125 Journal on New Biological Reports 3(2): 125 – 132 (2014) ISSN 2319 – 1104 (Online) Two new species of Panaeolus (Psathyrellaceae, Agaricales) from coprophilous habitats of Punjab, India Amandeep Kaur 1* , NS Atri 2 and Munruchi Kaur 2 1 Desh Bhagat College of Education, Bardwal–Dhuri–148024, Punjab, India. 2 Department of Botany, Punjabi University, Patiala–147002, Punjab, India. (Received on: 06 June, 2014; accepted on: 02 July, 2014) ABSTRACT Two new coprophilous species of Panaeolus, namely P. cyanoannulatus and P. lepus–stercus, of family Psathyrellaceae are described from Punjab, India. Panaeolus cyanoannulatus was collected on a mixed cow and horse dung heap from Hoshiarpur district and P. lepus–stercus was located growing scattered on rabbit pellets from Pathankot district of Punjab state in India. Panaeolus cyanoannulatus is a blue staining mushroom with annulate stipe while P. lepus–stercus is characterized by yellowish gray umbonate pileus, 2– and 4–spored basidia, limoniform hexagonal basidiospores, polymorphic chrysocystidia and absence of pileocystidia and clamp connections. In this paper, these two taxa are described, illustrated, and compared with similar species. Key Words: Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota, blue staining, mushrooms, taxonomy. INTRODUCTION The genus Panaeolus (Fr.) Quél. is represented by 15 species the world over (Kirk et al. 2008). However, MycoBank mentions 150 legitimate records of Panaeolus. The genus is characterized by carpophores which are often bluing when bruised or with age; adnexed to adnate, variegated, grayish– black lamellae; epithelial pileus cuticle and reddish brown to blackish brown spores which do not fade in concentrated sulphuric acid. From India 24 taxa are already known (Bose 1920, Pathak & Ghosh 1962, Ghosh et al. 1967, Sathe & Sasangan 1977, Sarbhoy & Daniel 1981, Natarajan & Raaman 1983, 1984, Bhide et al. 1987, Abraham 1991, Dhancholia et al. 1991, Lakhanpal 1993, 1995, Bhavani Devi 1995, Patil et al. 1995, Vrinda et al. 1999, Manimohan et al. 2007, Amandeep et al. 2013). Based on the survey conducted to various dung localities of Punjab, collections assigned to P. cyanoannulatus and P. lepus–stercus were collected and described as new species. Corresponding author: amandeepbotany75@gmail.com MATERIAL AND METHODS The materials were collected from dung localities in Punjab. The macroscopic characters pertaining to gross morphology, shape, color and size of pileus, stipe, etc. were noted down from the fresh material on the field key especially designed for the purpose (Atri et al. 2005). The color terminology used is that of Kornerup & Wanscher (1978). The specimens were hot air dried and packed in cellophane paper bags containing 1–4 dichlorobenzene. The microscopic structures were observed by cutting free hand sections after reviving a part of the dried materials in 10% KOH solution and staining the sections in 0.16% Cotton blue. Line drawings of microscopic details were drawn with the aid of Camera lucida under oil immersion lens. The collections have been deposited in the Herbarium of Botany Department, Punjabi University, Patiala (Punjab), India under PUN (Holmgren & Keuken 1974). The photographs and microscopic details are given in Figs. 1– 2 for P. cyanoannulatus and Figs. 3–4 for P. lepus–stercus.