Fungi are an important and diverse component in various ecosystems. The methods to identify different fungi are an important step in any mycological study. Classical methods of fungal identification, which rely mainly on morphological characteristics and modern use of DNA based molecular techniques, have proven to be very helpful to explore their taxonomic identity. In the present compilation, we provide detailed information on estimates of fungi provided by different mycologistsover time. Along with this, a comprehensive analysis of the importance of classical and molecular methods is also presented. In orderto understand the utility of genus and species specific markers in fungal identification, a polyphasic approach to investigate various fungi is also presented in this paper. An account of the study of various fungi based on culture-based and cultureindependent methods is also provided here to understand the development and significance of both approaches. The available information on classical and modern methods compiled in this study revealed that the DNA based molecular studies are still scant, and more studies are required to achieve the accurate estimation of fungi present on earth.

This is a multidimensional review of mangrove fungi occurring as saprobes, pathogens and endophytes of a wide range of host substrates and those isolated from the water columns and sediments in mangroves. Eight-hundred and fifty taxa including 658 that are supported by both morphology and molecular data and 192 with only morphological data are listed. These constitute Ascomycota, the dominant group with 773 species, and 58 Basidiomycota, one Blastocladiomycota, five Chytridiomycota, and 13 Mucoromycota. This study also includes data on mangrove yeasts 103 Ascomycota, 39 Basidiomycota and 193 taxa isolated from sediments. Endophytes isolated from submerged parts of mangrove plants total 38. The most specious orders of mangrove fungi are Pleosporales 133, Saccharomycetales 102, Microascales 101, Eurotiales 87, Hypocreales 60 and Xylariales 54. Speciose genera include Candida 39, Aspergillus 53, Penicillium 17 and Corollospora 16. The highest number of mangrove fungi have been recorded from the Pacific Ocean 553, which is the largest ocean, followed by Indian 408 and Atlantic Oceans 259. Geographical distribution of mangrove fungi varied from ocean to ocean with only 109 taxa common to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Of the various countries reported for mangrove fungi, India accommodates the highest number (339) followed by Thailand 303, Malaysia 171, Florida Everglades, USA 134 and Brunei 134. A total of 60 different mangrove plants and their associates have been surveyed for mangrove fungi. These results are discussed and compared with previous studies.

This article revises the documented diversity of known marine fungi from nine phyla, 33 classes, 107 orders, 273 families, 767 genera and 1898 species reported worldwide. A member of the Aphelidiomycota, Pseudaphelidium drebesii, is reported for the first time from the marine environment, on a diatom. Likewise, the phylum Mortierellomycota is listed following taxonomic changes, as are six subclasses: Chaetothyriomycetidae, Savoryellomycetidae, Sclerococcomycetidae, Agaricostilbomycetidae, Auriculariomycetidae and Aphelidiomycotina. Thirty-three orders and 105 family names with marine species are added to the checklist, along with 641 species in 228 genera, bringing the total to 1898. New additions of species added to the list of marine fungi are highlighted. Four new combinations are proposed: Stigmatodiscus mangrovei, Diaporthe krabiensis and Diaporthe xylocarpi, while the hyphomycete Humicola alopallonella is referred to the genus Halosphaeriopsis, as Halosphaeriopsis alopallonella.

This paper documents six new saprobic marine fungi and one new genus based on morphology and multi-gene phylogenies. Three Dothideomycetes, and members of the Pleosporales, are introduced: Pseudomassariosphaeria triseptata sp. nov. was recognized as a mangrove species in Amniculicolaceae, and Salsuginea phoenicis sp. nov. was discovered as a second member of Salsugineaceae. A new genus Raghukumaria with Raghukumaria keshaphalae sp. nov., recovered from mangroves, is phylogenetically sister to Halomassarina and nests in the Trematosphaeriaceae. Three new species are referred to the Sordariomycetes: Coniochaeta marina (Coniochaetales, Coniochaetaceae) on driftwood; Fusicolla bharatavarshae (Hypocreales, Nectriaceae) is introduced with asexual and sexual morphs, on decayed mangrove wood of Avicennia marina; and Fusarium sedimenticola (Hypocreales, Nectriaceae) is new to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) from deep-sea sediment.

Uromyces is the second-largest plant pathogenic rust genus, is responsible for numerous diseases, and has major effects on both agricultural and non-agricultural plants. The genus is generally characterized by its unicellular teliospores that help to characterize it and distinguish it from another important rust genus, Puccinia. In this study, a global overview of the diversity and distribution of Uromyces is presented based on both online and offline resources. The information obtained was analyzed for numerical and graphical summaries to provide the diversity and distribution of the genus by country and continent. Besides this, broad taxonomical aspects, a brief life cycle, and other comparative aspects on diversity and distribution were also provided. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis based on the ITS and nLSU DNA sequence data available in GenBank and published literature was performed to examine the intergeneric relationships of Uromyces. The results obtained revealed that the rust genus is found distributed over 150 countries, territories, and occupancies of the world on around 647 plant genera belonging to 95 plant families. Phylogenetic studies based on LSU and ITS sequence data revealed that Uromyces species are polyphyletic and require more DNA-based analyses for a better understanding of their taxonomic placement.