The application of Helotium to agarics. Part I. Nomenclature. Part II. Notes on selected species from Canada

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Abstract
The typification of Helotium Tode 1790, is detailed. Tode's comments in the protologue indicated that Helotium hirsutum Tode was the more important species upon which the generic description was based. The earliest explicit (lecto) typification was proposed by Fries in 1825. Fries's selection of Helotium gibbum Alb. & Schw. supports, by proxy, the acceptance of the original Helotium hirsutum as type now that both combinations are recognized as synonyms of each other. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that an attempt by Donk in 1962 to lectotypify Helotium with Helotium glabrum Tode was made arbitrarily, without direct reference to the protologue. A single recent collection is designated as neotype for both H. hirsutum and H. gibbum. Hemimycena crispula (Quél.) Singer is considered to be conspecific hence making the genus Hemimycena sensu Singer a later synonym of Helotium. Shortly after the publication of the name Helotium by Tode, the generic name was applied to both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes by Gmelin in 1792. The formal division of the genus into two, based on rules in the current code of botanical nomenclature, did not occur until 1805 when De Lamarck and De Candolle completed the process started by Persoon in 1799. The type species of Helotium Pers. apud D.L. &D.C. H. aciculare (Bull.) Pers. apud D.L. &D.C. was selected by Fries in 1818. Thirty-two new combinations are proposed in Helotium Tode for species which were mainly Hemimycena previously. Three invalid species names are validated in Helotium and two new names are proposed to avoid the creation of later homonyms. In addition, Helotium cyphelloides sp. nov. on Carex and Helotium nebulophilum sp. nov. on moss are described. Helotium substellatum (Kühner) comb. nov. is reported for the first time from North America and Helotium albicolor (A. H. Smith) comb. nov. with Helotium hirsutum for the first time in Canada. All five occur in British Columbia. Mycena litoralis A. H. Smith is considered to be a synonym of Helotium pseudocrispulum (Kühner) comb. nov. which is recognized for the first time in North America.