Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia: Banksiophoma australiensis (incl. Banksiophoma gen. nov.) on Banksia coccinea, Davidiellomyces australiensis (incl. Davidiellomyces gen. nov.) on Cyperaceae, Didymocyrtis banksiae on Banksia sessilis var. cygnorum, Disculoides calophyllae on Corymbia calophylla, Harknessia banksiae on Banksia sessilis, Harknessia banksiae-repens on Banksia repens, Harknessia banksiigena on Banksia sessilis var. cygnorum, Harknessia communis on Podocarpus sp., Harknessia platyphyllae on Eucalyptus platyphylla, Myrtacremonium eucalypti (incl. Myrtacremonium gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus globulus, Myrtapenidiella balenae on Eucalyptus sp., Myrtapenidiella eucalyptigena on Eucalyptus sp., Myrtapenidiella pleurocarpae on Eucalyptus pleurocarpa, Paraconiothyrium hakeae on Hakea sp., Paraphaeosphaeria xanthorrhoeae on Xanthorrhoea sp., Parateratosphaeria stirlingiae on Stirlingia sp., Perthomyces podocarpi (incl. Perthomyces gen. nov.) on Podocarpus sp., Readeriella ellipsoidea on Eucalyptus sp., Rosellinia australiensis on Banksia grandis, Tiarosporella corymbiae on Corymbia calophylla, Verrucoconiothyrium eucalyptigenum on Eucalyptus sp., Zasmidium commune on Xanthorrhoea sp., and Zasmidium podocarpi on Podocarpus sp. Brazil: Cyathus aurantogriseocarpus on decaying wood, Perenniporia brasiliensis on decayed wood, Perenniporia paraguyanensis on decayed wood, and Pseudocercospora leandrae-fragilis on Leandra fragilis. Chile: Phialocephala cladophialophoroides on human toe nail. Costa Rica: Psathyrella striatoannulata from soil. Czech Republic: Myotisia cremea (incl. Myotisia gen. nov.) on bat droppings. Ecuador: Humidicutis dictiocephala from soil, Hygrocybe macrosiparia from soil, Hygrocybe sangayensis from soil, and Polycephalomyces onorei on stem of Etlingera sp. France: Westerdykella centenaria from soil. Hungary: Tuber magentipunctatum from soil. India: Ganoderma mizoramense on decaying wood, Hodophilus indicus from soil, Keratinophyton turgidum in soil, and Russula arunii on Pterigota alata. Italy: Rhodocybe matesina from soil. Malaysia: Apoharknessia eucalyptorum, Harknessia malayensis, Harknessia pellitae, and Peyronellaea eucalypti on Eucalyptus pellita, Lectera capsici on Capsicum annuum, and Wallrothiella gmelinae on Gmelina arborea. Morocco: Neocordana musigena on Musa sp. New Zealand: Candida rongomai-pounamu on agaric mushroom surface, Candida vespimorsuum on cup fungus surface, Cylindrocladiella vitis on Vitis vinifera, Foliocryphia eucalyptorum on Eucalyptus sp., Ramularia vacciniicola on Vaccinium sp., and Rhodotorula ngohengohe on bird feather surface. Poland: Tolypocladium fumosum on a caterpillar case of unidentified Lepidoptera. Russia: Pholiotina longistipitata among moss. Spain: Coprinopsis pseudomarcescibilis from soil, Eremiomyces innocentii from soil, Gyroporus pseudocyanescens in humus, Inocybe parvicystis in humus, and Penicillium parvofructum from soil. Unknown origin: Paraphoma rhaphiolepidis on Rhaphiolepsis indica. USA: Acidiella americana from wall of a cooling tower, Neodactylaria obpyriformis (incl. Neodactylaria gen. nov.) from human bronchoalveolar lavage, and Saksenaea loutrophoriformis from human eye. Vietnam: Phytophthora mekongensis from Citrus grandis, and Phytophthora prodigiosa from Citrus grandis. Morphological and culture characteristics along with DNA barcodes are provided.

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Argentina, Colletotrichum araujiae on leaves, stems and fruits of Araujia hortorum. Australia, Agaricus pateritonsus on soil, Curvularia fraserae on dying leaf of Bothriochloa insculpta, Curvularia millisiae from yellowing leaf tips of Cyperus aromaticus, Marasmius brunneolorobustus on well-rotted wood, Nigrospora cooperae from necrotic leaf of Heteropogon contortus, Penicillium tealii from the body of a dead spider, Pseudocercospora robertsiorum from leaf spots of Senna tora, Talaromyces atkinsoniae from gills of Marasmius crinis-equi and Zasmidium pearceae from leaf spots of Smilax glyciphylla. Brazil, Preussia bezerrensis fromair. Chile, Paraconiothyrium kelleni from the rhizosphere of Fragaria chiloensis subsp. chiloensis f. chiloensis. Finland, Inocybe udicola onsoilinmixedforest with Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Picea abies and Alnus incana. France, Myrmecridium normannianum on dead culm of unidentified Poaceae. Germany, Vexillomyces fraxinicola from symptomless stem wood of Fraxinus excelsior. India, Diaporthe limoniae on infected fruit of Limonia acidissima, Didymella naikii on leaves of Cajanus cajan, and Fulvifomes mangroviensis on basal trunk of Aegiceras corniculatum. Indonesia, Penicillium ezekielii from Zea mays kernels. Namibia, Neocamarosporium calicoremae and Neocladosporium calicoremae on stems of Calicorema capitata, and Pleiochaeta adenolobi on symptomatic leaves of Adenolobus pechuelii. Netherlands, Chalara pteridii on stems of Pteridium aquilinum, Neomackenziella juncicola (incl. Neomackenziella gen. nov.)and Sporidesmiella junci from dead culms of Juncus effusus. Pakistan, Inocybe longistipitata on soil in a Quercus forest. Poland, Phytophthora viadrina from rhizosphere soil of Quercus robur, and Septoria krystynae on leaf spots of Viscum album. Portugal (Azores), Acrogenospora stellata on dead wood or bark. South Africa, Phyllactinia greyiae on leaves of Greyia sutherlandii and Punctelia anae on bark of Vachellia karroo. Spain, Anteaglonium lusitanicum on decaying wood of Prunus lusitanica subsp. lusitanica, Hawksworthiomyces riparius from fluvial sediments, Lophiostoma carabassense endophytic in roots of Limbarda crithmoides, and Tuber mohedanoi from calcareussoils. Spain (Canary Islands), Mycena laurisilvae on stumps and woody debris. Sweden, Elaphomyces geminus from soil under Quercus robur. Thailand, Lactifluus chiangraiensis on soil under Pinus merkusii, Lactifluus nakhonphanomensis and Xerocomus sisongkhramensis on soil under Dipterocarpus trees. Ukraine, Valsonectria robiniae on dead twigs of Robinia hispida. USA, Spiralomyces americanus (incl. Spiralomyces gen. nov.) from office air. Morphological and culture characteristics are supported by DNA barcodes.

Their hyphal structure, the common events of hybridization and horizontal gene transfer, as well as intimate associations with prokaryotes (including endobiotic bacteria) and cooperation with eukaryotes have made fungi very flexible at the genetic, physiological, and ecological levels. It is manifested with the fungal ability to perfectly exploit existing nutrient sources and plastically fit into a changing environment. Although the links between fungi and other ecosystem components are rarely clearly visible and unambiguous, fungi can be ecosystem buffers playing a homeostatic role throughout global ecosystems, reacting to changes in various ways, not only by modifications of gene expression but also by nuclear status and “extended phenotype”. The goal of this review is to underline some ecological interactions involving fungi and other organisms and to indicate high fungal plasticity in terms of ontogenetic perspective.

The present paper begins a new series of studies investigating the occurrence of phytopathogenic micromycetes in Central Poland. Fungi of the orders Peronosporales and Erysiphalas are discussed in part one. Relevant knowledge on the subject is surveyed, and a list of published records (46 taxa) as well as the findings collected by the present authors (99 taxa) is provided. The list comprises 2 species new for biota of Poland - Microsphaera deutziae Bunkina and Microsphaera elevata Burrill, 10 rare and many common fungal species that had not been previously re00rded in this area as well as 21 plant taxa, mostly species of deliberate or accidental anthropogenic origin, that are new hosts of the parasites formerly listed in Poland.

The critical revision of 59 Asteromella species occurring in Poland is presented, based primarily on specimens from Poland, as well as selected herbarial materials from France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and Ukraine. Some exsiccata, including types of Asteromella carlinae Petr., Asteromella ludwigii Petr., Asteromella ovata Thüm., Asteromella petasitidis Petr., Depazea agrimoniae Lasch, Mycosphaerella agrimoniae Syd., Phyllosticta borszczowii Thüm., Phyllosticta cicutae Lind, Phyllosticta eupatoriicola Kabát & Bubák, Phyllosticta pleurospermi Died., Phyllosticta salicina Kabát & Bubák, Phyllosticta senecionis-nemorensis Săvul. & Sandu, Phyllosticta wandae Namysł. were also studied. Each species is accompanied by the information pertaining to host spectrum, morphology of conidiomata, conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidia, distribution in Poland and globally, as well as information on synanamorphs and teleomorph, if present.Two species, Asteromella moeszii Ruszkiewicz-Michalska & Mułenko spec. nov. on Pulmonaria obscura and Asteromella rupprechtii Ruszkiewicz-Michalska spec. nov. on Agrimonia eupatoria are described, based on Polish specimens. A new name, Asteromella huubii Ruszkiewicz-Michalska nom. nov., is proposed to replace Asteromella angelicae (Sacc.) Moesz ex Bat. & Peres. Nine Phyllosticta and two Depazea species were redisposed into Asteromella: Asteromella acetosae (Sacc.) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov., Asteromella adoxicola (Lasch) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov., Asteromella alnicola (C. Massal.) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov., Asteromella bacilloides (Dominik) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov., Asteromella prunellae (Ellis & Everh.) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov., Asteromella garbowskii (Gucevič) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov., Asteromella lysimachiae (Allesch.) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov., Asteromella populina (Fuckel) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov., Asteromella salicina (Kabát & Bubák) Ruszkiewicz-Michalska, comb. nov. Neotype of Asteromella bacilloides and a lectotype of Asteromella adoxicola are designated.Nine species reported in the literature are not confirmed to occur in Poland; this includes two species that need to be recollected [Asteromella scabiosae (Kalymb.) Vanev & Aa and Asteromella mali (Briard) Boerema & Dorenb.)], as dried specimens are scarce and deficient. Affinity of Asteromella confusa (Bubák) Petr. to Asteromella vs. Phoma is briefly disputed. New records and new data on the distribution of Asteromella species in Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Ukraine are also provided. Three species are reported as new to Polish funga: Asteromella prunellae, Asteromella melampyrina and Asteromella moeszii.