes in Iran is presented based on literature and new collections. A total number of 128 new DNA sequences, obtained from the ITS region as well as the nrLSU, is provided. Based on vouchered specimens, 19 species are newly recorded from Iran, all provided with nrDNA data from basidiomata. Overall, 585 species (comprising 556 agarics and 29 bolete species) are recorded from Iran, representing 147 genera and 34 families. The order Agaricales encompasses 82% of the species. Twenty-eight species are excluded from the Iranian mycobiota. The Hyrcanian forests harbor 79% of the species, with Mazandaran being the most species-rich province in the country. The three largest genera are Russula, Cortinarius, and Inocybe. We also scrutinized the available DNA sequences of Iranian agarics and boletes deposited in public databases. It is shown that 64 species of agarics and boletes in Iran are from environmental sequences, and nine species have been retrieved as plant endophytes. In total, only 24% of Iranian species are shown to have at least one nrITS sequence in GenBank or UNITE. Our analyses reveal that 42% of records in Iran arise merely from abstracts presented at various conferences, most of which lacking sufficient characterization and are suggested to be considered tentatively. General recommendations are given to avoid dissemination of low quality and ambiguous species records. This study fills in some of the gaps in our knowledge of agarics and boletes in Iran and provides a framework for biodiversity and phylogenetic studies.