Hyphodontia sensu lato, belonging to Hymenochaetales, accommodates corticioid wood-inhabiting basidiomycetous fungi with resupinate basidiocarps and diverse hymenophoral characters. Species diversity of Hyphodontia sensu lato has been extensively explored worldwide, but in previous studies the six accepted genera in Hyphodontia sensu lato, viz. Fasciodontia, Hastodontia, Hyphodontia, Kneiffiella, Lyomyces and Xylodon were not all strongly supported from a phylogenetic perspective. Moreover, the relationships among these six genera in Hyphodontia sensu lato and other lineages within Hymenochaetales are not clear. In this study, we performed comprehensive phylogenetic analyses on the basis of multiple loci. For the first time, the independence of each of the six genera receives strong phylogenetic support. The six genera are separated in four clades within Hymenochaetales: Fasciodontia, Lyomyces and Xylodon are accepted as members of a previously known family Schizoporaceae, Kneiffiella and Hyphodontia are, respectively, placed in two monotypic families, viz. a previous name Chaetoporellaceae and a newly introduced name Hyphodontiaceae, and Hastodontia is considered to be a genus with an uncertain taxonomic position at the family rank within Hymenochaetales. The three families emerged between 61.51 and 195.87 million years ago. Compared to other families in the Hymenochaetales, these ages are more or less similar to those of Coltriciaceae, Hymenochaetaceae and Oxyporaceae, but much older than those of the two families Neoantrodiellaceae and Nigrofomitaceae. In regard to species, two, one, three and 10 species are newly described from Hyphodontia, Kneiffiella, Lyomyces and Xylodon, respectively. The taxonomic status of additional 30 species names from these four genera is briefly discussed; an epitype is designated for X. australis. The resupinate habit and poroid hymenophoral configuration were evaluated as the ancestral state of basidiocarps within Hymenochaetales. The resupinate habit mainly remains, while the hymenophoral configuration mainly evolves to the grandinioid-odontioid state and also back to the poroid state at the family level. Generally, a taxonomic framework for Hymenochaetales with an emphasis on members belonging to Hyphodontia sensu lato is constructed, and trait evolution of basidiocarps within Hymenochaetales is revealed accordingly.

Interest in edible and medicinal macrofungi is millennial in terms of their uses in health and food products in Central Asia, while interest in inedible and medicinal macrofungi has grown in popularity in recent years. Edible and inedible medicinal basidiomycetes were collected during field surveys from different regions of Uzbekistan. The morphological characters and similarity assessment of rDNA-Internal Transcribed Spacer sequence data were used to measure diversity and habitat associations. A number of 17 species of medicinal macrofungi of ethnomycological and medicinal interest was found associated with 23 species of trees and shrubs belonging to 11 families and 14 genera. Polyporaceae and Hymenochaetaceae were represented by the highest number of species followed by Ganodermataceae, Fomitopsidaceae, Auriculariaceae, Cerrenaceae, Grifolaceae, Phanerochaetaceae, Laetiporaceae, Schizophyllaceae, and Stereaceae. The highest number of medicinal basidiomycete species was reported in the following host genera: Acer, Betula, Celtis, Crataegus, Juglans, Juniperus, Lonicera, Malus, Morus, Platanus, Populus, Prunus, Quercus, and Salix. An updated list of edible and inedible medicinal mushrooms identified in Uzbekistan, their morphological characteristics, and phylogenetic placement are given for the first time. Information is provided on their uses in traditional and modern medicine. Their bioactive compounds and extracts can be applied as medicines, as well as food and cosmetic ingredients.

Resinicium, belonging to Hymenochaetales, Agaricomycetes, is a worldwide genus of corticioid wood-inhabiting fungi. To improve the knowledge of species diversity within the Hymenochaetales, two dozen specimens from Asia-Pacific preliminarily identified to be members of Resinicium sensu lato were carefully studied from morphological and phylogenetic perspectives. From these specimens, a new monotypic genus Skvortzoviella, and five new species, viz. Resinicium austroasianum, R. lateastrocystidium, Skvortzovia dabieshanensis, S. qilianensis and Skvortzoviella lenis are described; moreover, a new basal lineage of Resinicium represented by a Vietnam specimen and three Chinese specimens of S. pinicola are identified. The six newly proposed taxa are morphologically compared with related genera and species, while the family positions of Resinicium, Skvortzovia, and Skvortzoviella within the Hymenochaetales are still ambiguous. In addition, the ancestral geographic origin of Resinicium, even though inconclusive, is now thought to be Asia-Pacific instead of tropical America as previously assumed.

Hymenochaetales, belonging to Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota, comprises most polypores and corticioid fungi and, also, a few agarics. The latest taxonomic framework accepts 14 families in this order. When further exploring species diversity of Hymenochaetales, two corticioid specimens collected from China producing cystidia with large umbrella-shaped crystalline heads attracted our attention. This kind of cystidia was reported only in three unsequenced species, viz. Tubulicrinis corneri, T. hamatus and T. umbraculus, which were accepted in Tubulicrinaceae, Hymenochaetales. The current multilocus-based phylogeny supports that the two Chinese specimens formed an independent lineage from Tubulicrinaceae as well as the additional 13 families and all sampled genera in Hymenochaetales. Therefore, a monotypic family, Umbellaceae, is newly described with the new genus Umbellus as the type genus to represent this lineage. The two Chinese specimens are newly described as U. sinensis, which differs from T. corneri, T. hamatus, and T. umbraculus in a combination of a smooth to grandinioid hymenophoral surface, not flattened, broadly ellipsoid basidiospores with a tiny apiculus, and growth on angiosperm wood. Due to the presence of the unique cystidia, the three species of Tubulicrinis, even though they lack available molecular sequences, are transferred to Umbellus as U. corneri, U. hamatus, and U. umbraculus. Hereafter, all known species with large umbrella-shaped crystalline-headed cystidia are in a single genus. In summary, the current study provides a supplement to the latest taxonomic framework of Hymenochaetales and will help to further explore species diversity and the evolution of this fungal order.

Coniferiporia, belonging to Hymenochaetaceae and now segregated from Phellinidium, is a wood-inhabiting fungal genus with three species, each having a specific geographic distribution and a strong host specificity as a forest pathogen of coniferous trees. In this study, the species diversity of Coniferiporia is further clarified with the aid of a wider sampling and multilocus-based phylogenetic analysis, which reveals a new species Coniferiporia uzbekistanensis. The molecular clock and ancestral geographic origin analyses indicate that the ancestor of Coniferiporia emerged in one of the Pinaceae and Cupressaceae, then jumped to the other plant family originated in eastern Eurasia 17.01 million years ago (Mya; 95% highest posterior density: 9.46 to 25.86 Mya), and later extended its distribution to western North America, Central Asia, and eastern Europe. Coniferiporia sulphurascens speciated on Pinaceae in eastern Eurasia 8.78 Mya (9.46 to 25.86 Mya) and then extended its distribution to western North America and eastern Europe. Coniferiporia qilianensis and C. uzbekistanensis speciated on Juniperus przewalskii in eastern Eurasia 3.67 Mya (0.36 to 8.02 Mya) and on Juniperus polycarpos in Central Asia 4.35 Mya (0.94 to 8.37 Mya), respectively. The speciation event of Coniferiporia weirii occurred 4.45 Mya (0.77 to 9.33 Mya) right after the emergence of its host, the endemic Cupressaceae species Thuja plicata, and soon after, this fungus evolved to also inhabit another endemic Cupressaceae species Calocedrus decurrens. In summary, this study for the first time unambiguously clarified and timed the adaptive evolutionary event of Coniferiporia in association with its biogeography and host plants.

Central Asia, located at the heart of Eurasia, is renowned for its varied climate and vertical vegetative distribution, which support diverse biomes and position it as a global biodiversity hotspot. Despite this ecological richness, Central Asia’s fungal diversity, particularly wood-inhabiting macrofungi, remains largely unexplored. This study investigates the diversity, ecological roles, and potential distribution of poroid Hymenochaetoid fungi in the region. By conducting field surveys, collecting basidiomes, and reviewing the literature and herbarium records from five Central Asian countries, we compiled a comprehensive checklist of these fungi. In total, 43 Hymenochaetoid species belonging to 18 genera were identified, with Inonotus, Phellinus, and Phylloporia being the most species-rich. Notably, Inonotus hispidus and Phellinus igniarius were found to be the most widespread species. These macrofungi play essential ecological roles as saprotrophs and pathogens of various identified host plant families, aiding in lignin degradation and exhibiting diverse enzymatic activities. For the first time, we modelled the potential distribution patterns of Hymenochaetoid fungi in Central Asia, revealing that their distribution is strongly influenced by host plant availability and temperature-related factors. The three most critical variables were host plant density, annual temperature range (Bio7), and mean temperature of the warmest quarter (Bio10). The distribution of suitable habitats is uneven, with highly suitable areas (4.52%) concentrated in the mountainous border regions between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. These results underscore the significance of specific environmental conditions for the growth and survival of Hymenochaetoid fungi in this region. Our findings highlight the urgent need for continued mycological and host plant research and expanded conservation initiatives to document and preserve macrofungal and botanical biodiversity in this under-explored area. In light of climate change, the collected mycological and botanical data provide a valuable reference for promoting forest health management globally.