Mushrooms in the basidiomycete family Boletaceae are ecologically and economically very important. However, due to the morphological complexity and the limited phylogenetic information on the various species and genera of this fungal family, our understanding of its systematics and evolution remains rudimentary. In this study, DNA sequences of four genes (nrLSU, tef1-α, rpb1, and rpb2) were newly obtained from ca. 200 representative specimens of Boletaceae. Our phylogenetic analyses revealed seven major clades at the subfamily level, namely Austroboletoideae, Boletoideae, Chalciporoideae, Leccinoideae, Xerocomoideae, Zangioideae, and the Pulveroboletus Group. In addition, 59 genus-level clades were identified, of which 22 were uncovered for the first time. These 22 clades were mainly placed in Boletoideae and the Pulveroboletus Group. The results further indicated that the characters frequently used in the morphology-based taxonomy of Boletaceae, such as basidiospore ornamentation, the form of the basidioma, and the stuffed pores each had multiple origins within the family, suggesting that the use of such features for high-level classification of Boletaceae should be de-emphasized and combined with other characters.

A new distinct genus of Boletales, Zangia, with phenotypic similarities to the genus Tylopilus, is proposed based on molecular and morphological data. The monophyly of Zangia was highly supported using two nuclear and three mitochondrial genes based on Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Morphologically, Zangia is distinguished from other boletoid lineages by its combination of rugose pileus, pinkish to pink hymenophore, pink to pinkish brown spore deposit, pink scabrous squamules on the stipe, chrome yellow to golden yellow stipe base, chrome yellow to golden yellow mycelia on the base of the stipe, ixohyphoepithelium pileipellis, glabrous spores and bluish colour changes in the stipe in some species. Geographically, Zangia is currently only known from southern, southeastern and southwestern China under forests dominated by Fagaceae mixed with Pinaceae. Six species, including 4 new ones and 2 new combinations, are fully documented with taxonomic descriptions and illustrations. A key to the species in Zangia is provided. It is suggested that some of the species might have started diverging from each other relatively recently with the uplifts of the eastern Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains, and both the mycorrhizal host specificity or preference and geographic separation could contribute to their ongoing divergence.

The wild gourmet mushroom Boletus edulis and its close allies are of significant ecological and economic importance. They are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but despite their ubiquity there are still many unresolved issues with regard to the taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of this group of mushrooms. Most phylogenetic studies of Boletus so far have characterized samples from North America and Europe and little information is available on samples from other areas, including the ecologically and geographically diverse regions of China. Here we analyzed DNA sequence variation in three gene markers from samples of these mushrooms from across China and compared our findings with those from other representative regions. Our results revealed fifteen novel phylogenetic species (about one-third of the known species) and a newly identified lineage represented by Boletus sp. HKAS71346 from tropical Asia. The phylogenetic analyses support eastern Asia as the center of diversity for the porcini sensu stricto clade. Within this clade, B. edulis is the only known holarctic species. The majority of the other phylogenetic species are geographically restricted in their distributions. Furthermore, molecular dating and geological evidence suggest that this group of mushrooms originated during the Eocene in eastern Asia, followed by dispersal to and subsequent speciation in other parts of Asia, Europe, and the Americas from the middle Miocene through the early Pliocene. In contrast to the ancient dispersal of porcini in the strict sense in the Northern Hemisphere, the occurrence of B. reticulatus and B. edulis sensu lato in the Southern Hemisphere was probably due to recent human-mediated introductions.

Porcini mushrooms (Boletus sect. Boletus) have both economic and ecological importance. Recent molecular phylogenetic study has uncovered rich species diversity of this group of fungi from China. In this study, the Chinese porcini were characterized by both morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence. 15 species were recognized, including nine new species, namely B. botryoides, B. fagacicola, B. griseiceps, B. monilifer, B. sinoedulis, B. subviolaceofuscus, B. tylopilopsis, B. umbrinipileus and B. viscidiceps. Three previously described species, viz. B. bainiugan, B. meiweiniuganjun and B. shiyong, were revised, and B. meiweiniuganjun is treated as a synonym of B. bainiugan. A key to the Chinese porcini mushrooms was provided.

Altitude and season represent two important environmental gradients that shape the structure of biome, including the heterogeneity of EcM fungi. Previous studies have separately considered the influences of altitude and season on EcM fungal communities, but the relative importance of altitude and season is still unknown.