The Helvella lacunosa species complex in western North America: cryptic species, misapplied names and parasites

Four new additions to Helvella (Helvellaceae, Pezizales) from Northern Thailand

Most species of Helvella have been described from temperate regions in Asia, Europe, and North America, but little is known about the genus from tropical regions. In this report, phylogenetic analyses of 11 newly collected saddle-like fungi from northern Thailand using three genetic markers [the nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU), the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF)] confirm their assignment in Helvella. Two species were described as new, i.e., Helvella atroides and H. orentitomentosa, and two species, i.e., H. fistulosa and H. rugosa, were reported for the first time in Thailand. Details of macro- and microscopic characters and illustrations were provided for each species. To date, seven species of Helvella have been recorded in Thailand, and a key for identifying the Thai Helvella species was provided here.

Species Diversity of Helvella lacunosa Clade (Pezizales, Ascomycota) in China and Description of Sixteen New Species

Helvella lacunosa and its allies are widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and perform important functions in ecosystems. A comprehensive study on 101 collections of Helvella lacunosa, including those deposited in four Chinese fungaria or collected recently from 10 provinces, was conducted based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Phylogenies of "Helvella lacunosa clade" inferred from Hsp90, ITS, LSU, and TEF were reconstructed with 49 lineages recognized, of which 25 lineages occurred in China, and each represented an individual species. Sixteen new species were determined with detailed descriptions and illustrations. Two new Chinese records were reported. Species concepts and their distinctions in macro- and micro-features were discussed.

Additions to the knowledge of the genus Helvella in Europe. New records and de novo description of five species from the Nordic region

Helvella is a species-rich genus, forming a large variation of astounding ascocarps in many different habitats. During the last decade, molecular markers and morphological characters have been combined to delimit and identify cryptic species in this genus. We report on a list of 54 species of Helvella s.s. in the Nordic region and describe five new species, i.e. H. bresadolae, H. convexa, H. japonica, H. nordlandica and H. oroarctica. The morphological and molecular characteristics of the new species and the emended / hypocrateriformis, / fibrosa-macropus, and / fallax-pezizoides lineages of Helvella s.s. are shortly commented upon. Further we include a discussion of the distribution of species in the Nordic region based on a large set of studied collections. The ecological versatility and variable geographic patterns of these species indicate that cryptic species may have contrasting ecology in their local habitats. Citation: Skrede I, Løken SB, Mathiesen C, Schumacher T (2023). Additions to the knowledge of the genus Helvella in Europe. New records and de novo description of five species from the Nordic region. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 11: 71-84. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2023.11.06.

Systematic analysis of Russula in the North American Rocky Mountain alpine zone

Russula (Russulales) is an important ectomycorrhizal fungal genus in Arctic and alpine regions where it occurs with Salix, Betula, Dryas, and Polygonum, yet a complex phylogenetic analysis of the genus in these habitats is lacking. This research compared collections of Russula from the Rocky Mountain alpine (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming) with reference specimens from Arctic and alpine habitats, mostly in Europe, using an in-depth morphological study and a phylogenetic analysis of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS barcode) and the second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II gene (rpb2). One hundred thirty-nine Russula collections were sequenced, including type material. Ten species are reported from alpine or treeline habitats in the Rocky Mountains. This is the first formal report of R. cf. altaica, R. saliceticola, and R. subrubens from the Rocky Mountains and of R. purpureofusca in North America. Russula laevis is reported for the first time under this name with a voucher, and not as an environmental sample. Previous reports of R. nana and R. laccata are molecularly confirmed. Two species are reported from subalpine habitats at treeline: R. montana with conifers and R. cf. altaica with Betula. In this study, R. laccata, R. subrubens, and R. laevis were collected in alpine habitats but have been reported below treeline in Europe; these species may also be present at lower elevations in North America. Most species have an intercontinental distribution and have been reported in other alpine or Arctic habitats. Two unidentified and potentially new species were only found in North America and are discussed. A key to the alpine Russulas of North America is provided.

A taxonomic reassessment of the genus Balsamia from China

Molecular analysis of the genus Balsamia was conducted with ITS and 28S sequences available, including newly gained sequences from Chinese specimens. Combined with the morphological examinations, a new hypogeous species, Balsamialishanensis was described and illustrated from North China, which is morphologically characterized by reddish brown ascomata covered with fine warts, the whitish gleba with numerous small chambers, 3–5 layers peridium with reddish brown polygonal cells and the smooth and regular ellipsoid ascospores with one large oil drop. Two species previously described as Barssia were transferred to Balsamia. Balsamiaplatyspora was confirmed to be in existence in China based on newly collected specimen. A key to the Chinese Balsamia species was provided.

A four-locus phylogeny of rib-stiped cupulate species of Helvella (Helvellaceae, Pezizales) with discovery of three new species

Helvella species are ascomycetous macrofungi with saddle-shaped or cupulate apothecia. They are distributed worldwide and play an important ecological role as ectomycorrhizal symbionts. A recent multi-locus phylogenetic study of the genus suggested that the cupulate group of Helvella was in need of comprehensive revision. In this study, all the specimens of cupulate Helvella sensu lato with ribbed stipes deposited in HMAS were examined morphologically and molecularly. A four-locus phylogeny was reconstructed using partial sequences of the heat shock protein 90, nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer region 2, nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA and translation elongation factor 1-α genes. Three clades were revealed in Helvella sensu stricto. Twenty species were included in the analysis, of which 13 are distributed in China. Three new species, H.acetabuloides, H.sichuanensis and H.tianshanensis, are described and illustrated in detail. A neotype was designated for H.taiyuanensis. Helvellacalycina is a new record for China, while Dissingialeucomelaena should be excluded from Chinese mycota. Hsp90 and ITS2 are recommended as useful supplementary barcodes for species identifications of the genus.

Fungal species boundaries in the genomics era

Genomic data has opened new possibilities to understand how organisms change over time, and could enable the discovery of previously undescribed species. Although taxonomy used to be based on phenotypes, molecular data has frequently revealed that morphological traits are insufficient to describe biodiversity. Genomics holds the promise of revealing even more genetic discontinuities, but the parameters on how to describe species from genomic data remain unclear. Fungi have been a successful case in which the use of molecular markers has uncovered the existence of genetic boundaries where no crosses are possible. In this minireview, we highlight recent advances, propose a set of standards to use genomic sequences to uncover species boundaries, point out potential pitfalls, and present possible future research directions.

Octosporaconidiophora (Pyronemataceae) - a new species from South Africa and the first report of anamorph in bryophilous Pezizales

Octosporaconidiophora is described as a new species, based on collections from South Africa. It is characterised by apothecia with a distinct margin, smooth or finely warted ellipsoid ascospores, stiff, thick-walled hyaline hairs, warted mycelial hyphae and growth on pleurocarpous mosses Trichosteleumperchlorosum and Sematophyllumbrachycarpum (Hypnales) on decaying wood in afromontane forests. It is the first species of bryophilous Pezizales in which an anamorph has been observed; it produces long, claviform, curved, hyaline and transversely septate conidia. Three other cryptic species of Octospora were detected using three molecular markers (LSU and SSU nrDNA and EF1α), but these could not be distinguished phenotypically. These are not described formally here and an informal species aggregate O.conidiophora agg. is established for them. The new species and finds of Lamprosporacampylopodis growing on Campylopuspyriformis and Neottiellaalbocincta on Atrichumandrogynum represent the first records of bryophilous Pezizales in South Africa.

Pindara revisited - evolution and generic limits in Helvellaceae

The Helvellaceae encompasses taxa that produce some of the most elaborate apothecial forms, as well as hypogeous ascomata, in the class Pezizomycetes (Ascomycota). While the circumscription of the Helvellaceae is clarified, evolutionary relationships and generic limits within the family are debatable. A robust phylogeny of the Helvellaceae, using an increased number of molecular characters from the LSU rDNA, RPB2 and EF-1α gene regions (4 299 bp) and a wide representative sampling, is presented here. Helvella s.lat. was shown to be polyphyletic, because Helvella aestivalis formed a distant monophyletic group with hypogeous species of Balsamia and Barssia. All other species of Helvella formed a large group with the enigmatic Pindara (/Helvella) terrestris nested within it. The ear-shaped Wynnella constitutes an independent lineage and is recognised with the earlier name Midotis. The clade of the hypogeous Balsamia and Barssia, and H. aestivalis is coherent in the three-gene phylogeny, and considering the lack of phenotypic characters to distinguish Barssia from Balsamia we combine species of Barssia, along with H. aestivalis, in Balsamia. The closed/tuberiform, sparassoid H. astieri is shown to be a synonym of H. lactea; it is merely an incidental folded form of the saddle-shaped H. lactea. Pindara is a sister group to a restricted Helvella, i.e., excluding the /leucomelaena lineage, on a notably long branch. We recognise Pindara as a separate genus and erect a new genus Dissingia for the /leucomelaena lineage, viz. H. confusa, H. crassitunicata, H. leucomelaena and H. oblongispora. Dissingia is supported by asci that arise from simple septa; all other species of Helvellaceae have asci that arise from croziers, with one exception being the /alpina-corium lineage of Helvella s.str. This suggests ascus development from croziers is the ancestral state for the Helvellaceae and that ascus development from simple septa has evolved at least twice in the family. Our phylogeny does not determine the evolutionary relationships within Helvella s.str., but it is most parsimonious to infer that the ancestor of the helvelloids produced subsessile or shortly stipitate, cup-shaped apothecia. This shape has been maintained in some lineages of Helvella s.str. The type species of Underwoodia, Underwoodia columnaris, is a sister lineage to the rest of the Helvellaceae.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Lignocellulose-Degrading Ascomycete Coniochaeta p ulveracea CAB 683

Coniochaeta pulveracea is a soft-rot-causing ascomycete able to degrade lignocellulosic biomass. The first draft genome sequence of strain CAB 683 reported here has an estimated size of 30 Mb assembled into 852 scaffolds and 10,035 predicted protein-coding genes.

A synopsis of the saddle fungi (Helvella: Ascomycota) in Europe - species delimitation, taxonomy and typification

Helvella is a widespread, speciose genus of large apothecial ascomycetes (Pezizomycete: Pezizales) that are found in terrestrial biomes of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This study represents a beginning on assessing species limits and applying correct names for Helvella species based on type material and specimens in the university herbaria (fungaria) of Copenhagen (C), Harvard (FH) and Oslo (O). We use morphology and phylogenetic evidence from four loci – heat shock protein 90 (hsp), translation elongation factor alpha (tef), RNA polymerase II (rpb2) and the nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU) – to assess species boundaries in an expanded sample of Helvella specimens from Europe. We combine the morphological and phylogenetic information from 55 Helvella species from Europe with a small sample of Helvella species from other regions of the world. Little intraspecific variation was detected within the species using these molecular markers; hsp and rpb2 markers provided useful barcodes for species delimitation in this genus, while LSU provided more variable resolution among the pertinent species. We discuss typification issues and identify molecular characteristics for 55 European Helvella species, designate neo- and epitypes for 30 species, and describe seven Helvella species new to science, i.e., H. alpicola, H. alpina, H. carnosa, H. danica, H. nannfeldtii, H. pubescens and H. scyphoides.

Solving the ecological puzzle of mycorrhizal associations using data from annotated collections and environmental samples - an example of saddle fungi

The relation between ecological and genetic divergence of Helvella species (saddle fungi) has been perplexing. While a few species have been clearly demonstrated to be ectomycorrhizal fungi, ecological roles of many other species have been controversial, alternately considered as either saprotrophic or mycorrhizal. We applied SATé to build an inclusive deoxyribonucleic acid sequence alignment for the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of annotated Helvella species and related environmental sequences. Phylogenetic informativeness of ITS and its regions were assessed using PhyDesign. Mycorrhizal lineages present a diversity of ecology, host type and geographic distribution. In two Helvella clades, no Helvella ITS sequences were recovered from root tips. Inclusion of environmental sequences in the ITS phylogeny from these sequences has the potential to link these data and reveal Helvella ecology. This study can serve as a model for revealing the diversity of relationships between unculturable fungi and their potential plant hosts. How non-mycorrhizal life styles within Helvella evolved will require expanded metagenomic investigation of soil and other environmental samples along with study of Helvella genomes.