In this paper three new species of Tremellodendropsis and one new species of Guepinia from southwestern China, namely T. fusispora, T. oblongispora, T. transseptata and G. montana, are described based on morphological characteristics, molecular phylogenetic evidence and ecological traits. These species are common elements of funga in southwestern China, but were mistakenly treated as species originally described from Europe. Our data indicated that they are different from similar species of Europe or other continents, and should be treated as separate species.
Ophiocordyceps, the most prominent genus in the Ophiocordycipitaceae, is renowned for its numerous entomopathogenic species with significant medicinal value. Despite the existing descriptions of numerous species, the complete diversity of this genus remains enigmatic. In this study, four Ophiocordyceps species previously unknown in China were collected, and a comprehensive approach, including multigene phylogenetic analyses (ITS, SSU, LSU, RPB1, RPB2, and TEF1α) along with morphological assessments was employed to determine their taxonomic status. Illustrated descriptions and taxonomic discussions for these newly discovered species are provided, contributing to our understanding of the diversity within the Ophiocordyceps genus.
Huishuhua (maitake) is a macrofungus with high edible and medicinal values in China. It was commonly recognized as Grifola frondosa. A total of 45 huishuhua samples from East Asia, Europe and North America was analyzed on the basis of morphological and multi-gene phylogenetic methods. The results showed that highly supported clades of huishuhua samples were corresponding to each continent, indicating that genetic differences existed to a certain extent among strains from different regions. All huishuhua strains isolated from China nested in the East Asian clade. The European and North American clade members are not yet found in China. The East Asian huishuhua was described in Japan as G. albicans, and this has been once regarded as a synonym of G. frondosa. Because most wild and cultivated huishuhua in China has dark-colored pileus, a new form G. albicans f. huishuhua is thereby proposed. Holotype specimen and extype strain of this form are designated (voucher specimen HBAU15778, voucher strain HBAU LM502).
Phallus is one of the most important genera of macrofungi, and has important economic values and taxonomic status. China is one of the key regions of Phallus species diversity, where a quarter members of total Phallus species in the world are distributed. Phallus species reported previously in China were 32 among them, some taxa remain controversial at the taxonomic status. Based on previous research and voucher specimens, Phallus species distributed in China were reexamined, and the number of hitherto known species was affirmatively 25, including 17 with available ITS sequence and 15 with available LSU. Seven species were treated as uncertainty or unknown distribution. Our study outlined the species diversity and resources of Phallus in China, providing valuable references for Chinese researchers in taxonomic research, species identification and commercial cultivation.
Tulosesus is the second largest genus next to Coprinopsis in the number of known species of coprinoid fungi. Its main characteritics are that both the cap and the stipe present cystidiate. It is treated as an independent genus separating from Coprinellus recently, while its phylogenetic position and framework are still controversial. From 2021 to 2023, we have carried out a nationwide field research, and found more than 20 species of Tulosesus in China. In this paper, 10 species new to China are reported and illustrated with line drawings, viz. Tulosesus brevisetulosus, T. canistri, T. cinereopadillus, T. fuscocystidiatus, T. marculentus, T. pellucidus, T. plagioporus, T. sabulicola, T. sassii and T. velatopruinatus. Using ITS and LSU sequence datasets, the phylogenetic framework of this genus was inferred. The results show that Tulosesus is a monophyletic genus composed of three independent subgenus lineages. Combined with morphological characteristics, the characteristics of each lineage of this genus were preliminarily clarified.
Yunnan tropical areas of southwesten China with complex topography and diverse vegetations are endowed with abundant macrofungal resources. In this study, more than 2 100 specimens of wood-inhabiting macrofungi were collected. A total of 668 species, belonging to 245 genera, 67 families, 17 orders and 2 phyla, was identified based on morphological and molecular evidence, including 1 new family, 4 new genera and 64 new species previously published by the authors. Fourteen dominant families with more than 10 species for each family are Polyporaceae, Hymenochaetaceae, Xylariaceae, Steccherinaceae, Auriculariaceae, Hypoxylaceae, Incrustoporiaceae, Phanerochaetaceae, Meruliaceae, Mycenaceae, Fomitopsidaceae, Schizoporaceae, Stereaceae, and Dacrymycetaceae; they include 500 species, accounting for about 74.85% of the total species. There are 34 dominant genera with more that 5 species for each genus, including Hymenochaete, Xylaria, Trametes, Ganoderma, Fuscoporia, Skeletocutis and so on. They include 336 species, accounting for about 50.30% of the total species. Wood-inhabiting macrofungi of the studied areas are of typically tropical properties. There are 27 edible species, 75 medicinal species and 6 poisonous species.
Macrofungi play essential roles in ecosystems, but the seasonal dynamics of macrofunal communities in forests remain unclear. Macrofungal community componets of five forest types in different seasons in Ji’an National Nature Reserve (Jilin, China) were analyzed on the basis of collections made from 2019 to 2021. Environmental variables of selected plots in the five typical vegetation types were evaluated. In total, 1 325 specimens were identifed by using morphological and molecular biology methods, and 293 species belonging to 125 genera, 68 families, 18 orders, 6 classes, and 2 phyla were obtained. Russulaceae (37 species, 12.63% of the total), Amanitaceae (26 species, 8.87%), Tricholomataceae (20 species, 6.83%), and Boletaceae (19 species, 6.48%) were the most diverse family. Lactarius (19 species, 6.48% of the total), Amanita (16 species, 5.46%), Russula (16 species, 5.46%), and Cortinarius (14 species, 4.78%) were dominant. Diversity indices of macrofungi showed increasing trends from Pinus koraiensis forests to Quercus mongolica forests. The cumulative species richness was ranked as: Q. mongolica forest>broadleaf mixed forest>Q. mongolica and P. koraiensis mix forest (Q. mongolica as the dominant species) >P. koraiensis and Q. mongolica mix forest (P. koraiensis as the dominant species)>P. koraiensis forest. Agarics (204 species, 69.62% of the total) were the dominant group of macrofungi, and they were mainly found in Q. mongolica forest in August and influenced by soil temperature, air temperature, soil moisture, and the cover degree of Q. mongolica, especially significantly influenced by soil temperature (P<0.05). It is found that most macrofungi have a preference for forest types with a relatively high cover degree of Q. mongolica. Therefore, the deliberate protection of Q. mongolica forests is beneficial to maintaining macrofungal diversity.
The Taihang Mountains in Beijing and Hebei are one of the regions rich in biodiversity in North China, but previously only a few studies on fungal diversity were carried out in the area. A two-year survey of macrofungi was conducted, and over 1 200 specimens were collected on 40 sampling sites of 12 districts and counties in this region. A total of 345 species belonging to 2 phyla, 5 classes, 20 orders, 64 families, and 138 genera was identified on the basis of morphological observation and phylogenetic studies, of which 37 species and one variety were new records to China. Eleven families including Cortinariaceae and Russulaceae were dominant. In terms of resource value, 43 species are edible, 56 medicinal and 27 poisonous. This study provides detailed data valuable for the protection and utilization of macrofungi in this area.
Macrofungi are elements in forest ecosystem, playing an important role in the biosphere, and some species have important edible and medicinal values. Beijing Xiaolongmen National Forest Park is located in the warm temperate zone, and less studies on the diversity and funga of macrofungi in the area were carried out. The present study provides a basic knowledge on the diversity and funga of macrofungi in the forest park. A total of 208 species belonging to 126 genera, 67 families, and 14 orders was found. Among them, the dominant families are Polyporaceae and Omphalotaceae. The dominant genera are Gymnopus, Crepidotus, Hebeloma and Lactarius.
A comprehensive investigation and evaluation of the macrofungi in the western priority area of the Wuling Mountains was conducted, covering six regions including Chishui, Xishui, Wuchuan, Yinjiang, Jiangkou, and Nanchuan under jurisdiction of Chongqing. Species composition, distribution of dominant genera and species, and the current biodiversity status were analyzed. In total, 1 148 species of macrofungi were recognised, belonging to 2 phyla, 13 classes, 26 orders, 91 families, and 304 genera. Among them, 784 species were newly recorded in the western priority area of the Wuling Mountains. The dominant families were Russulaceae, Polyporaceae, Boletaceae, Agaricaceae, etc., which accounted for 81.27% of the total species; while the dominant genera were Russula, Lactarius, Amanita, Marasmius, Mycena, etc., accounting for 48.69% of the total species. The world-wide distributed and boreal-temperate distributed species were the most common in this area, with 763 and 230 species respectively, accounting for 66.46% and 20.03% of the total species. There were 93 species endemic to China, accounting for 8.1% of the total species. There were 29 species that were considered threatened, vulnerable, or near-threatened, accounting for 2.52% of the total species. This study provides reference for protection and management of ecological environment and biodiversity in the western priority area of Wuling Mountains.
The Shaluli Mountains are located in the central part of the Hengduan Mountains, southwest China. This is an area with wide ranges of altitudes and vertical distributions of vegetations. Macrofungal resources in this area are rich due to its diverse climate, varied topography, and diverse vegetation types. A three-year survey of macrofungal species diversity in the Shaluli Mountains was conducted to explore fundamental data on macrofungal resources in the region. The survey area includes eight nature reserves, and eight counties. In total, 3 633 specimens were collected. The specimens were identified by DNA barcode sequencing combined with morphological examination and phylogenesis of some taxa was analysed. In the study, 503 species were identified, and they belong to 19 orders, 73 families and 162 genera. Among them, 395 species were newly recorded in the Shaluli Mountains and 18 species were newly recorded in China. There were 14 families containing more than 10 species, including Russulaceae, Cortinariaceae, Amanitaceae, Pluteaceae, Tricholomataceae, Inocybaceae, Agaricaceae, etc. There were 18 genera containing more than 5 species, including Cortinarius, Russula, Lactarius, Amanita, Tricholoma, etc. Cosmopolitan, north temperate, and pan-tropical genera account for 56.7%, 37.6%, and 4.9% of the total number of known genera, respectively. The resource evaluation showed that 60 species were edible, 54 simultaneously edible and medicinal, 20 medicinal, and 79 poisonous, showing increase of 50, 38, 9 and 62 species, respectively as compared with the previous record. Our study provides reference material for the conservation, utilization and management of macrofungal resources in the region.
Decomposition and fire disturbance are important ecological processes in the nutrient cycle of forest litter. As decomposers, wood-inhabiting macrofungi play an irreplaceable role in nutrient cycling, soil formation and global carbon balance. Charred wood as a special ecological environment provides an unique growth environment for wood-inhabiting fungi. In this study, the species diversity, distribution characteristics and ecological habits of wood-inhabiting fungi in three burned areas in northeast China were comparatively analyzed. A total of 248 species of wood-inhabiting fungi belonging to 154 genera, 68 families, and 15 orders was obtained from the three burned areas. Of these species, 103, 126 and 148 were found in the Greater Khingan Mountains, the Lesser Khingan Mountains and the Changbai Mountains, respectively. Polyporaceae and Hymenochaetaceae are dominant, and 34 genera and 33 species are common in the three burned areas. Host preference and floristic geographical composition of wood-inhabiting fungi in the three burned areas were more or less similar and the floristic characteristics were obviously boreal. The number of common species, occasional species and rare species of wood-inhabiting fungi in the three burned areas are different, while their proportions are similar. The proportions of common, occasional and rare species are more similar in the burned areas of Greater Khingan Mountains and Lesser Khingan Mountains. It was found that fire disturbance and different restoration periods had a certain impact on the species diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi, while vegetation type and climate were the main factors affecting the floristic composition of wood-inhabiting fungi.
Spider is a general term for all species of the order Arachnoidea in the phylum Arthropoda, and the fungi parasitized spider is called araneopathogenic fungi. Spider pathogenic fungi play an irreplaceable role in continuously controlling spider populations and maintaining ecological balance, and some species are rich in various biological activities and have important economic value. In this study, classical morphological and molecular systematics classification methods were combined to identify specimens and isolated strains from various forest ecosystems based on the latest entomopathogenic fungal classification system for revealing species diversity of spider pathogenic fungi in China. More than 80 specimens of spider pathogenic fungi from all over the country are available, and 2 families, 8 genera, and 21 species are identified, including 3 new species (published elsewhere), 7 unknown species and 1 new Chinese recorded species. Among them, Purpureocillium is dominant genus, with relative abundance of 26.25%; Secondly Gibellula, with relative abundance of 20.00%. Only one species (one specimen) is found for Akanthomyces. Some Isaria-like strains were referred to Akanthomyces sp. and Samsoniella spp. Chlorocillium griseum was reported for the first time in China. According to relevant literature on spider pathogenic fungi that has been published worldwide, a total of 18 genera and 119 species has been published, and all distributed in the Hypocreales of Ascomycota. Most species belong to Cordycipitaceae, with approximately 12 genera and 106 species. A few are distributed in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae, with 4 genera and 11 species; there is only one species in Bionectiaceae, and one species in Chlorocillium that classification status is situated between Ophiocordycipitaceae and the Clavicipitaceae. No species has been discovered in Clavicipitaceae yet.
Morphological and molecular phylogenetic methods were employed to systematically identify wood-decaying fungi collected in karst areas of southwest Guangxi, and four newly recorded species of China, Rhizochaete radicata, Skeletocutis subalbomarginata, Fomitiporia ovoidospora and Megasporoporia inflata were reported. The basidiomata of R. radicata are membranous and cracked; the cystidia are fusiform and the spore is subovate to oval. The fresh fruiting bodies of S. subalbomarginata is reddish brown, with subfusiform and septate cystidium, and the spore is narrowly sausage-shaped. Basidiomata of F. ovoidospora is perennial, woody, with spindle-shaped cystidia and ovoid or rounded basidiospores. Basidiomata of M. inflata is annual and the skeletal hyphae become strongly swollen in KOH. ITS or nLSU sequences were phylogenetically analysed to provide molecular side witness of morphological identification.
