Within the genus Mycena, species exhibiting brownish basidiomata present considerable challenges in identification due to similar coloration. This study underscores the significance of pileipellis types and cheilocystidia characteristics as critical in delimiting brownish Mycena species. To clarify the principal taxonomic characters and their utility in distinguishing between brownish Mycena species, a morphological taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis were performed. Five new species from China were introduced and characterized through a comprehensive morphological anatomy and phylogenetic substantiation: M. campanulatihemisphaerica sp. nov., M. digitifurcata sp. nov., M. kunyuensis sp. nov., M. limitis sp. nov., and M. oryzifluens sp. nov. Discussions of these taxa are supplemented with morphological illustrations. The phylogenetic relationships were inferred using Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood methods based on sequences from the internal transcribed spacer and the large subunit regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA. With the addition of these five new species, the worldwide count of brownish Mycena increases to 94, and a key to the 29 known species of brownish Mycena from China is presented.

Bluish Mycena are rare, but constitute a taxonomically complex group. A total of eight bluish species in four sections have previously been reported from North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. Two species with a blue pileus, collected in China during our taxonomic study of Mycena s.l., are described here as new to science: Mycena caeruleogriseasp. nov. and M. caeruleomarginatasp. nov. Detailed descriptions, line drawings and a morphological comparison with closely-related species, especially herbarium specimens of M. subcaerulea from the USA, are provided. The results of Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses of a dataset of 96 nuclear rDNA ITS and 20 nLSU sequences of 43 Mycena species are also presented. The morphological data and the results of the phylogenetic analyses support the introduction of M. caeruleogrisea and M. caeruleomarginata as new species. A taxonomic key to bluish Mycena species of sections Amictae, Cyanocephalae, Sacchariferae and Viscipelles is provided.

Species of Mycena sect. Calodontes are representative of the Mycena genus as a whole and are easily recognised by the pinkish, reddish, purplish to brownish pileus and larger basidiomata. Furthermore, the colour of the pileus in the species of sect. Calodontes often has a transition or changes in different stages and the combination of the colour of the pileus with cystidia and basidiospores can be used to recognise taxa within this section. To date, 19 species of Mycena sect. Calodontes have been reported worldwide. Including our recent description of M. yuezhuoi, five species of sect. Calodontes have been recorded in China. During examination of specimens collected in coniferous forests or mixed broadleaf-conifer forests in temperate regions of China, additional taxa assigned to sect. Calodontes were identified. Four new species are recognised, based mostly on characters of the pileus and cystidia. Phylogenetic analysis of sequence data from multiple DNA regions (ITS + rpb1 + tef1) supported the morphological evidence. Here, we propose M. polycystidiata, M. rufobrunnea, M. shengshanensis and M. subulata as new species in Mycena sect. Calodontes. Morphological descriptions, line drawings, habitat photos and comparisons with closely-related taxa are provided. A key to the 23 known species of sect. Calodontes is presented.

During a study of Mycena s.l. in eastern China, a distinct species, Mycena yuezhuoi, was collected on the Jiaodong Peninsula. Mycena yuezhuoi has the following characteristics: a purple pileus, emarginate and white lamellae, elongated pip-shaped to cylindrical basidiospores, and cheilocystidia that are smooth or occasionally have an apical protrusion. The discovery of M. yuezhuoi provides new material for the study of Mycena sect. Calodontes, especially the M. pura complex. Although M. yuezhuoi closely resembles M. pura regarding macroscopic characteristics, it forms a monophyletic clade in phylogenetic trees that is distinct from clades in the M. pura complex. Moreover, the molecular phylogeny obtained from a combined analysis of multiple gene regions (ITS+RPB1+tEF1) supports the results of the morphological identification. We propose Mycena yuezhuoi as a new species based on morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses and provide line drawings, photos, descriptions, and comparisons with allied species.

Only three Gerronema (Porotheleaceae) species have been previously recorded in China. Here, we report collections of a fourth species in China: G. nemorale Har. Takah., which is widely distributed in Chinese temperate to subtropical zones. We also formally describe three new species, collected from Anhui, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces: G. baishanzuensesp. nov., G. microcarpumsp. nov., and G. zhujiansp. nov. Furthermore, we include the results of a phylogenetic analysis of Porotheleaceae based on a multi-locus (ITS + nLSU) dataset. The results, which indicate that Gerronema is polyphyletic, support the taxonomic recognition of the three new species. Morphological descriptions, photographs, line drawings, and comparisons with closely related taxa are presented for the new and newly recorded species. A key to the seven species of Gerronema in China is also provided.

The first occurrence of Marasmiellomycena and Pulverulina in the Chinese mycobiota are reported, M. tomentosa and P. flavoalba, two new species and M. albodescendens, a new combination, revealed by phylogenetic analyses and morphological study. These newly-recorded genera, Marasmiellomycena, which can be distinguished by their agaricoid basidiomata, dark-coloured stipe, sarcodimitic tramal structure, stipitipellis with yellow to yellowish-brown pigments and yellow-pigmented thick-walled caulocystidia and Pulverulina, which differs from other genera of Porotheleaceae by its pruinose stipe, decurrent lamellae, inamyloid basidiospores and absence of hymenial cystidia. We also formally describe three other new species of Porotheleaceae collected from Chinese temperate to subtropical zones of Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces: Clitocybula fuscostriata, Gerronema brunneosquamulosum and Leucoinocybe subglobispora. Furthermore, we include the results of a phylogenetic analysis of Porotheleaceae, based on a multi-locus (ITS, nrLSU and rpb2) dataset. According to this analysis, Chrysomycena, Clitocybula, Delicatula, Hydropodia, Hydropus, Leucoinocybe, Marasmiellomycena, Megacollybia, Pulverulina, Trogia and Vizzinia are monophyletic. However, Gerronema is identified as polyphyletic and, additionally, Porotheleum does not form a monophyletic group either because Porotheleum parvulum and Porotheleum albidum are “unassigned” in phylogenetic analysis. The results of our phylogenetic analyses, coupled with morphological observations, confirm recognition of these new taxa. Morphological descriptions, photographs, line drawings and comparisons with closely-related taxa are presented for the new species. A key to the 22 species belonging to nine genera of Porotheleaceae in China is also provided.