Two new species of Neofavolus (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) based on morphological characters and molecular evidence

Abstract

During taxonomic studies of Neofavolus, two new species were discovered. Neofavolus americanus sp. nov. was collected in the USA and is characterized by a white to cream pileal surface when fresh, large pores, 1–3 mm long × 0.5–1 mm wide, and basidiospores 10.4–12 × 3.8–4.5 μm. Neofavolus squamatus sp. nov. was discovered in China and is characterized by bright squamae on the pileus and large pores, 0.7–3 mm long and 0.5–1.5 mm wide. Phylogenetic analyses carried out based on sequences from the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) – the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the small subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nSSU), the small subunit of mitochondrial rRNA gene (mtSSU), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), the β-tubulin gene (TUB), and the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF) – confirmed affinities of the two new species within Neofavolus.