Four new species of Russula subsection Sardoninae from northern and southwestern China under coniferous and deciduous trees are proposed as R. begonia, R. photinia, R. rhodochroa, and R. rufa. Illustrations and descriptions of R. gracillima, R. leucomarginata, R. roseola, and the above four new species are provided based on evidence of morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), as well as the multi-locus of mtSSU, nLSU, rpb1, rpb2 and tef1-α. The relationships between these new species and allied taxa are discussed.

In this study, four new species of Russula subg. Brevipedum collected from China are described based on morphological characteristics and molecular evidence. Russula brevispora has a white body whose whole parts often stain brownish-orange or grayish-orange, extremely crowded lamellae with the presence of lamellulae, basidiospores with low warts and an inamyloid suprahilar spot, and clavate or lageniform hymenial cystidia often with a papillary or submoniliform appendage. Russula flavescens is characterized by a white pileus often turning yellowish brown when touched, white lamellae turning brown or light orange, basidiospores with an inamyloid suprahilar spot, and fusiform hymenial cystidia often with an appendage. Russula longicollis is morphologically characterized by a white pileus, turning grayish orange when bruised, white lamellae turning pale yellow when bruised, basidiospores with isolated warts and an amyloid suprahilar spot, and fusiform hymenial cystidia usually with a long appendage. Russula pseudojaponica has a yellowish-brown pileus center, yellowish lamellae unchanging when bruised, basidiospores with low warts and an inamyloid suprahilar spot, clavate hymenial cystidia often with a papillary appendage, and clavate pileocystidia with granulose contents. Phylogenetic analyses showed that R. flavescens, R. brevispora, and R. pseudojaponica are members of the subsect. Pallidosporinae, whereas R. longicollis belongs to subsect. Lactarioideae, and is somewhat related to R. leucocarpa.

In this study, one strain of Beauveria caledonica was isolated from wild fruiting bodies collected from Guizhou Province, China, and its species identification, biological characteristics, domestication, and cultivation methods were studied along with polysaccharide and adenosine content analysis. The mycelia were identified by ITS sequencing, and the fruiting bodies of B. caledonica were domestically cultivated for the first time using wheat and rice as basic cultivation media. The carbon sources, nitrogen sources, cultivation temperatures, and pH for mycelial growth were optimized through single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) experiments. The polysaccharide content was detected by the phenol–sulfuric acid method, and the adenosine content was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results confirmed that the identified mycelia were B. caledonica. The optimum medium for solid culture was 25.8 g/L glycerol, 10.9 g/L yeast extract, 1 g/L MgSO₄·7H₂O, 1 g/L KH₂PO₄, 10 mg/L vitamin B₁, and 20 g/L agar; the optimum pH was 6.5, and the optimum culture temperature was 25 °C. The optimal liquid culture medium was 26.2 g/L glycerol, 11.1 g/L yeast extract, 1 g/L MgSO₄·7H₂O, 1 g/L KH₂PO₄, and 10 mg/L vitamin B₁; the mycelia grew well at pH 6.6 and 25 °C. The average biological efficiencies of fruiting bodies on wheat and rice as culture media were 1.880% and 2.115%, respectively; the polysaccharide contents of fruiting bodies on the two media were 6.635% and 9.264%, respectively, while the adenosine contents were 0.145% and 0.150%, respectively. This study provides a valuable reference for further artificial cultivation and utilization of B. caledonica by investigating its biological characteristics, cultivation conditions for artificial domestication, and polysaccharide and adenosine contents in cultivated fruiting bodies.