Additions to Hohenbuehelia (Basidiomycota, Pleurotaceae): two new species and notes on H.tristis from northern Thailand

Two new species and a first geographical record of Hohenbuehelia are described from Thailand. Macroscopic and microscopic descriptions with photoplates, as well as a multigene phylogeny are provided. Hohenbueheliaflabelliformissp. nov. is recognised by large flabelliform basidiomata, densely villose yellowish-white pileus with white hairs near the point of attachment, basidiospores that mostly are ellipsoid in front view and phaseoliform in side view, the absence of cheilocystidia, and a trichoderm pileipellis. Hohenbuehelialageniformissp. nov. is characterised by fleshy basidiomata, velutinous pileus with whitish hairs near the point of attachment and the margin, elsewhere pale greyish-yellow and with only sparse white hairs, pale brown to light brown and mucilaginous context, subglobose basidiospores, lageniform cheilocystidia, an ixotrichoderm pileipellis, and the absence of pileoleptocystidia. Hohenbueheliatristis is characterised by small creamy-white, spathuliform basidiomata that are larger than the type subspecies, minutely pubescent pileus with tiny greyish hairs that disappear when mature, leaving the surface glutinous, faintly translucent and shiny, ellipsoid to sub-ellipsoid basidiospores, lecythiform to sublageniform cheilocystidia, and an ixotrichoderm pileipellis. Hohenbueheliatristis is recorded for Thailand for the first time. Based on the polymorphism observed in part of the nrLSU gene, the presence of two divergent lineages within H.tristis is discussed.

Morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses revealed four new species of Agaricales from China

Four new species of Agaricales from China viz. Hohenbuehelia tomentosa, Rhodophana qinghaiensis, Rhodophana aershanensis, and Spodocybe tomentosum are described based on their unique morphological features and molecular evidence. Hohenbuehelia tomentosa is mainly characterized by its dark brown pileus with finely dense pure white tomentum, dirty white, decurrent lamellae, eccentric stipe, smooth spores, and fusiform metuloid cystidia. The characteristics of Rhodophana qinghaiensis are glabrous, smooth, reddish-brown pileus, gray-orange lamellae, and initially light orange becoming reddish brown stipe. The unique morphological characteristics of Rhodophana aershanensis are reddish brown pileus with age, brown-orange toward the margin, light orange lamellae and stipe dark brown at first, and reddish-brown with age. Spodocybe tomentosum is characterized by subclitocyboid and small basidiomes, finely dense pure white tomentum on the pileus surface, and broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid and smaller basidiospores. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Hohenbuehelia tomentosa, Rhodophana qinghaiensis, Rhodophana aershanensis, and Spodocybe tomentosum formed an independent lineage. Full descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic trees of the four new species are provided in this study.

Competing sexual-asexual generic names in Agaricomycotina (Basidiomycota) with recommendations for use

With the change to one scientific name for fungal taxa, generic names typified by species with sexual or asexual morph types are being evaluated to determine which names represent the same genus and thus compete for use. In this paper generic names of the Agaricomycotina (Basidiomycota) were evaluated to determine synonymy based on their type. Forty-seven sets of sexually and asexually typified names were determined to be congeneric and recommendations are made for which generic name to use. In most cases the principle of priority is followed. However, 16 generic names are recommended for use that do not have priority and thus need to be protected: Aleurocystis over Matula; Armillaria over Acurtis and Rhizomorpha; Asterophora over Ugola; Botryobasidium over Acladium, Allescheriella, Alysidium, Haplotrichum, Physospora, and Sporocephalium; Coprinellus over Ozonium; Coprinopsis over Rhacophyllus; Dendrocollybia over Sclerostilbum and Tilachlidiopsis; Diacanthodes over Bornetina; Echinoporia over Echinodia; Neolentinus over Digitellus; Postia over Ptychogaster; Riopa over Sporotrichum; Scytinostroma over Artocreas, Michenera, and Stereofomes; Tulasnella over Hormomyces; Typhula over Sclerotium; and Wolfiporia over Gemmularia and Pachyma. Nine species names are proposed for protection: Botryobasidium aureum, B. conspersum, B. croceum, B. simile, Pellicularia lembosporum (syn. B. lembosporum), Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Polyporus metamorphosus (syn. Riopa metamorphosa), Polyporus mylittae (syn. Laccocephalum mylittae), and Polyporus ptychogaster (syn. Postia ptychogaster). Two families are proposed for protection: Psathyrellaceae and Typhulaceae. Three new species names and 30 new combinations are established, and one lectotype is designated.

Metabolites from nematophagous fungi and nematicidal natural products from fungi as alternatives for biological control. Part II: metabolites from nematophagous basidiomycetes and non-nematophagous fungi

In this second section of a two-part mini-review article, we introduce 101 further nematicidal and non-nematicidal secondary metabolites biosynthesized by nematophagous basidiomycetes or non-nematophagous ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. Several of these compounds have promising nematicidal activity and deserve further and more detailed analysis. Thermolides A and B, omphalotins, ophiobolins, bursaphelocides A and B, illinitone A, pseudohalonectrins A and B, dichomitin B, and caryopsomycins A–C are excellent candidates or lead compounds for the development of biocontrol strategies for phytopathogenic nematodes. Paraherquamides, clonostachydiol, and nafuredins offer promising leads for the development of formulations against the intestinal nematodes of ruminants.

Origin and evolution of carnivorism in the Ascomycota (fungi)

Carnivorism is one of the basic life strategies of fungi. Carnivorous fungi possess the ability to trap and digest their preys by sophisticated trapping devices. However, the origin and development of fungal carnivorism remains a gap in evolution biology. In this study, five protein-encoding genes were used to construct the phylogeny of the carnivorous fungi in the phylum Ascomycota; these fungi prey on nematodes by means of specialized trapping structures such as constricting rings and adhesive traps. Our analysis revealed a definitive pattern of evolutionary development for these trapping structures. Molecular clock calibration based on two fossil records revealed that fungal carnivorism diverged from saprophytism about 419 Mya, which was after the origin of nematodes about 550-600 Mya. Active carnivorism (fungi with constricting rings) and passive carnivorism (fungi with adhesive traps) diverged from each other around 246 Mya, shortly after the occurrence of the Permian-Triassic extinction event about 251.4 Mya. The major adhesive traps evolved around 198-208 Mya, which was within the time frame of the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event about 201.4 Mya. However, no major carnivorous ascomycetes divergence was correlated to the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, which occurred more recently (about 65.5 Mya). Therefore, a causal relationship between mass extinction events and fungal carnivorism evolution is not validated in this study. More evidence including additional fossil records is needed to establish if fungal carnivorism evolution was a response to mass extinction events.