Two Peziza taxa (Peziza proteana f. proteana (Boud.) Seaver and Peziza proteana f. sparassoides (Boud.) Korf) new to Iraq and bordering countries

The present study reports two Peziza taxa (Pezizaceae/Ascomycota) collected from Al-Alam province in Salahadine Governorate, North Central Iraq, namely, Peziza proteana f. proteana and P. proteana f. sparassoides. Both taxa are reported for the first time from Iraq and for the second time from Asia (including countries bordering Iraq). These two forms of P. proteana are very similar microscopically but deviate macroscopically and both are very rare in the study area. Habit, habitat, macroscopic and microscopic features and season of fruit body appearance of the two taxa are presented. Key words: Peziza, Peziza proteana f. proteana, Peziza proteana f. sparassoides, Iraq.