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The purpose of this study is to explore the genus Candolleomyces from Pakistan. Fungal surveys were conducted in different sites of the Punjab plains during the 2016-2022 period. Several specimens belonging to the family Psathyrellaceae were collected. Traditional morphology and multigene phylogenetic analyses confirmed the novelty and placement of the species in genus Candolleomyces . The phylogenetic study of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) and partial 28S rRNA regions confirmed the distinct positions of four new taxa, Candolleomyces iqbalii, C. kotadduensis, C. pakistanicus , and C. parvipileus , in the genus. Currently, the genus consists of 43 species worldwide. However, with the inclusion of these four species, the total number has risen to 47. Detailed descriptions, phylogeny, comparisons, and illustrations are provided.

Pseudohydnum , commonly known as cat's tongue mushrooms, is a monophyletic assemblage within Auriculariales, which encompasses species with gelatinous basidiomata, spathulate, flabellate, or shell-shaped pileus, hydnoid hymenophore, globose to ellipsoidal basidiospores, and longitudinally cruciate-septate basidia. According to the available literature, 16 species have been described in Pseudohydnum , mostly represented in temperate-boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. However, the limited morphological, molecular, and ecological information, especially from the Southern Hemisphere ecosystems, does not presently allow a reliable assessment of its taxonomic boundaries nor provide a complete picture of the species diversity in the genus. In an ongoing effort to examine specimens collected in dense and mixed ombrophilous forest fragments (Atlantic Rainforest domain) from Southeastern and Southern Brazil, additional taxa assigned to Pseudohydnum were identified. Four new species are recognized based mostly on characters of the pileus surface, stipe, hymenium, and basidiospores. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS barcode), partial nuc rDNA 28S, and partial RNA polymerase II largest subunit ( RPB1 ) sequences supported the description of these new taxa. Here, we propose Pseudohydnum brasiliense, P. brunneovelutinum, P. cupulisnymphae , and P. viridimontanum as new species. Morphological descriptions, line drawings, habitat photos, and comparisons with closely related taxa are provided. A dichotomous key for identification of currently known Southern Hemisphere Pseudohydnum species is presented.

Pinibarrenia chlamydospora , sp. nov. isolated from the roots of highbush blueberry in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, is described and illustrated. Based on multigene phylogenetic analysis, as well as morphological and ecological characteristics, Pinibarreniales and Pinibarreniaceae are established to accommodate this novel lineage in Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes. Pinibarreniales, Tracyllalales, and Vermiculariopsiellales are proposed to be included in the subclass Sordariomycetidae. Pinibarreniales likely have a wide distribution and forms association with Ericaceae plants that live in acidic and oligotrophic environments because its DNA barcode matches with environmental sequences from other independent ecological studies. The plant-fungal interaction experiment revealed negative impacts on Arabidopsis , indicating its pathogenicity. This uncovered new fungal lineage will contribute to a better understanding of the diversity and systematics of Sordariomycetes.

Members of Puccinia (Pucciniaceae, Pucciniales) are known as plant pathogens worldwide, which are characterized by their morphology, host association, and molecular data of various genes. In the present study, 10 specimens of Puccinia were collected from four herbaceous plants ( Anaphalis hancockii, Anthriscus sylvestris, Halenia elliptica , and Pilea pumila ) in China and identified based on morphology and phylogeny. As a result, 10 samples represent four undescribed species of Puccinia , viz., P. apdensia, P. decidua, P. dermatis , and P. lianchengensis , spp. nov. P. apdensia is characterized by its smooth teliospores with thickened apex. P. decidua represents the first Puccinia species inhabiting the host Anaphalis hancockii and is distinguished from the other Puccinia species by its telia and uredinia surrounded by the epidermis. P. dermatis from Halenia elliptica differs from the other Puccinia species on the host genus Halenia by the telia that have epidermis and teliospores with sparsely irregular granulated protrusions. P. lianchengensis is characterized by its teliospore surface with fishnet ornamentation and urediniospores without prominent caps. All of the new species are described and illustrated in this study.

In this study, DNA sequence data were used to characterize 290 Fusarium strains isolated during a survey of root-colonizing endophytic fungi of agricultural and nonagricultural plants in northern Kazakhstan. The Fusarium collection was screened for species identity using partial translation elongation factor 1-α ( TEF1 ) gene sequences. Altogether, 16 different Fusarium species were identified, including eight known and four novel species, as well as the discovery of the phylogenetically divergent F. steppicola lineage. Isolates of the four putatively novel fusaria were further analyzed phylogenetically with a multilocus data set comprising partial sequences of TEF1 , RNA polymerase II largest ( RPB1 ) and second-largest ( RPB2 ) subunits, and calmodulin ( CaM ) to assess their genealogical exclusivity. Based on the molecular phylogenetic and comprehensive morphological analyses, four new species are formally described herein: F. campestre, F. kazakhstanicum, F. rhizicola , and F. steppicola .

Lagarobasidium cymosum is a rare corticioid species with characteristic morphology different from other Lagarobasidium species. We used nuc 5.8S rDNA, nuc 28S rDNA, and mt 12S rDNA loci to infer the phylogenetic position of L. cymosum . Our analyses suggest that it belongs to Xylodon but is not closely related to any of the other taxa referred to Lagarobasidium . Molecular and morphological information shows that the traditional concept of L. cymosum covers at least three species: Xylodon acuminatus from the Neotropics, X. cymosus from North America, and X. subtilissimus distributed in both Europe and North America. Lagarobasidium calongei is transferred to Xylodon , and DNA barcodes for Lyomyces incrustatus and Xylodon hjortstamii are published for the first time.

A Polystigma -like found on an herbaceous to shrubby species of Fabaceae ( Andira humilis ) in the Brazilian Cerrado was morphologically close to Polystigma pusillum , a leaf parasite on Andira inermis collected in Central America and Brazil. Phylogenetic analyses using a combination of the rDNA 28S, 18S, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions placed both fungi in the Phyllachorales, and not in Polystigamataceae/Xylariales, where Polystigma species belong, and characteristically found on members of the Rosaceae, causing red leaf blotch containing bright-colored fungal stromata spread on the lesions. This disease prevails in orchards in the Northern Hemisphere, infecting Amygdalus, Cerasus, Padus , and Prunus species, but never in the Tropics. Polystigma species infecting other botanical families have been reallocated in different families, orders, and even classes in Ascomycota. In our phylogenetic analyses, the two species on Andira were allocated in Phyllachorales but separated in a well-supported cluster from Phyllachoraceae and Phaeochoraceae. In relation to Telimenaceae, the statistical support is not strong; however, considering that its type genus, Telimena , was never sequenced, we choose to accept Neopolystigma (type N. saraivae ) as the type genus of a new family, Neopolystigmataceae. The sister species of N. saraivae , Polystigma pusillum found on A. inermis , was recombined into N. pusillum .

The Roseinae clade is a lineage of the genus Russula primarily composed of species of Russula subsect. Roseinae . Species in this morphologically distinct clade possess a white to pale cream spore print, mild taste, positive reaction to sulfovanillin, and primordial hyphae with acid-resistant crystals in the pileipellis. Here, we present a morphological and phylogenetic assessment that distinguishes seven eastern North American species of the core Roseinae lineage and a new subsection, Russula subsection Albidinae , to accommodate members of the Albida clade. We assign the previously described species R. peckii, R. rubellipes , and R. pseudopeckii to three species-level clades, and three other species, R. cardinalis, R. cordata , and R. rheubarbarina , are described as new. Comparative morphological analyses reveal differences in the conformation of terminal elements in the pileipellis, spore size, hymenial cystidia contents, and pigmentation on the stipe surface as key features to recognize species in the group. Based on the analysis of publicly available data, we recognize a potential total of nine temperate North American species within R. subsect. Roseinae , in addition to four from Central America, two from Europe, and 14 from Asia.

Four new species of Laboulbenia are described, adding substantially to the known species recorded from Heteroptera hosts. Previously, only 12 species of Laboulbenia and only 96 of the approximate 2325 known species of Laboulbeniales have been recorded on the Heteroptera. The addition of these four new species of Laboulbenia , occurring on two genera within Veliidae, brings the total number to 100 species. These species are recorded on the genera Paravelia and Oiovelia collected from Brazil, Suriname, and Peru.

A phylogenetic analysis of nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS), nuc rDNA 28S domains D1-D2 (28S), and the region between conserved domains 6 and 7 of RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( RPB2 ) from multiple species of Alpova and Melanogaster revealed four major clades, proposed here as distinct genera: Melanogaster, Alpova s. str. containing the type species A. cinnamomeus, Neoalpova for the species around N. rubescens , and the new genus Paralpova , proposed here for P. artikutzensis , sp. nov. Alpova, Neoalpova , and Paralpova form a monophyletic lineage of hypogeous fungi with a pseudoparenchymatic structure in their peridium (at least in the inner layer) that could be interpreted as a single genus, but they are separated due to distinct morphological and ecological traits. Alpova s. str. is employed for species strictly associated with Alnus , lacking a conspicuous odor, and producing relatively small basidiomata and basidiospores <10 µm long. Neoalpova and Paralpova occur under other hosts, present a conspicuous odor, have larger basidiomata and basidiospores than Alpova , and have a prosenchymatic peridiopellis. Finally, Paralpova is characterized by the yellowish gleba, monosporic or bisporic basidia, and basidiospores >15 µm long with a mean length/width ratio (Q m ) of <2.0. In addition, two new species of Neoalpova are proposed: N. arenicola , associated with Mediterranean forests in sandy soils and with spores slightly smaller and wider than those of N. rubescens , and N. montecchii , a cryptic species very similar to N. rubescens but for its putatively smaller peridiopellis elements and its genetic profile.

Favolus is a monophyletic genus of polypores that causes white rot of various woody plants. The genus has a worldwide distribution and is ecologically and economically important. Several taxa have been described or reported from the Neotropics, and F. brasiliensis , described originally from Brazil, is the type species for the genus. Based on molecular investigations, F. brasiliensis is now known to represent a species complex. The species is morphologically and phylogenetically circumscribed and epitypified here, and F. rugulosus is proposed as a new related species. Favolus grammocephalus and Polyporus philippinensis , initially described from Asia, have also recently been recorded from the Neotropics, so these taxa were included in this investigation employing morphological and multigene (mitochondrial, ribosomal, and protein-coding regions) phylogenetic analyses. These latter two species do not occur in the Neotropics, but the misapplied names actually represent three new species: F. pseudogrammocephalus, F. radiatifibrillosus , and F. yanomami . Nine species of Favolus are documented now for the Neotropics. Detailed descriptions of F. brasiliensis and all new taxa are provided, along with comments, illustrations, a map of potential distribution, and a key for neotropical species of Favolus .

Sequestrate fungi have enclosed hypogeous, subhypogeous, or epigeous basidiomes and have lost the ability to actively discharge their spores. They can be distinguished as gasteroid (basidiome fully enclosed with a loculated hymenophore) or secotioid (basidiome with some agaricoid or pileate-stipitate features, but the lamellae are misshapen and unexposed or mostly unexposed at maturity). There are only four reports of sequestrate taxa within the ectomycorrhizal family Inocybaceae, three from Australia and one from western North America. Recent field work in Nothofagaceae forests in the Chilean coastal range revealed novel sequestrate forms of Inocybe . We examined specimens using a combination of morphological and molecular data from nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) and portions of nuc 28S rDNA (28S) and the gene encoding the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II ( rpb2 ). Here, we describe four new sequestrate Inocybe species, I. ranunculiformis, I. anfractuosa, I. illariae , and I. nahuelbutensis . Results of our phylogenetic analysis resolved the four new species as distinct species-level clades with strong support, suggesting that these fungi have convergently evolved sequestrate forms independently. The species described here were all placed along with members of the "smooth-spored temperate austral clade," which includes almost exclusively Australasian and South American species of Inocybe .

Erysiphe species (powdery mildews) on Corylus and Ostrya hosts (Betulaceae subfam. Coryloideae) in Asia and North America are widespread pathogens on these economically and ecologically valuable nut crops. An improved understanding of their phylogeny and taxonomy is of ecological and applied importance. Phylogenetic analyses and morphological reexaminations conducted in this study revealed a higher degree of diversity and cryptic speciation than reflected in earlier species concepts. North American collections on C. cornuta , which were previously assigned to E. corylacearum , proved to constitute a species of its own and are herein introduced as E. cornutae , sp. nov. Two additional North American species, E. coryli-americanae , sp. nov. and E. ostryae , sp. nov., have been detected on C. americana and O. virginiana and are described. They are morphologically similar to E. cornutae , but genetically distinct. Based on phylogenetic analyses, E. corylacearum is an Asian species confined to various Asian Corylus species. Sequence data retrieved from Japanese type material of E. corylicola revealed that this species clusters with sequences from E. elevata on Catalpa species, distant from all other Erysiphe species on Corylus . Morphologically similar, yet distinct, specimens on C. sieboldiana , which were previously assigned to E. corylicola , form a distinct, distant clade. The species involved is described herein as E. pseudocorylacearum , sp. nov. Additionally, an unusual infection of C. sieboldiana in Japan by E. syringae has been shown by means of sequence data. The phylogeny and taxonomy of Erysiphe species belonging to the Corylioideae are discussed in detail, and a key to the species concerned is provided.

Agaricus subgenus Spissicaules is widely distributed in the world. In this study, 114 specimens were included in multigene phylogenetic analyses that allowed a better circumscription of the four sections in A . subg. Spissicaules . Three new species from China, A. brunneovariabilis, A. beijingensis , and A. planiceps , are described and placed in different sections. The invalidly described A. catenariocystidiosus is validated here as an additional new species. Comparisons between the sequences of the three closely related species A. thiersii, A. parasubrutilescens , and A. linzhiensis support the distinction between these three species despite the paraphyly of A. linzhiensis , which results from its high intraspecific variability with numerous heteromorphisms.

Four new Talaromyces species without any close relatives are reported here, namely, T. aureolinus (ex-type AS3.15865 T ), T. bannicus (ex-type AS3.15862 T ), T. penicillioides (ex-type AS3.15822 T ), and T. sparsus (ex-type AS3.16003 T ). Morphologically, T. aureolinus is unique in producing orange-yellow mycelium and gymnothecia, singly borne asci, and ellipsoidal, spiny ascospores. Talaromyces bannicus is characterized by the slow growth rate, polymorphic conidiophores, inconsistent stipe lengths, and pyriform to ellipsoidal, echinulate conidia. Talaromyces penicillioides is distinguished by good growth and sporulation on malt extract agar (MEA) and yeast extract sucrose agar (YES) media, resembling the colony appearances of certain Penicillium species, and appressed biverticillate and occasionally monoverticillate penicilli bearing globose to ellipsoidal, echinulate conidia. Talaromyces sparsus has wide, submerged colony margins with sparse aerial mycelium, and conidial areas overlaid with yellow-green, sterile hyphae on MEA medium. These four new species are well supported by individual phylogenetic trees based on β-tubulin ( BENA ), calmodulin ( CALM ), DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( RPB2 ), and internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) gene sequences and the tree of the concatenated BENA-CALM-RPB2 sequence.

A new genus, Pygmaeomyces , and two new species are described based on phylogenetic analyses and phenotypic and ecological characters. The species delimitation was based on concordance of gene genealogies. The Pygmaeomyces cultures were isolated from the roots of mountain laurel ( Kalmia latifolia ) and pitch pine ( Pinus rigida ) from the acidic and oligotrophic New Jersey pygmy pine plains; however, they likely have a broader distribution because their internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences have high similarity to a number of environmental sequences from multiple independent studies. Based on the phylogeny and phenotypic characters, a new family, Pygmaeomycetaceae, is proposed to accommodate this new lineage in Mucoromycotina. Pygmaeomycetaceae corresponds to Clade GS23, which was identified based on a sequence-only soil fungal survey and was believed to be a distinct new class. Compared with the culture-based methods, we observed that sequence-only analyses tend to overestimate the taxonomic level. Results from this work will facilitate ecological and evolutionary studies on root-associated fungi.

Virulent infectious fungal diseases, in natural and managed landscapes, are increasing. Fungal diseases in humans, animals and plants have caused die-off and extinction events and have become a threat to food security. A caving expedition in Yunnan Province, China, revealed two bat carcasses covered in fungal mycelia. Eleven fungal isolates were obtained from these bat carcasses, and morphological observations and multigene phylogenetic analyses revealed they were Fusarium incarnatum, Mucor hiemalis and Trichoderma harzianum and four new species, Mortierella rhinolophicola, M. multispora, M. yunnanensis and Neocosmospora pallidimors . One of the more alarming findings is that a number of infections related to Neocosmospora , previously associated with human and animal mycotoxicoses, are reported to be increasing, and here we present a new species from this genus, isolated from dead bats. Due to the ecosystem services provided by bats, and the close relationship between bats and humans, future research should focus on the impacts and significance of N. pallidimors to human and animal health, examining its pathogenicity and secondary metabolites. Taxonomic descriptions, color images of the habitat, in situ samples, microstructures and cultures are presented. SEM photographs of microstructures and phylogenetic trees showing the placement of new and known species are also provided.

Gymnosporangium is a group of plant fungal pathogens that cause rust diseases on many economically important fruit trees. Most Gymnosporangium are heteroecious and demicyclic, producing four morphologically diverse spore stages on two taxonomically unrelated host plants, the Cupressaceae and Rosaceae. The complex life cycle and heteroecism make it difficult to investigate the species within Gymnosporangium . To determine the taxonomy, phylogeny, and species diversity of Gymnosporangium in China, a large collection of 672 specimens were analyzed using a combination of morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses. In total, 27 Gymnosporangium species from China are documented here, including 22 known species, one new combination, one new record, and three new species. The study also documents a novel aeciospore surface structure with an irregular surface that is described here as "surfy."

Four ergot species ( Claviceps ripicola, C. quebecensis, C. perihumidiphila , and C. occidentalis ) were recognized based on analyses of DNA sequences from multiple loci, including two housekeeping genes, RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( RPB2 ), and translation elongation factor 1-α ( TEF1-α ), and a single-copy ergot alkaloid synthesis gene ( easE ) encoding chanoclavine I synthase oxidoreductase. Morphological features, ergot alkaloid production, and pathogenicity on five common cereal crops of each species were evaluated and presented in taxonomic descriptions. A synoptic key was also provided for identification.

Poroid Hymenochaetaceae associated with wood rots of trees in three timber-harvesting compartments of the Garden Route National Park (GRNP), South Africa, were investigated using multilocus phylogenetic analyses and morphology of the basidiomes. Results revealed the presence of 10 species belonging to five genera. Six of the species are known, but four are described as new. The known species include Fomitiporia capensis, Fuscoporia gilva, Sanghuangporus microcystideus, Tropicoporus tropicalis, Inonotus rickii , and Inonotus setuloso-croceus . The new species are described as Fomitiporia tsitsikamensis, Fulvifomes elaeodendri, Fuscoporia pulviniformis , and Phellinus guttiformis .

Four new species of Laboulbenia (Laboulbeniales, Ascomycota) occurring on Gerridae (Hemiptera, Insecta), a new host family, are described from six Central and South American countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. The new species are Laboulbenia brachymetrae, L. cylindrostethi, L. neogerris , and L. tachygerris .

This study describes four gray or brown species of Cuphophyllus (Hygrophoraceae, Agaricales), two of them new species, restricted to arctic-alpine and northern boreal zones of North America, and relates them morphologically and phylogenetically using multigene and nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS (ITS barcode) analyses to their similar, known counterparts. Cuphophyllus cinerellus , epitypified here, is shown to be a pan-palearctic species with sequence-confirmed collections from Fennoscandia and easternmost Asia. Occupying a similar habitat in the Nearctic is its sister species, the morphologically similar but novel C. esteriae , so far known only from eastern North America, including Greenland. Sister to the C. cinerellus - C. esteriae lineage, and known only from boreal raised Sphagnum bogs in Newfoundland, is a new medium-sized light cinereous brown species, C. lamarum . It has a yellow stipe but is phylogenetically distant from the yellow-stiped European C. flavipes and its North American sister species, Hygrophorus pseudopallidus . As cryptic speciation was discovered within C. flavipes , we lecto- and epitypify the name and transfer H. pseudopallidus to Cuphophyllus based on ITS analysis of the holotype. We also transfer the small European Hygrocybe comosa to Cuphophyllus based on morphology. Cuphophyllus hygrocyboides is reported from North America with the first sequence-confirmed collections from arctic-alpine British Columbia and Greenland. In addition, sequencing the holotype of C. subviolaceus identifies it as the sister species to the putative C. lacmus . Both species seem to have an intercontinental distribution. In total, we add new sequences to GenBank from 37 Cuphophyllus collections, including the holotypes of C. hygrocyboides and C. subviolaceus , the two new epitypes, and the two novel species.

Blueberry, an increasingly cultivated fruit crop in Portugal, is known to be susceptible to twig blight and dieback caused by species of Diaporthe . The diversity of Diaporthe species associated with symptomatic and asymptomatic Vaccinium corymbosum plants in Portugal was assessed. A multilocus sequence analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( tef1-α ), β-tubulin ( tub2 ), calmodulin ( cal ), and histone 3 ( his3 ) genes revealed the presence of Diaporthe foeniculina, Diaporthe rudis , and four new species, which are described as Diaporthe crousii, Diaporthe phillipsii, Diaporthe rossmaniae , and Diaporthe vacuae . These new species were characterized in terms of their morphology, mating strategies, and temperature growth requirements. In artificial inoculation trials of V. corymbosum cv. Bluecrop plants, all Diaporthe species caused minor symptoms. Further, no differences in aggressiveness were apparent between species. This study provides the first survey of Diaporthe species associated with blueberry twig blight and dieback in Portugal. It disclosed the occurrence of a diverse assemblage of Diaporthe species, whose status and impact as pathogens of blueberry is not yet fully understood.

Inocybe (Inocybaceae) is one of the most diverse ectomycorrhizal genera in arctic and alpine habitats where the primary hosts are Salix, Betula , and Dryas . Subgenus Inocybe is common in these habitats and typically characterized by the presence of thick-walled pleurocystidia. Here, we focus on species that have angular or nodulose spores. Historically, over 30 taxa from this group have been reported from arctic and alpine habitats. Many names have been synonymized, whereas molecular analysis has revealed new species. Nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) sequence data of 26 type specimens in this group now allow for further taxonomic clarification and comparison across continents of disjunct populations. Here, we compare ITS sequence data and the D1-D2 portion of nuc 28S rDNA (28S) from Rocky Mountain specimens with those of types and European reference material. We report 10 species from the Rocky Mountain alpine zone, all of which are conspecific with known European boreal, montane, or alpine species, and four are described as new; all have intercontinental distributions. Nodulose-spored Inocybe taxa that occur in the Rocky Mountain alpine zone include I. alpinomarginata , sp. nov., I. arctica, I. giacomi, I. leonina, I. murina , sp. nov., I. occulta, I. paragiacomi , sp. nov., I. phaeocystidiosa, I. purpureobadia , and I. subgiacomi , sp. nov. Remarkably, these species occur at elevations up to 4000 m and at latitudes as low as 36°N, hundreds of miles from the Arctic, the European alpine, and original type localities. Distributions are explained in part by host distributions and historical glaciation patterns. A key and full descriptions for Rocky mountain species are provided to promote species recognition.

Species of Septoria are commonly associated with leaf spot diseases of a broad range of plant hosts worldwide. During our investigation of fungi associated with leaf spot diseases in northern and northwestern Iran, several Septoria isolates were recovered from symptomatic leaves on different herbaceous and woody plants in the Asteraceae, Betulaceae, and Salicaceae families. These isolates were studied by applying a polyphasic approach including morphological and cultural data and a multigene phylogeny using a combined data set of partial sequences of the 28S nuc rRNA gene (large subunit [28S]), internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S nuc rRNA gene (ITS) of the nuc rDNA operon, actin ( actA ), translation elongation factor 1-α ( tef1 ), calmodulin ( cmdA ), β-tubulin ( tub2 ), and DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( rpb2 ). Four novel species are proposed, namely, Septoria eclipticola on Eclipta prostrata, Septoria firouraghina on Cirsium arvense, Septoria guilanensis on Populus deltoides , and Septoria taleshana on Alnus subcordata . All species are illustrated, and their morphology and phylogenetic relationships with other Septoria species are discussed.

The genus Siphoptychium is resurrected on the basis of comparative morphology and phylogeny of partial nuc 18S rDNA (18S) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( EF1A ) nucleotide sequences. The genus is characterized by the firm upper surface of the pseudoaethalium, accreted but easily separable sporothecae, a tubular or fibrous columella, and spores with a reticulate ornamentation consisting of 7-9 meshes across the diameter. In addition to the currently known single species S. casparyi (= Tubifera casparyi ), two new members of Siphoptychium are described: S. violaceum from coniferous forests of Europe, east Asia, and southeast Asia, and S. reticulatum from temperate and subarctic regions of North America and alpine regions of Europe. A second genus, Thecotubifera , is described to accommodate Tubifera dictyoderma . The fruiting body of this species is transitional between a pseudoaethalium and a true aethalium. It is covered by a contiguous membranous cortex formed by the fused tips of the sporothecae, a feature typical for aethalia. However, the inner portions of sporothecae remain discernible, a feature more typical for pseudoaethalia. Columellae of Th. dictyoderma are formed by perforated plates, and the spores have a reticulate ornamentation consisting of 2-5 meshes across the diameter. For Th. dictyoderma , we could confirm records only for tropical regions and Japan, whereas all studied European specimens, including those mentioned in current monographs, represent species of Siphoptychium .

Morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of true morels (Morchella) in North America, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru led to the discovery of four undescribed species of Morchella. Two new species in the Elata clade, one from the Dominican Republic, initially distinguished by the informal designation Mel-18, and a newly discovered sister species from northern Arizona, are now recognized. Mel-18 is described as a novel phylogenetically distinct species, M. hispaniolensis. Its sister species from Arizona is described as M. kaibabensis, also recovered as an endophyte of Rocky Mountain juniper. Two additional species in the Esculenta clade, M. peruviana discovered in Peru and M. gracilis (previously reported as Mes-14) from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Ecuador, are described as new. We also demonstrate that scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging of ascospores using rehydration/dehydration/critical point drying preparation techniques provides for enhanced resolution of spore wall surfaces, thereby increasing the number of morphological traits available to assess differences among otherwise closely related species.

Species of Laccaria (Hydnangiaceae, Basidiomycota) are important in forest ecosystems as ectomycorrhizal fungi. Nine of the 75 described Laccaria species worldwide been reported from Korea. Most of these have European and North American names, and their identities are based solely on morphological features. To evaluate the taxonomy of Korean Laccaria, we used 443 specimens collected between 1981 and 2016 in a phylogenetic analysis based on sequence data from nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA (ITS) region, nuc 28S rDNA (28S), RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2), and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1). Ten Laccaria species were identified. Three of these were previously reported from Korea: L. bicolor, L. tortilis, and L. vinaceoavellanea. Laccaria alba, L. japonica, and L. murina are confirmed as new reports from Korea. Lastly, four new Laccaria species are described: L. araneosa, L. parva, L. torosa, and L. versiforma. This study supports the general contention that Asian species of ectomycorrhizal fungi may not be conspecific with morphologically similar species from Europe and North America. Furthermore, identification based on morphology alone is often unreliable in Laccaria due to considerable overlap of characters among species. Thus, use of molecular methods is necessary for effective identification. Illustrations of the four newly described species and a taxonomic key to species of Laccaria in Korea are provided.

Four new species, Tuber crassitunicatum, T. lishanense, T. piceatum, and T. wanglangense, are described and illustrated based on both morphological and molecular data. Morphologically, T. crassitunicatum is diagnosed by its brown ascomata and ellipsoidal ascospores ornamented by crowded spiny reticulum with more than 10 meshes across the spore width. Tuber lishanense can be recognized by its whitish to pale brown ascomata with a basal cavity, and very broadly ellipsoidal to subglobose ascospores ornamented by densely isolated spines. Tuber piceatum differs in its pale white ascomata and ellipsoidal ascospores with isolated spines, whereas T. wanglangense is characterized by its broad ellipsoidal ascospores with short spines that are connected by lower ridges when examined under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Phylogenetic analyses inferred the four new species in the Rufum group. Each species had less than 96% similarity in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) nuc rDNA ITS sequence to other Tuber species and represented a unique terminal clade in the phylogenetic tree. Our research did not confirm the occurrence in China of the European T. rufum and T. nitidum and the North American T. lyonii, although they are often reported in the literature on Chinese Tuber species.

Four new species of Prolixandromyces (Laboulbeniales, Ascomycota) found on Veliidae (Heteroptera) from Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela are described and illustrated. These four species, Prolixandromyces anseris, P. tritici, P. blackwelliae, and P. bromelicola, represent the first records of this genus from South America, and their discovery requires emendation of the original generic circumscription. The newly described fungi are compared with known species, and a new key to identification is provided.

We consolidate and present data for the sexual stages of five North American species of Orphella, fungal members of trichomycetes previously classified within Harpellales. Three species emendations accommodate the newly recognized characters, including not only the coiled zygospores and accompanying cells but also other morphological traits not provided in the original descriptions for O. avalonensis, O. haysii, and O. hiemalis. We describe three new species, Orphella cataloochensis from both the Smoky Mountains in USA and two provinces in Canada as well as O. pseudoavalonensis and O. pseudohiemalis, both from the Cascade Range, in Oregon, USA. Key morphological features for all known species are summarized and reviewed, with illustrations of some of the North American taxa to update and supplement the literature. The entire suite of morphological characters is discussed, with emphasis on species relationships and hypotheses on possible vicariant origins. We also present a molecular phylogeny based on nuc rDNA 18S and 28S, which supports Orphella as a lineage distinct from Harpellales, and we establish a new order, Orphellales, for it. With the combination of sexual features, now known for 12 of the 14 species of Orphella, and new molecular data, the group is now better characterized, facilitating and hopefully also promoting future studies toward a better understanding of their relationships, origins, and evolutionary history as stonefly gut-dwelling fungi.

Three new species of Harpellales, collected on Mt. Tsukuba, Kanto Plain on Honshu Island, are described. Stachylina philoricola, derived from midgut of Philorus sp. (Blephariceridae: Diptera), and Lancisporomyces tsukubaensis, derived from the hindgut of Amphinemura sp. (Nemouridae: Plecoptera) nymphs, are described. Blephariceridae is newly added to the host insect families of Harpellales. A new genus, Zygopolaropsis, is proposed to accommodate the new species Z. sphaerica, derived from the hindgut of Baetis thermicus (Baetidae, Ephemeroptera) nymphs.