Comprehensive Review of Tolypocladium and Description of a Novel Lineage from Southwest China

Tolypocladium, a diverse genus of fungicolous fungi belonging to Ophiocordycipitaceae, includes saprotrophic soil inhabitants, plant endophytes and pathogens of insects, nematodes, rotifers, and parasites of truffle-like fungi. Here, we review the research progress achieved for Tolypocladium regarding its taxonomy, species diversity, geographic distribution, host affiliations and ecological diversity. Furthermore, an undescribed taxon from China was established using morphology and multi-gene phylogeny. Tolypocladium inusitaticapitatum is introduced as a new species parasitizing ectomycorrhizal Elaphomyces species. It is diagnosed by its irregularly enlarged fertile heads and lemon, yellow-to-dark-brown, smooth and nearly cylindrical stipe. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU, LSU, ITS, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequence data showed T. inusitaticapitatum to be an independent lineage separated from T. flavonigrum in the clade comprising T. capitatum, T. fractum and T. longisegmentatum. A key for identifying the sexual Tolypocladium species is also provided.

Two new Hypomyces associated with boletoid fungi in China

During an investigation of fungicolous fungi associated with mushrooms in China, four boleticolous fungi were collected from Sichuan Province. Based on the morphological features and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses this study introduces two new species, Hypomyces ampullaris, and H. sichuanensis. The new species are described and illustrated comprehensively and compared with their related fungi. Hypomyces ampullaris is similar to Sepedonium ampullosporum in forming candelabrum-like conidiophores and producing ampulliform conidia but differs from the latter in having shorter phialides and smaller ampulloconidia. Hypomyces sichuanensis is similar to H. chrysospermus, H. microspermus, and Sepedonium laevigatum in forming poorly developed verticills conidiophores and the shape and size of aleurioconidia. However, the asexual spores of H. sichuanensis averaged somewhat smaller than those of H. chrysospermus and S. laevigatum, and larger than that of H. microspermus. Additionally, H. ampullaris and H. sichuanensis distinct from their close relatives in no pigment discoloration of the PDA medium. These species introduced here, improve our understanding of the diversity of Hypomyces, especially of the boleticolous Hypomyces in China.

Hypomyces pseudolactifluorum sp. nov. (Hypocreales: Hypocreaceae) on Russula sp. from Yunnan, PR China

Hypomyces is a large genus of fungicolous fungi, parasitising the fruiting bodies of Agaricales, Boletales, Helotiales, Pezizales and Polyporales. Hypomyces currently comprises of 147 species widely distributed in Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, North America, Sri Lanka, Thailand and UK. Amongst them, 28 species have been recorded in China. Hypomyces pseudolactifluorum sp. nov., growing on the fruiting bodies of Russula sp. in subsect. Lactarioideae and collected from Yunnan, China, is described with illustrations and molecular phylogenetic data (combined ITS, LSU, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequence dataset). The new species is characterised by semi-immersed to immersed perithecia and fusiform, apiculate and verrucose ascospores. We also review the species diversity of the genus Hypomyces in China.

Preliminary studies of fungi in the Biebrza National Park (NE Poland). I. Micromycetes

This paper presents the results of the first short-term inventory of fungi species occurring in the Biebrza National Park, one of the biggest and best preserved protected areas of Poland. The paper is focused on a survey of microfungi. Fungi were collected in early autumn 2012, within the framework of a scientific project by the Polish Mycological Society. The results are published in two parts containing micro- and macromycetes, respectively. An annotated list of 188 identified taxa covers true fungi including 33 zygomycetes, 130 ascomycetes (including anamorphs) and 22 basidiomycetes, as well as two chromistan and one protozoan fungal analogues. The identified fungi taxa, inhabiting diverse ecological niches, represent a wide range of trophic groups including saprotrophs, biotrofic and necrotrophic parasites of plants, pathogens of arthropods, fungicolous fungi and species isolated from soil and organic matter. From 188 annotated taxa, 89% (167 species) have not been recorded in the Biebrza National Park until now and four species are newly reported for Poland (<em>Alternaria nobilis, Clonostachys solani, Mariannaea elegans, Metasphaeria cumana</em>). Data on the species richness and taxonomic diversity of the identified fungi are briefly commented in terms of micromycetes role in managing nature conservation.