Behind the veil - exploring the diversity in Phallus indusiatus s.l. (Phallomycetidae, Basidiomycota)

Diversity of Neotropical stalked-puffball: Two new species of Tulostoma with reticulated spores

Species of the genus Tulostoma are easily recognizable by the presence of a spore sac, with a mouth from which spores are released, attached to a stipe. Tulostoma is a species-diverse genus with a worldwide distribution, and some attempts were made to delimitate species and to evaluate reliable taxonomic-informative characteristics for species identification. However, there is a notable information gap regarding Neotropical species, especially for geographic distribution and DNA data, which hampers further understanding of the infrageneric diversity, evolution, and ecology of this genus. Based on morphological analysis, molecular phylogenetics and geographic distribution, we propose here two new species of Tulostoma with reticulated spores, from the two threatened Brazilian geographical areas, Atlantic Forest and "campos rupestres" (rupestrian grassland), as well as we provide notes on the taxonomic rank of Tulostoma exasperatum var. ridleyi.

Diversity of Wood-Decaying Fungi in Wuliangshan Area, Yunnan Province, P.R. China

Five surveys were carried out in the Wuliangshan area, Yunnan Province, P.R. China, based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Around 2454 specimens of wood-decaying fungi were collected. The paper summarizes the obtained results on the wood-decaying fungi of this area, consisting in 95 species distributed in 59 genera, 23 families and 9 orders. Their hosts and substrates were also identified. A checklist of wood-decaying fungi is given. Sequences of the ITS nrRNA gene region of the studied specimens were generated and phylogenetic analysis was performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods. The present list of wood-decaying fungi enriches the knowledge of fungal diversity worldwide and supplies the basic data for future applications.

Two new species of Phallus (Phallaceae) with a white indusium from China

Two new Phallus species, P.cremeo-ochraceus and P.rigidiindusiatus were discovered in southwestern and southern China, respectively. Phalluscremeo-ochraceus is morphologically characterized by its cream to ochraceous receptacle, white to very slightly pinkish indusium, white to pinkish pseudostipe and white to slightly purplish pink volva. Phallusrigidiindusiatus is characterized by a white to yellowish white receptacle, a strongly rigid indusium usually without serrated margin and smaller basidiospores than those of P.serratus. Phylogenetic positions of the two species are located in two independent lineages respectively. Detailed descriptions, color photographs, illustrations and a key to the related species are presented.

Phallus chiangmaiensis sp. nov. and a Record of P. merulinus in Thailand

During the rainy season in Thailand, specimens of Phallus chiangmaiensis sp. nov. and P. merulinus were collected from Chiang Mai and Samut Sakhon Provinces, respectively. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU), nuclear ribosomal 5.8S gene including the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 (ITS), and the protein-coding gene atp6 (mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate [ATP] synthase subunit 6) support the placement of the new species within Phallus. Phallus chiangmaiensis has a well-developed white indusium and campanulated caps with reticulate surfaces. It differs morphologically from the related species, as supported by the phylogenetic data. Phallus merulinus is reported here as a species that was re-encountered in Thailand. The descriptions of the species are accompanied by illustrations of macro- and micro- morphological features, and a discussion of the related taxa is presented.

An Overview of 24 Years of Molecular Phylogenetic Studies in Phallales (Basidiomycota) With Notes on Systematics, Geographic Distribution, Lifestyle, and Edibility

The order Phallales (Basidiomycota) is represented by gasteroid fungi with expanded and sequestrate basidiomata, known as stinkhorns and false truffles. In phalloids, the first DNA sequence was published in 1997, and after that, some studies aimed to resolve phylogenetic conflicts and propose new species based on DNA markers; however, the number of families and genera in the order still generates controversies among researchers. Thus, this work aims to provide an overview of Phallales diversity represented by selected DNA markers available in public databases. We retrieved Phallales sequences from DNA databases (GenBank and UNITE) of seven markers: ITS (internal transcribed spacer), nuc-LSU (nuclear large subunit rDNA), nuc-SSU (nuclear small subunit rDNA), mt-SSU (mitochondrial small subunit rDNA), ATP6 (ATPase subunit 6), RPB2 (nuclear protein-coding second largest subunit of RNA polymerase), and TEF1-α (translation elongation factor subunit 1α). To compose our final dataset, all ITS sequences retrieved were subjected to BLASTn searches to identify additional ITS sequences not classified as Phallales. Phylogenetic analyses based on Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches using single and combined markers were conducted. All ITS sequences were clustered with a cutoff of 98% in order to maximize the number of species hypotheses. The geographic origin of sequences was retrieved, as well as additional information on species lifestyle and edibility. We obtained a total of 1,149 sequences, representing 664 individuals. Sequences of 41 individuals were unidentified at genus level and were assigned to five distinct families. We recognize seven families and 22 genera in Phallales, although the delimitation of some genera must be further revisited in order to recognize only monophyletic groups. Many inconsistencies in species identification are discussed, and the positioning of genera in each family is shown. The clustering revealed 118 species hypotheses, meaning that approximately 20% of all described species in Phallales have DNA sequences available. Information related to geographic distribution represents 462 individuals distributed in 46 countries on all continents, except Antarctica. Most genera are saprotrophic with only one putative ectomycorrhizal genus, and 2.1% of the legitimate specific names recognized in Phallales are confirmed edible species. Great progress in the molecular analyses of phalloids has already been made over these years, but it is still necessary to solve some taxonomic inconsistencies, mainly at genus level, and generate new data to expand knowledge of the group.