Assessment Notes

Justification

Gomphidius pseudoflavipes is a rare “Slime Spike”, known only from the type collection, made in mixed pine-true fir woods in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, USA. It is recognized by its orange-brown cap with radially arranged dark brown fibrils, slightly decurrent, well-spaced gills, bright yellow flesh in the stipe base and giant spores, up to 40 μm long. It fruits in association with (and is possibly parasitic on) a “Gastrosuillus” species (which in turn is mycorrhizal, likely with Pinus) in high elevation forests of the southern Sierra Nevada. Since this species is only known from a single collection, no genetic analysis has been done, and very little information is available regarding habitat and ecology, and consequently the impacts of potential threats are unclear. In the absence of clearer data it could potentially qualify for any category, and so it is listed as Data Deficient (DD).

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Taxonomic notes

This species was described from a single collection made in 1999, comprising of four fruiting bodies (Miller et al. 2002). Very little is known about the morphological variation or habitat associations of this species. Additional collections should be examined, and range of variation should be evaluated.

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Geographic range

Currently this species is known from a single high-elevation site in the southern Sierra Nevada of California. Surveys should be conducted in similar high elevation forests in the Sierra Nevada in an effort to identify additional localities.

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Population and Trends

Population trends are unknown. Nothing about the population trend can reasonably be inferred from the single collection (with limited habitat notes) made in 1999. It has not been collected since, but we are not aware of anybody revisiting the location looking for it.

Population Trend: unknown

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Habitat and Ecology

It is thought to be solitary or scattered in duff and soil under pine (Pinus spp.) and fir (Abies spp.). Gomphidius species in general are associated with Suillus and Rhizopogon, likely as myco-parasites of those taxa. G. pseudoflavipes was found in close proximity of an unspecified “Gastrosuillus” species. The single collection known was made during summer (early August), but it seems likely that this species could fruit from spring into fall (Siegel et al. 2019)

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Threats

More collections need to be made in order to better understand the conservation status and population trends of this species. When this species is encountered, collections with detailed habitat notes should be made. Overall the habitat has suffered prolonged droughts and decades of fire suppression, which have drastically altered the high sierra forest, leading to thicker, denser, Abies-dominated forest. As a result hotter, stand-replacing fires (rather than patchwork and understory burns) are commonplace, altering appropriate habitat drastically, and potentially making it ill-suited for this species.

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Conservation Actions

Protection of known sites from management activities is required, including logging, fuel reduction burns, or other development and disturbance. This species should also be added to the USFS sensitive species list. Targeted surveys for this species are also required, as is a better understanding of its habitat associations.

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Use and Trade

No use/trade is known.

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Source and Citation

Siegel, N. 2021. Gomphidius pseudoflavipes. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T195924355A195926024. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T195924355A195926024.en .Downloaded on 29 September 2021

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