Confirmed presence of Clathrus columnatus Bosc (Phallales, Clathraceae) in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Abstract

In July 2022, we collected three groups of Clathrus columnatus Bosc (Clathraceae) specimens (four mature and eight immature basidiomata) from Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. We report these specimens as the first confirmed records of this species from the Galapagos Archipelago and Ecuador. We hypothesize that C. columnatus constitutes a recent introduction to the islands. We provide macro- and microscopic descriptions, including photographs of fresh and fluid-preserved basidiomata, and comments on the species’ taxonomy, ecology, and distribution.