Fungal Systematics and Evolution: FUSE 3.

The present study introduces seven new species, one new combination, one new variety and several interesting taxonomical notes and/or geographical records. Most of the new taxa are Ascomycetes, but the study also includes a new variety of a Basidiomycete. Novel species include Gyromitra khanspurensis (Discinaceae, Pezizales, Pezizomycetes) from Pakistan growing near Cedrus deoadara and Paramyrothecium guiyangense and Paramyrothecium verruridum (Stachybotriaceae, Hypocreales, Sordariomycetes) both isolated from soil in China. New species from South Africa are Sclerostagonospora elegiae on culm litter of Elegia equisetacea, Sclerostagonospora fusiformis on culm litter of Thamnochortus spicigerus, Sclerostagonospora pinguis on culm litter of Cannomois virgata and Sclerostagonospora sulcata on culm litter of Ischyrolepis subverticellata (Phaeosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes). Hapalocystis berkeleyi var. kickxii with its basionym Hypoxylon kickxii is shown to be a taxon on species level and thus recombined as Hapalocystis kickxii (Sydowiellaceae, Diaporthales, Sordariomycetes), and it is lecto- and epitypified. The new variety Pluteus romellii var. luteoalbus (Pluteaceae, Agaricales, Agaricomycetes) growing on a mossy fallen stem of a deciduous tree is described from Czech Republic. Cortinarius scaurocaninus (Cortinariaceae, Agaricales, Agaricomycetes) is new for Austria, Humicola grisea (Chaetomiaceae, Sordariales, Sordariomycetes) is an interesting new record for Chile. Two taxa are reported as new for Turkey: the lichenicolous fungus Opegrapha parasitica (Opegraphaceae, Arthoniales, Arthoniomycetes) growing partly immersed in the thallus of Aspicilia and the lichen Rinodina zwackhiana (Physciaceae, Teloschistales, Lecanoromycetes) from calcareous rock. Finally, Xerula strigosa (Physalacriaceae, Agaricales, Agaricomycetes), described from China, is confirmed to be present also in Pakistan.

Species diversity and taxonomy of Vararia (Russulales, Basidiomycota) with descriptions of six species from Southwestern China.

Vararia is a species-rich genus in the family Peniophoraceae and has been shown to be polyphyletic. In this study, sequences of ITS and LSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated and phylogenetic analyses were performed with the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. Seventeen lineages including six new species from China, i.e., V.fissurata, V.lincangensis, V.punctata, V.isabellina, V.sinensis, and V.yaoshanensis were recognized, in which V.fissurata is characterized by the brittle basidiomata with pruinose and cracking hymenophore having white to olivaceous buff hymenial surface, the clamped generative hyphae, presence of the two types gloeocystidia; V.lincangensis is characterized by the simple-septa generative hyphae, and thick-walled skeletal hyphae, and ellipsoid basidiospores; V.punctata is delimited by its thin to slightly thick-walled generative hyphae, and thick-walled skeletal hyphae, present thick-walled, clavate to cylindrical gloeocystidia; V.isabellina is characterized by having the cream to isabelline to slightly brown hymenial surface, thin to slightly thick-walled generative hyphae, and sub-fusiform to navicular basidiospores; V.sinensis is distinguishable by its white to slightly pink hymenial surface, thick-walled skeletal hyphae, and sub-fusiform to navicular basidiospores; V.yaoshanensis is characterized by cream to pinkish buff to cinnamon-buff hymenial surface, slightly thick-walled generative hyphae, the presence of two types gloeocystidia, and slightly thick-walled, ellipsoid basidiospores. Phylogram based on the ITS+nLSU rDNA gene regions included nine genera within the family Peniophoraceae as Amylostereum, Asterostroma, Baltazaria, Dichostereum, Michenera, Peniophora, Scytinostroma and Vararia, in which the six new wood-inhabiting fungi species were grouped into genus Vararia. The phylogenetic tree inferred from the combined ITS and LSU tree sequences highlighted that V.fissurata was found to be the sister to V.ellipsospora with strong supports. Additionally, V.lincangensis was clustered with V.fragilis. Furthermore, V.punctata was retrieved as a sister to V.ambigua. Moreover, V.sinensis was grouped with five taxa as V.breviphysa, V.pirispora, V.fusispora, V.abortiphysa and V.insolita. The new species V.isabellina formed a monophyletic lineage, in which it was then grouped closely with V.daweishanensis, and V.gracilispora. In addition, V.yaoshanensis was found to be the sister to V.gallica with strong supports. The present results increased the knowledge of Vararia species diversity and taxonomy of corticioid fungi in China. An identification key to 17 species of Vararia in China is provided.

Three new species of Inosperma (Agaricales, Inocybaceae) from Tropical Africa.

Here, we describe three new species of Inosperma from Tropical Africa: Inosperma africanum, I. bulbomarginatum and I. flavobrunneum. Morphological and molecular data show that these species have not been described before, hence need to be described as new. The phylogenetic placements of these species were inferred, based on molecular evidence from sequences of 28S and RPB2. Additional analysis using ITS dataset shows interspecific variation between each species. Phylogenetic analyses resolve I. flavobrunneum in Old World Tropical clade 1 with weak support, I. bulbomarginatum is sister of Old World Tropical clade 1 and I. africanum is indicated as sister to the rest of Inosperma. Complete description and illustrations, including photographs and line drawings, are presented for each species. A new combination of Inocybe shawarensis into Inosperma is also proposed.

An overview of Agaricus section Hondenses and Agaricus section Xanthodermatei with description of eight new species from Pakistan.

In a recent revision of the genus Agaricus, A. section Xanthodermatei was split into two sections A. sect. Hondenses and A. sect. Xanthodermatei. Our objectives were to investigate the species diversity of both sections in Pakistan and to give an overview of the major clades. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined nucLSU, ITS and TEF1 dataset from 35 specimens of both sections revealed three major clades. Analyses based on ITS dataset and 106 specimens, including 33 from Pakistan, reveal eight new species and one new record species. These nine species are described in detail. It is noteworthy that intraspecific variability as well as interspecific variability between closely related species were very low in ITS sequences in many cases. In the case of the two new species A. xanthochromaticus and A. griseovariegatus, TEF1 sequence data were much more efficient than ITS to distinguish these species from each other. The other new species are A. atroumbonatus, A. fumidicolor, A. macropeplus, A. parviniveus, A. swaticus and A. bambusetorum. The latter is the only new species of A. sect. Hondenses in which it is morphologically atypical and also the unique (sub)tropical species. Agaricus gregariomyces is recorded for the first time in Pakistan. In addition, brief descriptions are provided not only for A. bisporiticus, A. endoxanthus and A. punjabensis, which are reported again in Pakistan, but also for A. californicus, which is reported for the first time in Spain and outside North America. In total 12 species of both sections were reported in Pakistan and half of them were from subtropical climatic areas, underlining the contribution of the climatic diversity to the high species richness in this country.

Amanitaahmadii, a new species of Amanita subgenus Amanitina section Validae from Pakistan.

A new species from coniferous forests in Pakistan, Amanitaahmadii, is described on the basis of morpho-anatomy and molecular data set analyses. This species is characterized by its medium-sized to large basidiomata, grayish brown to brown pileal surface and rimose pileus margin with gray to dark brown verrucose veil remnants, a cream stipe with bulbous base having grayish brown or brown longitudinal striations above the annulus, a scaly surface towards the base, globose to broadly ellipsoid and amyloid basidiospores, and the absence of clamped septa in all tissues. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on ITS and LSU sequences confirmed its identity as a new taxon nested within subgen. Amanitinasect.Validae.

Underexplored regions of Pakistan yield five new species of Leucoagaricus.

The large genus Leucoagaricus (Basidiomycota) is poorly studied in Pakistan, where the northern parts of the country are considered hot spots for biodiversity. Based on morphological and molecular data, five new species are described: Leucoagaricus badius, L. lahorensiformis, L. pakistaniensis, L. sultanii, and L. umbonatus. Descriptions and illustrations are given for the new taxa. A phylogeny based on morphology and four DNA regions, including the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) and D1-D2 domains of the 28S gene of the nuc rDNA, the gene for RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), and the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1-α), shows that the new taxa are clustered in a clade representing Leucoagaricus section Rubrotincti subgenus Sericeomyces.