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Four new wood-inhabiting fungi were found in Southwestern China within the genera Phanerochaete, Phlebiopsis, Asterostroma, and Vararia of the families Phanerochaetaceae and Peniophoraceae, belonging to the orders Polyporales and Russulales individually. Combined with their morphological characteristics and molecular biological evidence, the present study describes them as new fungal taxa. Asterostroma yunnanense is characterized by the resupinate, membranaceous to pellicular basidiomata with a cream to salmon-buff hymenial surface, hyphal system dimitic bearing simple-septa, thin- to thick-walled, yellowish brown asterosetae with acute tips, and thin-walled, echinulate, amyloid, globose basidiospores. Phanerochaete tongbiguanensis is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata with a white to cream hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with simple-septa generative hyphae, the presence of subclavate cystidia covered with a lot of crystals, and oblong ellipsoid basidiospores (6–9 × 3–4.5 µm). Phlebiopsis fissurata is characterized by the membranaceous, tuberculate basidiomata with a buff to slightly brown hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with simple-septa, conical cystidia, and broadly ellipsoid. Vararia yingjiangensis is characterized by a corky basidiomata with a pinkish buff to cinnamon-buff hymenial surface, cracking, yellowish dichohyphae with slightly curved tips, subulate gloeocystidia, and thick-walled, ellipsoid basidiospores (6.5–11.5 × 5–7 µm). The phylogenetic analyses of ITS + nLSU revealed that the two new species were nested into the genera Phanerochaete and Phlebiopsis within the family Phanerochaetaceae (Polyporales), in which Phanerochaete tongbiguanensis was sister to P. daliensis; Phlebiopsis fissurata was grouped with P. lamprocystidiata. Two new species were clustered into the genera Asterostroma and Vararia within the family Peniophoraceae (Russulales), in which Asterostroma yunnanense was sister to A. cervicolor; Vararia yingjiangensis formed a single branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of Grifola are famous edible mushrooms and are deeply loved by consumers around the world. Most species of this genus have been described and recorded in Oceania, Europe and South America, with only Grifola frondosa being recorded in Asia. In this study, two novel species of Grifola from southwestern China (Asia) are introduced. Macro and micromorphological characters are described. Grifola edulis sp. nov. present medium-size basidiomata with gray to gray-brown lobes upper surface, mostly tibiiform or narrowly clavate, rarely narrowly lageniform or ellipsoid chlamydospores, cuticle hyphae terminal segments slightly enlarged. Grifola sinensis sp. nov. has white to grayish white lobes upper surface, mostly ellipsoid, rarely narrowly utriform chlamydospores, and broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid basidiospores (4.6-7.9 × 3.0-5.9 µm). The two new species are supported by phylogenetic analyses of combined nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA (ITS) and ß-tubulin (TUBB). Moreover, the genetic distance between TUBB sequences of those specimen from GenBank was 1.76-1.9%. Thus, the conspecificity relationship of our specimens remains uncertain, and further specimens are required to conclusively confirm its identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this present study, three new wood-inhabiting fungal taxa, Hyphoderma niveomarginatum, H. sordidum and H. weishanense, are proposed. Hyphoderma niveomarginatum is characterized by the ceraceous basidiomata having a smooth, cracking hymenial surface and the presence of the moniliform cystidia and ellipsoid basidiospores (7–9 × 3.5–5 µm). Hyphoderma sordidum is characterized by its resupinate basidiomata with a smooth hymenial surface with the fimbriate margin, the presence of the tubular cystidia and ellipsoid basidiospores (3–4.5 × 2–3 µm). Hyphoderma weishanense differs in its membranous basidiomata with a slightly buff to buff hymenial surface and the presence of broadly ellipsoid basidiospores (4.5–8.5 × 4–7 µm). Sequences of ITS+nLSU+mt-SSU+RPB1+RPB2 genes were used for the phylogenetic analyses using three methods. The ITS+nLSU+mt-SSU+RPB1+RPB2 analysis of the genus Hyphoderma indicated that the 3 new species of Hyphoderma were nested into genus Hyphoderma, in which H. niveomarginatum formed a single group and then grouped with H. membranaceum and H. sinense; H. sordidum was a sister to H. nudicephalum; and H. weishanense closely grouped with H. crystallinum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new corticioid fungal species, Hyphodermella zixishanensis, is described based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. The species is characterized by an annual growth habit, resupinate basidiomata with reddish hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with generative hyphae bearing simple septa, IKI–, CB– and ellipsoid, colorless, thin‐walled, smooth basidiospores. Sequences of ITS and nLSU gene regions were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogenetic analyses showed that the species belongs to Hyphodermella and is placed as sister to H. aurantiaca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lopingian (upper Permian) in Southwest China yields diverse marattialean plants; however, most of these have been recorded as isolated fragments of fronds, pinnules, and stems. Marattialean Qasimia specimens were recently collected from the upper Permian Xuanwei Formation of Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The well-preserved synangia, sporangia, and prominent in situ spores permitted the emendation of the genus Qasimia and the establishment of the species Q. yunnanica sp. nov. This plant possesses alternately or sub-oppositely arranged fertile pinnules with abaxially attached synangia. The synangia are sessile and bivalvate, with a length nearly half the width of the pinnules. A synangium valve consists of approximately 20 long ellipsoids and laterally fused sporangia. In situ spores of the Punctatosporites type are monolete, 97 × 74 μm on average, with a microverrucate/microgranulate to vermiculate sculpture; these represent the largest in situ spores of this type. The sporangial wall has at least two layers of polygonal/elongated cells. The exine comprises a perine, sexine, and nexine. The characteristics of the marattialeans with bilaterally symmetrical synangia were analyzed based on a comparison of eight related genera in the late Paleozoic and Marattia after the late Paleozoic. The Qasimia -type synangium represents the earliest occurrence of bivalvate synangium, which is a typical feature of modern marattialeans. Although the origin of the bilaterally symmetrical marattialean synangia remains elusive, marattialeans with this type of synangia first appeared in the Euramerica during the late Carboniferous and then migrated to the Cathaysia, where they became more prosperous until the late Permian. • Marattialean fern Qasimia yunnanica sp. nov. is described from the Lopingian of China. • Qasimia yunnanica sp. nov. has the largest in situ spores among Paleozoic marattialeans. • An evolutionary trend of bilateral synangia is evident in late Paleozoic marattialeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]