Present status and future of boletoid fungi (Boletaceae) on the island of Cyprus: Cryptic and threatened diversity unravelled by ten-year study

Rostrupomyces, a new genus to accommodate Xerocomussisongkhramensis, and a new Hemileccinum species (Xerocomoideae, Boletaceae) from Thailand

A new genus, Rostrupomyces is established to accommodate Xerocomussisongkhramensis based on multiple protein-coding genes (atp6, cox3, tef1, and rpb2) analyses of a wide taxon sampling of Boletaceae. In our phylogeny, the new genus was sister to Rubinosporus in subfamily Xerocomoideae, phylogenetically distant from Xerocomus, which was highly supported as sister to Phylloporus in the same subfamily Xerocomoideae. Rostrupomyces is different from other genera in Boletaceae by the following combination of characters: rugulose to subrugulose pileus surface, white pores when young becoming pale yellow in age, subscabrous stipe surface scattered with granulose squamules, white basal mycelium, unchanging color in any parts, yellowish brown spore print, and broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, smooth basidiospores. In addition, Hemileccinuminferius, also from subfamily Xerocomoideae, is newly described. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new genus and new species are presented.

Boletaceae in China: Taxonomy and phylogeny reveal a new genus, two new species, and a new record

Boletaceae, the largest family in Boletales, has been attracted by mycologists in the world due to its diverse morphology and complex history of evolution. Although considerable work has been done in the past decades, novel taxa are continually described. The current study aimed to introduce three new taxa and one new record of Boletaceae from China. The morphological descriptions, color photographs, phylogenetic trees to show the positions of the taxa, and comparisons with allied taxa are provided. The new genus Hemilanmaoa is unique in the Pulveroboletus group, and Hemilanmaoa retistipitatus was introduced as the type species. It can be distinguished by its bluing basidioma when injured, a decurrent hymenophore, a stipe covered with distinct reticulations, and a fertile stipitipellis. Porphyrellus pseudocyaneotinctus is characterized by its pileipellis consisting of broadly concatenated cells and thin-walled caulocystidia in Porphyrellus. In Phylloporus, Phylloporus biyangensis can be distinguished by its hymenophores that change to blue when injured and yellow basal mycelium. Lanmaoa angustispora, as a new record, is first reported in Northern China. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S rDNA (28S), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α), RNA polymerase II subunit 1 (rpb1), and RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2) were employed to execute phylogenetic analyses.

Unravelling the French National Fungal Database: Geography, Temporality, Taxonomy and Ecology of the Recorded Diversity

Large datasets are highly valuable resources to investigate multi-scale patterns of organisms, and lay foundations for citizen science-based conservation strategies. Here, we used 1,043,262 records from 1708 to 2021 to explore the geography, taxonomy, ecology and distribution patterns of 11,556 fungal taxa in metropolitan France. Our analysis reveals a four-phase pattern of temporal recording, with a main contribution of post-1977 observations in relation with the structuration of associative mycology. The dataset shows an uneven geography of fungal recording. Four clusters of high-intensity sampling scattered across France contrast with poorly documented areas, including the Mediterranean. Basidiomycota and Agaricales highly dominate the dataset, accounting for 88.8 and 50.4% of records, respectively. The dataset is composed of many rare taxa, with 61.2% of them showing fewer than 100 records, and 20.5% recorded only once. The analysis of metadata brings to light a preponderance of the mycorrhizal guild (44.6%), followed by litter saprotrophs (31.6%) and wood saprotrophs (18.1%). Highly documented forests (76.3% of records) contrast with poorly investigated artificial (6.43%) and open habitats (10.1%). This work provides the first comprehensive overview of fungal diversity in France and identifies the Mediterranean area and open habitats as priorities to integrate into a global strategy for fungal conservation in France.

Reappraisal of the Genus Exsudoporus (Boletaceae) Worldwide Based on Multi-Gene Phylogeny, Morphology and Biogeography, and Insights on Amoenoboletus

The boletoid genera Butyriboletus and Exsudoporus have recently been suggested by some researchers to constitute a single genus, and Exsudoporus was merged into Butyriboletus as a later synonym. However, no convincing arguments have yet provided significant evidence for this congeneric placement. In this study, we analyze material from Exsudoporus species and closely related taxa to assess taxonomic and phylogenetic boundaries between these genera and to clarify species delimitation within Exsudoporus. Outcomes from a multilocus phylogenetic analysis (ITS, nrLSU, tef1-α and rpb2) clearly resolve Exsudoporus as a monophyletic, homogenous and independent genus that is sister to Butyriboletus. An accurate morphological description, comprehensive sampling, type studies, line drawings and a historical overview on the nomenclatural issues of the type species E. permagnificus are provided. Furthermore, this species is documented for the first time from Israel in association with Quercus calliprinos. The previously described North American species Exsudoporus frostii and E. floridanus are molecularly confirmed as representatives of Exsudoporus, and E. floridanus is epitypified. The eastern Asian species Leccinum rubrum is assigned here to Exsudoporus based on molecular evidence, and a new combination is proposed. Sequence data from the original material of the Japanese Boletus kermesinus were generated, and its conspecificity with L. rubrum is inferred as formerly presumed based on morphology. Four additional cryptic species from North and Central America previously misdetermined as either B. frostii or B. floridanus are phylogenetically placed but remain undescribed due to the paucity of available material. Boletus weberi (syn. B. pseudofrostii) and Xerocomus cf. mcrobbii cluster outside of Exsudoporus and are herein assigned to the recently described genus Amoenoboletus. Biogeographic distribution patterns are elucidated, and a dichotomous key to all known species of Exsudoporus worldwide is presented.

Building of an Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) Gene Dataset to Support the Italian Health Service in Mushroom Identification

This study aims at building an ITS gene dataset to support the Italian Health Service in mushroom identification. The target species were selected among those mostly involved in regional (Tuscany) poisoning cases. For each target species, all the ITS sequences already deposited in GenBank and BOLD databases were retrieved and accurately assessed for quality and reliability by a systematic filtering process. Wild specimens of target species were also collected to produce reference ITS sequences. These were used partly to set up and partly to validate the dataset by BLAST analysis. Overall, 7270 sequences were found in the two databases. After filtering, 1293 sequences (17.8%) were discarded, with a final retrieval of 5977 sequences. Ninety-seven ITS reference sequences were obtained from 76 collected mushroom specimens: 15 of them, obtained from 10 species with no sequences available after the filtering, were used to build the dataset, with a final taxonomic coverage of 96.7%. The other 82 sequences (66 species) were used for the dataset validation. In most of the cases (n = 71; 86.6%) they matched with identity values ≥ 97–100% with the corresponding species. The dataset was able to identify the species involved in regional poisoning incidents. As some of these species are also involved in poisonings at the national level, the dataset may be used for supporting the National Health Service throughout the Italian territory. Moreover, it can support the official control activities aimed at detecting frauds in commercial mushroom-based products and safeguarding consumers.

Phylogenetic and distributional data on boletoid fungi (Boletaceae) in Cyprus and description of a new sampling methodology

The data presented here was obtained during a decade-long macromycete inventory on the island of Cyprus and is supplementary to the research article "Present status and future of boletoid fungi (Boletaceae) on the island of Cyprus: cryptic and threatened diversity unravelled by ten-year study" [1]. A new, rainfall-based sampling protocol for documenting fungal diversity in Mediterranean ecosystems, is described in detail.