Phlebia s.l. (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) accommodates numerous species of wood-inhabiting fungi within the phylum Basidiomycota. The present study employs the morphological and phylogenetic approaches to revise the generic and species classification of Phlebia s.l. and surveys the species diversity. The phylogenetic analyses were performed using multiple gene regions viz. the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1), the small subunit of mitochondrial rRNA gene (mtSSU), the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (rpb1), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2). We overall recognize twenty genera of Phlebia s.l., including three new genera viz. Ceriporiopsoides, Phlebicolorata, and Pseudophlebia, seven new species viz. Crustodontia rhododendri, Hydnophlebia fissurata, Luteoporia straminea, Merulius sinensis, Mycoaciella brunneospina, Phlebia niveomarginata, and P. poroides and seventeen new combinations viz. Ceriporiopsoides guidella, C. lagerheimii, Hydnophlebia acanthocystis, H. capsica, H. fimbriata, Merulius fuscotuberculatus, M. nantahaliensis, M. tomentopileatus, Mycoacia tuberculata, Mycoaciella uda, Phlebicolorata alboaurantia, Ph. brevispora, Ph. pseudoplacenta, Ph. rosea, Pseudophlebia lindtneri, Ps. semisupina, and Ps. setulosa. Descriptions, illustrations, phylogenetic trees to show the placements, and notes of new taxa are provided.

Fungal taxonomy research, and specifically the study of macro and micro morphological characteristics, requires precise temperature control. This is because variation in temperature can affect macrofungal microstructures. Understanding the appropriate temperature range for drying macrofungal fruitbodies is crucial to ensure consistent reports between studies. In this study, three macrofungal species, viz. Agaricus bisporus, Lentinula edodes, and Pleurotus ostreatus, were selected to compare basidiospore sizes in dried and fresh macrofungal fruitbodies. All three were dehydrated within 24 h of harvesting at five different temperatures: 30 °C, 35 °C, 40 °C, 45 °C, and 50 °C, with dehydration lasting 48 h. We measured a total of 1000 basidiospores at each temperature for each species. A linear regression model was used to monitor the relationship between drying temperature and the length, width, and Q value of the basidiospores. We found that drying temperature was negatively related, while Q value was positively related to basidiospore length and width. Analysis of variance shows significant changes in basidiospore size among different drying temperatures. Our data indicate that the optimal method for drying macrofungal fruitbodies is to use a temperature of 30 °C for 48 h and subsequently preserve the specimens with silica gel. Standardizing drying temperature is crucial for the study of macrofungi as basidiospore size is used as a discriminative taxonomic characteristic in macrofungal identification.

Five new wood-inhabiting fungi, Lyomyces albopulverulentus, L. yunnanensis, Xylodon daweishanensis, X. fissuratus, and X. puerensisspp. nov., are proposed based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Lyomyces albopulverulentus is characterized by brittle basidiomata, pruinose hymenophore with a white hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, and ellipsoid basidiospores. Lyomyces yunnanensis is characterized by a grandinioid hymenial surface, the presence of capitate cystidia, and ellipsoid basidiospores. Xylodon daweishanensis is characterized by an odontioid hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, and broad ellipsoid-to-subglobose basidiospores. Xylodon fissuratus is characterized by a cracking basidiomata with a grandinioid hymenial surface, and ellipsoid basidiospores. Xylodon puerensis is characterized by a poroid hymenophore with an angular or slightly daedaleoid configuration, and ellipsoid-to-broad-ellipsoid basidiospores. Sequences of ITS and nLSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated and phylogenetic analyses were performed with the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogram based on the ITS+nLSU rDNA gene regions (Fig. 1) included six genera within the families Chaetoporellaceae, Hyphodontiaceae, Hymenochaetaceae, and Schizoporaceae (Hymenochaetales)—Fasciodontia, Hastodontia, Hyphodontia, Kneifiella, Lyomyces, and Xylodon—in which the five new species were grouped into genera Lyomyces and Xylodon. The phylogenetic tree inferred from the ITS sequences highlighted that Lyomyces albopulverulentus formed a monophyletic lineage and was then grouped closely with L. bambusinus, L. orientalis, and L. sambuci; additionally, L. yunnanensis was sister to L. niveus with strong supports. The topology, based on the ITS sequences, revealed that Xylodon daweishanensis was retrieved as a sister to X. hyphodontinus; X. fissuratus was grouped with the four taxa X. montanus, X. subclavatus, X. wenshanensis, and X. xinpingensis; and X. puerensis was clustered with X. flaviporus, X. ovisporus, X. subflaviporus, X. subtropicus, and X. taiwanianus.

Vararia is a species-rich genus in the family Peniophoraceae and has been shown to be polyphyletic. In this study, sequences of ITS and LSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated and phylogenetic analyses were performed with the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. Seventeen lineages including six new species from China, i.e., V. fissurata, V. lincangensis, V. punctata, V. isabellina, V. sinensis, and V. yaoshanensis were recognized, in which V. fissurata is characterized by the brittle basidiomata with pruinose and cracking hymenophore having white to olivaceous buff hymenial surface, the clamped generative hyphae, presence of the two types gloeocystidia; V. lincangensis is characterized by the simple-septa generative hyphae, and thick-walled skeletal hyphae, and ellipsoid basidiospores; V. punctata is delimited by its thin to slightly thick-walled generative hyphae, and thick-walled skeletal hyphae, present thick-walled, clavate to cylindrical gloeocystidia; V. isabellina is characterized by having the cream to isabelline to slightly brown hymenial surface, thin to slightly thick-walled generative hyphae, and sub-fusiform to navicular basidiospores; V. sinensis is distinguishable by its white to slightly pink hymenial surface, thick-walled skeletal hyphae, and sub-fusiform to navicular basidiospores; V. yaoshanensis is characterized by cream to pinkish buff to cinnamon-buff hymenial surface, slightly thick-walled generative hyphae, the presence of two types gloeocystidia, and slightly thick-walled, ellipsoid basidiospores. Phylogram based on the ITS+nLSU rDNA gene regions included nine genera within the family Peniophoraceae as Amylostereum, Asterostroma, Baltazaria, Dichostereum, Michenera, Peniophora, Scytinostroma and Vararia, in which the six new wood-inhabiting fungi species were grouped into genus Vararia. The phylogenetic tree inferred from the combined ITS and LSU tree sequences highlighted that V. fissurata was found to be the sister to V. ellipsospora with strong supports. Additionally, V. lincangensis was clustered with V. fragilis. Furthermore, V. punctata was retrieved as a sister to V. ambigua. Moreover, V. sinensis was grouped with five taxa as V. breviphysa, V. pirispora, V. fusispora, V. abortiphysa and V. insolita. The new species V. isabellina formed a monophyletic lineage, in which it was then grouped closely with V. daweishanensis, and V. gracilispora. In addition, V. yaoshanensis was found to be the sister to V. gallica with strong supports. The present results increased the knowledge of Vararia species diversity and taxonomy of corticioid fungi in China. An identification key to 17 species of Vararia in China is provided.

Four new wood-inhabiting fungal species, Lyomyces bambusinus, L. cremeus, L. macrosporus and L. wuliangshanensis, are proposed based on a combination of morphological and molecular evidence. Lyomyces bambusinus is characterized by resupinate basidiomata with colliculose to tuberculate hymenial surface and broadly ellipsoid, hyaline, slightly thick-walled, smooth basidiospores. Lyomyces cremeus is characterised by resupinate basidiomata with smooth, cream hymenial surface and ellipsoid, hyaline, thin-walled to slightly thick-walled basidiospores. Lyomyces macrosporus is characterized by pruinose basidiomata with reticulate hymenial surface, presence of three kinds of cystidia and larger basidiospores (6.7–8.9 × 4.4–5.4 µm). Lyomyces wuliangshanensis is characterized by coriaceous basidiomata and ellipsoid, hyaline, slightly thick-walled, smooth basidiospores. The phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequences revealed that the four new species belonged to Lyomyces. Lyomyces bambusinus grouped with L. sambuci. Lyomyces cremeus clade was sister to a clade comprised of L. microfasciculatus. Lyomyces macrosporus was sister to L. allantosporus. Lyomyces wuliangshanensis was closely related to L. mascarensis.