Two new Phallus species, P. cremeo-ochraceus and P. rigidiindusiatus were discovered in southwestern and southern China, respectively. Phallus cremeo-ochraceus is morphologically characterized by its cream to ochraceous receptacle, white to very slightly pinkish indusium, white to pinkish pseudostipe and white to slightly purplish pink volva. Phallus rigidiindusiatus is characterized by a white to yellowish white receptacle, a strongly rigid indusium usually without serrated margin and smaller basidiospores than those of P. serratus. Phylogenetic positions of the two species are located in two independent lineages respectively. Detailed descriptions, color photographs, illustrations and a key to the related species are presented.

In the extreme alpine climate of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), plant growth and reproduction are limited by extremely cold temperatures, low soil moisture, and scarce nutrient availability. The root-associated microbiome indirectly promotes plant growth and plays a role in the fitness of plants on the QTP, particularly in Tibetan medicinal plants. Despite the importance of the root-associated microbiome, little is known about the root zone. This study used high-throughput sequencing to investigate two medicinal Meconopsis plants, M. horridula and M. integrifolia, to determine whether habitat or plant identity had a more significant impact on the microbial composition of the roots. The fungal sequences were obtained using ITS-1 and ITS-2, and bacterial sequences were obtained using 16S rRNA. Different microbial patterns were observed in the microbial compositions of fungi and bacteria in the root zones of two Meconopsis plants. In contrast to bacteria, which were not significantly impacted by plant identity or habitat, the fungi in the root zone were significantly impacted by plant identity, but not habitat. In addition, the synergistic effect was more significant than the antagonistic effect in the correlation between fungi and bacteria in the root zone soil. The fungal structure was influenced by total nitrogen and pH, whereas the structure of bacterial communities was influenced by soil moisture and organic matter. Plant identity had a greater influence on fungal structure than habitat in two Meconopsis plants. The dissimilarity of fungal communities suggests that more attention should be paid to fungi-plant interactions.

Hygrocybe rimosa, a new poisonous species belonging to subg. Hygrocybe, is described from southern China with both phylogenetic and morphological data. This species can cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Morphologically, it is characterized by its orange to red and fibrillose pileus, irregularly split pileus margin, free, broad to ventricose, white lamellae, and subglobose to oblong basidiospores measuring (7)7.5–11 ×5–8(8.5) μm. Phylogenetically, analyses based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the nuclear ribosomal RNA large subunit (LSU) indicate that H. rimosa is a member of subg. Hygrocybe. Ecologically, the new taxon usually grows in subtropical grasslands.

This study conducted a comprehensive survey of macrofungal diversity in the Niyang River Basin by integrating soil high-throughput sequencing (HTS) with a traditional field investigation (TFI), aiming to evaluate the potential species pool and to assess the methodological complementarity of the two approaches. Compared with the TFI, the soil HTS method compensates for the impacts of climate and the growth phenology of macrofungi, and achieves a broader coverage in the investigation of macrofungal species. TFI is proven to be more effective in identifying conspicuous and parasitic fungi, whereas soil HTS is particularly advantageous in uncovering rare and previously unrecorded taxa. These findings highlight the necessity of methodological integration for accurately characterizing macrofungal diversity in complex ecosystems. The results not only establish a robust scientific foundation for the conservation and sustainable utilization of macrofungal resources on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, but also provide valuable methodological insights for future biodiversity assessments and conservation planning.

The mitogenome of Phallus dongsun comprises a circular DNA molecule of 59,243 bp with a GC It is a 59,243 bp circular DNA molecule with 25.74% GC content, containing 14 PCGs, 2 rRNAs, 25 tRNAs, and 15 introns. It features 19 SSRs and a codon bias toward A/T endings. All protein-coding genes show strong purifying selection (avg. Ka/Ks=0.049). Phylogenomic analysis reveals a well-supported clade with P. indusiatus and P. echinovolvatus as sisters. Incongruence with nuclear trees is attributed to past misidentification of Chinese specimens. This first complete mitogenome for P. dongsun provides a key genomic resource for future phylogenetic studies in Phallus.