A New Tropical Species Of Lycoperdon Subgenus Morganella (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) From Yunnan Province, China

Introducing<i>Melanoctona tectonae</i>gen. et sp. nov. and<i>Minimelanolocus yunnanensis</i>sp. nov. (<i>Herpotrichiellaceae</i>, Chaetothyriales)

During an investigation into species diversity of lignicolous freshwater fungi from the plateau lakes in Yunnan Province, China, a hyphomycetous fungus was collected from Dianchi Lake. The new isolate was placed in Appendopyricularia as a sister taxon of Appendopyricularia juncicola within Barbatosphaeriaceae based on the phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS and LSU sequence data. The fungus is characterized by acrogenous, fusoid, guttulate conidia that are 3–4 septate and have a flexuous central apical appendage. It exhibits more pronounced guttulate appendages and more prominent denticle sporulation structure. Therefore, Appendopyricularia guttulata is introduced as a new species based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic evidence. The detailed description and illustrations of the new species are provided, as well as the morphological comparison with similar taxa.

The Nujiang River, an important international river and one of the six major water systems in Yunnan Province, China, is characterized by numerous tributaries, complex topography, and abundant natural resources. During an investigation of lignicolous freshwater fungi in this river, three Neomyrmecridium taxa were isolated from submerged wood samples. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS and LSU sequence data, we introduce a novel species, Neomyrmecridium nujiangense. Additionally, two known species were identified as N. aquaticum and N. fusiforme. This study provides detailed morphological illustrations and phylogenetic trees of both the new and known taxa. Our findings enhance the understanding of freshwater fungal diversity in the Nujiang River and highlight the essential role of integrating morphological and molecular data in fungal taxonomy, particularly for groups exhibiting high phenotypic plasticity.

Approximately 77% of Pseudochaetosphaeronema species have been reported from China and Thailand in terrestrial habitats. We collected and isolated fruiting bodies of ascomycetous fungi in Yunnan Province, China, from dead branches of Hevea brasiliensis. Integrating morphology with phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, SSU, and tef1-α sequence data, the strains were identified as a new species (Pseudochaetosphaeronema heveae), two new host records (P. baoshanense and P. chiangraiense), and a new collection (P. xishuangbannaense). Descriptions, illustrations, phylogenetic analysis results, and morphological comparisons with allied taxa of the four Pseudochaetosphaeronema species are provided. These findings expand the known diversity and host associations of Pseudochaetosphaeronema. In addition, based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic data, P. hongheense is synonymized under P. baoshanense.

In Yunnan Province, the coffee-growing regions are mainly distributed in Pu’er and Xishuangbanna. During the surveys of microfungi associated with coffee in Yunnan Province, seven taxa were isolated from coffee samples. Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2, and tef1-α sequence data and morphological characteristics, four new species viz. Deniquelata yunnanensis, Paraconiothyrium yunnanensis, Pseudocoleophoma puerensis, and Pse. yunnanensis, and three new records viz. Austropleospora keteleeriae, Montagnula thailandica, and Xenocamarosporium acaciae in Pleosporales are introduced. In addition, Paracamarosporium fungicola was transferred back to Paraconiothyrium based on taxonomy and DNA sequences. Full descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic trees to show the placement of new and known taxa are provided. In addition, the morphological comparisons of new taxa with closely related taxa are given.

During a survey of lignicolous freshwater fungi from the Dulongjiang River in Yunnan Province, China, a hyphomycetous fungus was collected from submerged decaying wood. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, LSU, tef1-α and rpb2 sequence data, a new species, Sporidesmiella dulongjiangensis is introduced. The species is characterized by macronematous, unbranched, septate conidiophores; monoblastic, integrated, terminal, conidiogenous cells with percurrent proliferations; and acropleurogenous, clavate or obovoid, distoseptate, guttulate conidia. Detailed description and illustrations of the new species are provided, along with a morphological comparison with phylogenetically related taxa.

During investigations of saprobic fungi associated with Coffea arabica in Puʹer City, Yunnan Province, China, a Rhamphoriopsis species was collected and isolated from decaying coffee branches and is introduced herein as R. uniseptata sp. nov. The new species was identified based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses) of combined ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1-α, and rpb2 sequence data. Distinct morphological characteristics, together with a multi-locus phylogeny, support the placement of R. uniseptata as a new taxon within the genus. This study expands current knowledge of Rhamphoriopsis diversity and highlights the ecological significance of saprobic fungi in coffee cultivation systems. This finding provides a foundation for further research into the taxonomy.

During an investigation of saprobic microfungi associated with plants in Yunnan Province, China, an ascomycetous fungus collected from dead bamboo is proposed as a new species (Roussoella bambusicola) in Roussoellaceae based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, tef1-α, and rpb2 sequence data. The new species is characterized by ampulliform or lageniform to subcylindrical, slightly curved, hyaline, smooth conidiogenous cells and oblong or ellipsoidal, aseptate, smooth to rough-walled conidia. This paper provides a description, illustrations, and a phylogenetic tree to show the placement of the new species.

During an investigation into the species diversity of lignicolous freshwater fungi in Yunnan Province, China, four strains of Distoseptispora were collected. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, LSU, tef1-α, and rpb2 sequence data, Distoseptispora pulchra sp. nov., and one known species, D. liupanshuiensis, were identified. Distoseptispora pulchra is characterized by macronematous, mononematous, unbranched, cylindrical, septate, pale olive-brown conidiophores with monoblastic, terminal, determinate, cylindrical, pale brown to olive-brown, conidiogenous cells that produce and acrogenous, solitary, obclavate, olivaceous to pale brown, distoseptate conidia. In addition, D. liupanshuiensis is reported here for the first time from a freshwater habitat. Detailed descriptions, phylogenetic analysis results, and illustrations of both species are provided, along with a morphological comparison with related taxa.

In this study, a novel lignicolous freshwater species, Parafuscosporella xishuangbannaensis, which was collected from Manfeilong reservoir in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. The new species was established based on morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, SSU, ITS and rpb2 sequence data. Parafuscosporella xishuangbannaensis is characterized by reduced conidiophores, holoblastic, monoblastic, integrated, terminal, hyaline, cylindrical conidiogenous cells, and acrogenous, obovoid to subglobose, brown to dark brown conidia with a septum near the base and a paler, wedge-shaped basal cell. Parafuscosporella xishuangbannaensis differs from its phylogenetically close sister taxon P. pyriformis in lacking cylindrical or moniliform conidiophores.

We are studying the lignicolous freshwater fungi along a north–south latitudinal gradient in Asia. In this paper, fresh collections of Sporoschisma from submerged wood in Yunnan Province, China, are characterized by morphology and ITS and nuclear large subunit 28S rDNA sequences. The phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS and LSU sequence data placed the isolates within the family Chaetosphaeriaceae, order Chaetosphaeriales. The collections were identified as Sporoschisma hemipsilum, S. mirabile, S. nigroseptatum, S. phaeocentron, and S. taitense, while S. mirabile, S. nigroseptatum, S. phaeocentron, and S. taitense are the first records in China. Sporoschisma aquaticum is described as new species. The conidial characters of Sporoschisma species obtained in this study are summarized. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for the six species of Sporoschisma with notes on their taxonomy.

Aplosporella abexaminans, a new sexual morph fungus belongs to family Aplosporellaceae, was discovered on the bark of stem of Murraya koenigii (Rutaceae) and identified by morphological characteristics and analysis of combined ITS and LSU sequence data. This is the second report of a sexual morph with molecular evidence for this genus and the second record of conidiogenesis and chlamydospores associated with the asexual state of this family. It is characterized by its larger ascostromata, locules without ostioles, thinner locule peridium, two to multi-layered, larger asci, surrounded by an additional hyaline sac like structure, larger and hyaline to light olivaceous ascospores, asexual state without conidiomata formation, conidiogenous cells light brown to brown, conidia brown without granular content, smooth and presence of chlamydospores. The sexual morph of Aplosporella abexaminans resembles Bagnisiella and the asexual morph resembles Aplosporella, thus proving the sexual-asexual connection for the second time for this family.

The cosmopolitan fungal genus Ganoderma is an important pathogen on arboreal plant hosts, particularly in tropical and temperate regions. It has long been used as a traditional medicine because of its medicinal properties and chemical constituents. In this study, Ganoderma collections were made in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), encompassing tropical parts of Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and temperate areas in Yunnan Province, China. The specimens used in this study are described based on micro-macro-characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, LSU, TEF1α, and RPB2 sequence data. In this comprehensive study, we report 22 Ganoderma species from the GMS, namely, G. adspersum, G. applanatum, G. australe, G. calidophilum, G. ellipsoideum, G. flexipes, G. gibbosum, G. heohnelianum, G. hochiminhense, G. leucocontextum, G. lucidum, G. multiplicatum, G. multipileum, G. myanmarense, G. orbiforme, G. philippii, G. resinaceum, G. sichuanense, G. sinense, G. subresinosum, G. williamsianum, and G. tsugae. Some of these species were reported in more than one country within the GMS. Of these 22 species, 12 were collected from Yunnan Province, China; three were collected from Laos; three species, two new records, and one new species were collected from Myanmar; 15 species and four new records were collected from Thailand, and one new species was collected from Vietnam. Comprehensive descriptions, color photographs of macro- and micro-characteristics, the distribution of Ganoderma within the GMS, as well as a phylogenetic tree showing the placement of all reported Ganoderma from the GMS are provided.

The diversity of lignicolous freshwater fungi in southwestern China is currently being studied. In this paper, two fungal isolates were collected from freshwater habitats in Yunnan Province, China. Based on morphological comparisons and the results of phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, LSU, rpb2, SSU, and tef1-α sequence data, we introduce two new species, Aquadictyospora nujiangensis and Dendryphion verrucosum. Aquadictyospora nujiangensis is characterized by micronematous conidiophores and muriform, cheiroid conidia composed of compactly adpressed, curved rows of cells. Dendryphion verrucosum is characterized by erect, apically branched conidiophores, polytretic conidiogenous cells, and solitary or catenate to branched, monilioid conidia. This study contributes to the lignicolous freshwater fungal diversity in southwestern China.

Macadamia integrifolia, one of the cash crops widely grown in the tropical and subtropical regions produces edible kernels with high oil content. Several fungal pathogens have been reported from this host, but very few studies on saprobic fungi have been carried out. As a part of our studies on saprobic fungi of edible nuts, dead branches of Macadamia integrifolia with fungal fruiting bodies were collected from Yunnan Province of China. Molecular analyses of combined SSU, ITS, LSU, RPB2, and TEF1-α sequence data showed that our collection belongs to Bambusicolaceae and forms a distinct branch with other genera in this family. Our collection fits well with the Bambusicolaceae, and morphology is similar to Palmiascoma but can be distinguished by molecular data. Therefore, we introduce our collection as Neopalmiascoma gen. nov., with N. macadamiae as the type species. A description, photo plate, and phylogenetic tree to show the taxonomic placement of the new species are provided.