Not a Lycogala? Investigating the holotype of Lycogala fuscoviolaceum

The myxomycete Lycogala fuscoviolaceum was described by P. Onsberg in 1972 based on a single specimen collected in Nepal. The status of this species remains ambiguous, as no additional findings have been reported since its description. In this study, we re-examined the holotype stored in Copenhagen to determine the true systematic position of L. fuscoviolaceum. Morphological observations revealed features inconsistent with Lycogala, including the dense, cartilaginous cortex, the pseudocapillitium forming vertical bundles, and the thick-walled spores with elongated pore. These characteristics suggest that L. fuscoviolaceum is either a member of the family Reticulariaceae, possibly related to Reticularia or Siphoptychium, or it is not a myxomycete at all. Cross-sections of the cortical structures of L. fuscoviolaceum revealed the presence of cell-like elements arranged in distinct layers. Such elements were absent in Reticularia splendens, Siphoptychium reticulatum, and S. violaceum, but present in L. flavofuscum. Attempts to obtain molecular data from the holotype of L. fuscoviolaceum, including high-throughput sequencing of short fragments, were unsuccessful due to DNA degradation. New findings are required to clarify the taxonomic position of the species.