Hymenochaetales is one of the fungal orders mainly composed of wood-inhabiting macrofungi within the class Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota. Four new Hymenochaetales wood-inhabiting fungi, Hymenochaete bannaensis, Lyomyces asiaticus, Peniophorella albohymenia, and P. punctata collected from China are proposed based on morphological characteristics and molecular evidence. H. bannaensis is distinguished by flocculent basidiomata with cinnamon to yellowish brown to rust-brown hymenial surface, generative hyphae with simple septa and broadly ellipsoid to globose basidiospores. L. asiaticus is characterized by the membranaceous basidiomata with white to cream hymenial surface with tuberculate, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae and ellipsoid basidiospores. In addition, P. albohymenia is delimited by membranaceous basidiomata with white hymenial surface, four types of cystidia as stephanocyst, fusiform, cylindrical and capitate, and ellipsoid basidiospores. P. punctata is unique in the membranaceous, punctate basidiomata with white to pale yellow hymenial surface, fusiform cystidia, and allantoid basidiospores. Sequences of ITS and nLSU rRNA markers based on phylogenetic analyses were performed using the Maximum Likelihood, Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference methods.

In the present study, two new genera Paradonkia, and Neodonkiella, and five new species, viz. Paradonkia farinacea, Neodonkiella yinjiangensis, Phanerochaete albocremea, Phanerochaete fissurata, and Phanerochaete punctata collected from southern China, are proposed based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Paradonkia farinacea is characterized by the resupinate, membranaceous basidiomata with pale cream to gray cream hymenial surface and a monomitic hyphal system with simple septa and clamp connections; Neodonkiella yinjiangensis is characterized by soft coriaceous basidiomata, a monomitic hyphal system and ellipsoid basidiospores (3.5–5 × 2–2.5 µm); Phanerochaete albocremea is characterized by resupinate basidiomata with white to a pale cream hymenial surface, and ellipsoid basidiospores (3.5–5 × 2–3 µm); Phanerochaete fissurata is characterized by gray-brown and cracked hymenial surface, and ellipsoid basidiospores (4–5.5 × 2–3 µm) and Phanerochaete punctata is characterized by farinaceous basidiomata, a monomitic hyphal system, and ellipsoid basidiospores. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and the large subunit (nLSU) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) markers of the studied samples were generated. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogram based on the ITS+nLSUrDNA gene regions, revealed that two new genera, Paradonkia and Neodonkiella, belong to the family Phanerochaetaceae, and three new species belong to the genus Phanerochaete in the family Phanerochaetaceae.

Taxonomy plays a central role in understanding the diversity of life, translating the products of biological exploration and discovery specimens and observations into systems of names that settle a “classification home” to taxa. The ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes family Thelephoraceae has been understudied in subtropical ecosystems. Many species of Thelephoraceae are important edible and medicinal fungi, with substantial economic value. Four new species, Thelephora resupinata, T. subtropica, T. yunnanensis, and Tomentella tenuifarinacea, are proposed based on a combination of the morphological features and molecular evidence. Thelephora resupinata is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata having a tuberculate pileal surface hymenial, and the presence of the subglobose to globose basidiospores (9–12 × 7–9 µm). T. subtropica is solitary coriaceous infundibuliform gray-brown basidiomata with a presence of the subclavate basidia and subglobose to globose basidiospores (6–8 × 5–7 µm). T. yunnanensis is typical of the laterally stipitate basidiomata having a smooth, umber to coffee hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, and the presence of the subglobose basidiospores (7–10 × 6–8 µm). Tomentella tenuifarinacea is typical of the arachnoid basidiomata having a smooth, gray, or dark gray hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, and the presence of the subglobose to globose basidiospores (7–9 × 6–8 µm). Sequences of ITS+nLSU+mtSSU genes were used for the phylogentic analyses using maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The three genes’ (ITS+nLSU+mtSSU) phylogenetic analysis showed that the genera Thelephora and Tomentella grouped together within the family Thelephoraceae and three new species were nested into the genus Thelephora, and one new species was nested into the genus Tomentella.

Hyphoderma is one of the important representative groups of wood-inhabiting fungi. These fungi secrete various enzymes capable of degrading cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin into simple inorganic substances. The taxa within the genus cause a white rot of wood, play a key role in the carbon cycle and are the most efficient wood decomposers in the forest ecosystem. This study proposes a new wood-inhabiting fungal taxon, Hyphoderma cinereofuscum, based on morphological features and molecular evidence. It is characterized by the white hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system, generative hyphae with simple-septa, colorless, thin-walled, the presence of the tubular and capitate cystidia, and cylindrical basidiospores 9–11.5 × 4.5–5 µm. The phylogenetic tree inferred from a combination of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU) revealed that Hyphoderma cinereofuscum nested in the Hyphoderma clade and is closely related to H. marginatum. A full description, illustrations and phylogenetic analysis results of the new species are provided.

In this study, Exidia punctata is described and illustrated as a novel species based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the large subunit (nLSU) of nuclear ribosomal RNA genes. The species is characterized by smooth, membranaceous, cushion-shaped basidiomata with white to cream hymenial surface, and narrowly cylindrical to allantoid basidiospores (13–15.5 × 5–6.5 µm). The phylogenetic tree inferred from ITS+nLSU sequences revealed that the new species was nested into the genus Exidia within the family Auriculariaceae, in which it grouped with the clade comprising E. glandulosa, E. pithya, E. reflexa and E. subglandulosa.