Specimens of three unnamed species of Clavulina were collected during field surveys in the Ailao Mountains, Yunnan Province, southwestern China. All specimens were subjected to morphological examination and molecular phylogenetic analyses of concatenated ITS, nrLSU, and RPB2 sequences. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that each of the unnamed species formed a distinct, well-supported lineage within the Clavulina clade. The three new species are formally described herein. Clavulina albomarginata is distinguished by white basidioma margins and a unilateral hymenium; C. niveolutescens is characterized by its translucent pale yellowish-white basidiomata and smooth, non-pruinose hymenium; and C. pubistipitata is distinguished by its densely bristled stipes and absence of clamp connections. A key to all Clavulina species recorded in China is provided, together with detailed descriptions of the macromorphology, micromorphology, and habitat of the three new species. Holotypes of the new species are deposited in the Mycological Herbarium of Hunan Normal University (MHHNU).
Myxomycetes occupy a wide range of microhabitats in forest ecosystems, but substrate-associated ecological patterns remain poorly understood in subtropical Araucaria forests. We investigated myxomycete diversity and community structure across five substrate types in the São Francisco de Paula National Forest, southern Brazil. Dead logs, dead branches, twigs, leaf litter, and living plants were surveyed at three spatially distinct sampling points, resulting in 15 sampling units and three spatial replicates per substrate type. A total of 160 specimens representing 30 taxa, 21 genera, and eight families were recorded. Lycogala exiguum and Tubifera ferruginosa are newly recorded for Rio Grande do Sul. Exact permutation-based Friedman tests detected significant differences among substrate types in species richness (p = 0.0075), abundance (p = 0.0060), Shannon diversity (p = 0.0090), and Simpson diversity (p = 0.0090), with dead logs showing the highest mean richness and abundance. Community composition also differed significantly among substrates (Bray–Curtis PERMANOVA: pseudo-F₄,₁₀ = 4.76, R2 = 0.656, p < 0.001), whereas multivariate dispersion did not differ significantly. These results reveal substrate-associated variation in myxomycete diversity and community composition within the sampled forest. However, given the limited spatial and temporal sampling and the lack of quantitative measurements of substrate availability, these patterns should be interpreted at the local scale.
Camarophyllopsis is a genus of agaricoid fungi belonging to the family Clavariaceae. Thirty species were classified in the genus globally. Recent phylogenetic analysis confirmed polyphyly of the genus and 13 Camarophyllopsis species were combined in Hodophilus, another genus of Clavariaceae. Five species included in recent phylogenetic studies were proved to be members of the genus Camarophyllopsis sensu stricto. In this study, we attempted to sequence DNA and provide morphological observations of the type material of six species placed in Camarophyllopsis. Camarophyllopsis deceptiva and C. microspora are correctly classified in this genus based on morphology. Using phylogenetic analysis, C. lacunaris is shown to be a member of the genus Pulverulina and C. rugulosoides is determined to be a member of the genus Hodophilus and probably a synonym of H. rugulosus. The type specimen of C. araguensis has large spores, which are outside the known morphological limits of Clavariaceae and together with its long basidia it is more similar to some members of families Cantharellaceae or Hygrophoraceae. Thick-walled spores and basidia present in the type specimen of C. hiemalis suggest that this species is likely a member of Tricholomataceae s.s., and unlikely Clavariaceae. Additional five species placed in Camarophyllopsis described prior to splitting of the genus are commented on. The new combination of C. phaeophyllus in this study, as phylogenetic evidence placed the species within this genus, and the previous nomenclatural combination was invalid. Original descriptions of these species strongly suggest that they are not members of Camarophyllopsis. In conclusion, of the 30 names used globally only seven species are currently known in the genus Camarophyllopsis.
The taxonomy of the boleticolous mycoparasitic genus Hypomyces is well studied worldwide, especially in North America. However, its diversity and the links between sexual and asexual morphs in Japan remain poorly understood. This study presents a taxonomic revision of Japanese Hypomyces on boletes, based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from the rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the large subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene (LSU), and minichromosome maintenance complex component 7 (MCM7). Six novel species are described: Hypomyces atrovirens, H. chrysospermoides, H. kozushimaensis, H. neochlorinigenus, H. microjaponicus, and H. olivaceus. In addition, sexual morphs were reported for the first time for H. boleti, as well as Sepedonium ampullosporum and S. laevigatum that are transferred to the genus Hypomyces. This study not only significantly advances our knowledge of Hypomyces diversity in Japan but also provides a critical foundation for future taxonomic research on this group.
Macrofungal diversity plays a central role in forest ecosystem functioning, contributing to nutrient cycling, plant performance, and food web dynamics. Despite its ecological importance, spatially explicit assessments of macrofungal diversity remain scarce due to limited long-term data. Here, we combine one of the largest plot-based datasets of macrofungal fruiting body abundance with machine learning models and high-resolution climate data to quantify current and future biogeographic patterns of macrofungal alpha and beta diversity across pine forests in Catalonia, a western Mediterranean region spanning a broad altitudinal and bioclimatic gradient. Our results indicate that climate change will differentially affect fungal communities across environmental gradients, leading to declines in species richness and abundance-weighted diversity (alpha diversity), particularly at higher elevations, while the strongest shifts in community composition (beta diversity) are projected at lower elevations. These changes are highly dependent on greenhouse gas emission scenarios, with severe impacts under high-emission pathways and limited effects under mitigation scenarios. Importantly, we show that macrofungal responses vary among ecological lifestyles. While both mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi are projected to decline in alpha diversity in cooler environments, saprotrophic taxa may increase under warmer conditions at lower elevations. Overall, our findings highlight the sensitivity of macrofungal communities to climate change and provide novel insights into how future warming may reshape fungal diversity patterns and trophic structure across Mediterranean ecosystems.
