A new species of Hericium from Sikkim Himalaya (India)

Hericium bharengense is described as new to science from subtropical to temperate forests in the West district of Sikkim. The intricate hymenophoral branching pattern, presence of moderately long spines, size and ornamentation pattern of basidiospores separate it from the allied species H. abietis, H. coralloides and H. erinaceus. Its phylogenetic position within the genus Hericium is supported by rDNA sequences in the ITS gene region. Macro- and micromorphological characters are described and illustrated; its relations to other allied species are discussed.