Coprinellus disseminatus and other morphologically similar species are widely dispersed worldwide and are commonly referred to as "fairy inkcap". Based on the molecular phylogenetic study and morphological observation, a thorough investigation was carried out utilising 74 collections of related species that were gathered from seventeen provinces and five Chinese fungaria between 1998 and 2023 and revealed 11 lineages of "fairy inkcap", nine of which were found in China, and which belonged to the two genera Coprinellus and Tulosesus. In sect. Disseminati, genetic diversities (π), and fixation index (Fst) amongst lineages were computed, and a haplotype-based network was established to ascertain the relationships amongst each clade. A new section of Coprinellus, sect. Aureodisseminati, were discovered. In addition, four new species (C. aureodisseminatus, C. austrodisseminatus, C. parcus, and C. velutipes), a new subspecies of C. disseminatus, a new combination (Tulosesus pseudodisseminatus), the first discovery of epigamous type of C. magnoliae and a new record to China (T. subdisseminatus) were also identified and thoroughly described with accompanying illustrations. Their differences in macro- and micro-features, as well as their character sequence, were discussed.

The genus Parasola, a significant lineage of coprinoid fungi, represents a basal clade within the family Psathyrellaceae, with species saprotrophic on soil, wood, or occasionally on dungs. While the infrageneric classification of Parasola has been established into two sections, sect. Conopileae and sect. Parasola, based on phylogenetic studies, the corresponding morphological differentiation criteria remain poorly defined, and the species diversity of Parasola in China is poorly understood, with only eight known species previously recorded. Through extensive fieldwork across ten provinces in China, this study discovered eight proposed new species and three new records to the country, each accompanied by detailed description and line drawings. A molecular phylogenetic analysis, incorporating samples from China and other species confirmed by previous studies, was performed using multiple loci, including the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA (nrLSU), the translation elongation factor EF-1 alpha gene (tef1-α), and the beta-tubulin gene (β-tublin), and integrated with morphological features and geographic data. The results confirmed the current infrageneric classification of Parasola into two sections and established morphological differentiation criteria: (1) species in sect. Conopileae exhibit psathyrelloid basidiomata, while those in sect. Parasola display parasoloid basidiomata; (2) the formation of pileus plication due to the growth of secondary pileipellis at maturity distinguishes sect. Parasola, whereas its absence characterizes sect. Conopileae; and (3) the two sections differ in lamellae-stipe attachment types, influenced by the arrangement of caulocystidia at stipe’s upper part— adjacent in sect. Conopileae without accumulated caulocystidia, and free in sect. Parasola with enlongated stipepellis hyphae bearing terminal cystidia. Notably, the presence or absence of sclerocystidia, a previously used classification criterion, no longer aligns with monophyletic grouping system of this genus. The study also explores the formation mechanism of the pileus plication and the free-type lamellae-stipe attachment in Parasola, highlighting evolutionary trends such as the emergence of secondary pileipellis, the increased distance between the stipe and gills, loss of sclerocystidia, transition from monomorphic to dimorphic basidia, the flattening and polygonalization of basidiospores, and the partialization of germ pores, all mapped onto phylogenetic framework. A taxonomic key to the species of Parasola, validated by phylogenetic results, is provided, enhancing our understanding of the morphological and phylogenetic diversity of Parasola and offering new insights into its infrageneric classification and evolutionary path.

Coprophilous species of Coprinopsis sect. Niveae, commonly known as “snow inkcap”, are widespread in pastoral areas; however, wide sampling approaches are needed to discover new taxa and to clarify the taxonomic status of the so-called “snow inkcap”. Nationwide field work was conducted in China with a detailed record collected of the distribution and the animal origin of the dung. A four-loci phylogenetic study of Coprinopsis sect. Niveae was conducted based on the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), the ribosomal large subunit (LSU), and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1-α)], and the mitochondria small ribosomal RNA subunit (mtSSU). Fourteen phylogenetic species were assigned to this section, including six novel species, namely Coprinopsis furfuracea, C. iliensis, C. khorqinensis, C. sericivia, C. subigarashii, and C. tenuipes. Macro-, micro-, and ultramicro-morphological observations of species collected from China were also conducted and the detailed descriptions and illustrations of the novel species are provided. Our studies revealed that the different origin of herbivore dung, the distribution, the color and thickness of the pileus, the shape of stipes, the shape and size of basidiospores, and the presence or absence of pleurocystidia can be used as characteristics for distinguishing species in sect. Niveae. The key to species belonging to this section is also provided.