Polyporaceae is one of the most important families of Basidiomycota. Investigations on the species diversity, taxonomy and phylogeny of Polyporaceae in China are carried out. So far 217 species belonging to 42 genera are reported from China. Two new genera: Amylosporia gen. nov. and Murinicarpus gen. nov., twelve new species: Coriolopsis dendriformis sp. nov., C. hainanensis sp. nov., Funalia cystidiata sp. nov., Haploporus microsporus sp. nov., Perenniporia citrinoalba sp. nov., P. yinggelingensis sp. nov., Picipes hainanensis sp. nov., P. jiajinensis sp. nov., P. pseudovarius sp. nov., Trametes duplexa sp. nov., T. ellipsoidea sp. nov. and T. stiptica sp. nov., and six new combinations, Amylosporia hattorii comb. nov., Hornodermoporus latissimus comb. nov., Murinicarpus subadustus comb. nov., Picipes pumilus comb. nov., Vanderbylia delavayi comb. nov. and Vanderbylia robiniophila comb. nov., are proposed. All the species are described based on the Chinese collections. Keys to genera of Polyporaceae occurring in China and keys to species of each genus are provided. This monograph provides a revised classification of Polyporaceae in China according to the modern taxonomy. The phylogeny of Polyporaceae from China are reconstructed based on DNA sequences of multiple loci including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the small subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nSSU), the small subunit mitochondrial rRNA gene sequences (mtSSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1), the β-tubulin gene (TBB1), the RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1) and second largest subunit (RPB2) genes. In addition, full morphological descriptions, illustrations, color photographs, taxonomic notes, ecology and all the available sequences of Polyporaceae species found from China are provided.

“Sanghuang” is a popular fungus used as a Chinese traditional medicine. In fact, it represents a group of fungi belonging to the genus Sanghuangporus, but little is known about its origin and biogeography. The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular relationships, origin and biogeographical distribution of Sanghuangporus. The multi-locus phylogenetic analyses were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships. In addition, based on Bayesian evolutionary analysis using sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), nuclear large subunit rDNA (nLSU), translation elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α), and the largest and second largest subunits of RNA polymerase II (RPB1 and RPB2), we used a fungus fossil-based approach to gain insight into the divergence time of species in Sanghuangporus. The molecular phylogeny strongly supports the monophyly of Sanghuangporus (MP = 100%, ML = 100%, and BPP = 1.00), and 13 species are recognized in this genus. The Bayesian uncorrelated lognormal relaxed molecular clock using BEAST and reconstructed ancestral areas indicate that the maximum crown age of Sanghuangporus is approximately 30.85 million years. East Asia is the likely ancestral area (38%). Dispersal and differentiation to other continents then occurred during the late Middle Miocene and Pliocene. The ancestor of Sanghuangporus probably originated in palaeotropical Northeast Asia and covered Northeast Asia and East Africa during the Oligocene-Miocene, hosted by plants that expanded via the “Gomphotherium Landbridge.” Six kinds of dispersal routes are proposed, including intercontinental dispersal events of three clades between Northeast Asia and East Africa, between East Asia and North America, and between Northeast Asia and Europe.