Hymenochaete sinensis is new fungi species based on molecular phylogeny and morphology

NEWS - Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS+nLSU rDNA sequences confirmed that the new finding belongs to the genus Hymenochaete. A new wood-dwelling fungus Hymenochaete sinensis belonging to the family Hymenochaetaceae is described and illustrated based on morphological characteristics and molecular data.

H. sinensis is characterized by annual, resupinate basidiomata with aurantium to coconut brown and brownish black hymenal surfaces, a monomitic hyphal system with simple septa with thick-walled generative hyphae and ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 4-5 × 2.5-3.5 μm.

Recently, significant research progress has been made in the study of species diversity and divergence of fungi. To date, about 155,000 species of fungi have been described which constitutes 6.20% of the estimated 2.5 million species as a diverse group of microorganisms that play an important role in the ecosystem.

To date there are 20 phylum: Aphelidiomycota, Ascomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Basidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Entorrhizomycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota, Sanchytriomycota and Zoopagomycota.

Basidiomycota is the main phylum and the second most described taxon after Ascomycota. About 60 new genera have been recognized for agarics, 40 for boletes and 50 for bracket fungi. Fossil evidence and divergence dates within Basidiomycota have provided robust age estimates for higher taxa. The minimum age is 125 million years for Hymenochaetaceae.

Meanwhile, molecular dating studies of macrofungi have widely focused on ectomycorrhizal, saprotrophic and pathogenic. The family Hymenochaetaceae is a core macrofungi family consisting of about 670 pore species and an interesting subject for species diversity studies.

Wood-dwelling fungi play an important role in forest ecosystems as a group of decomposers found in living trees, dead trees, peeling trunks, fallen branches and processed wood. Researchers from Southwest Forestry University in Kunming used the ITS phylogenetic tree and revealed that H. sinensis is closely related to H. longispora and H. quercicola.

Original research

Yunchao Li, Minglan Chen, Wenyuan Xiao, Junzhong Zhang & Changlin Zhao (2024). Molecular phylogeny and morphology reveal a new Hymenochaete species (Hymenochaetaceae, Basidiomycota) from China. Phytotaxa 664 (3): 159-171, DOI:10.11646/phytotaxa.664.3.1

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