Search

Helvella is a widespread, frequently encountered fungal group appearing in forests, but the species diversity and molecular phylogeny of Helvella in China remains incompletely understood. In this work, we performed comprehensive phylogenetic analyses using multilocus sequence data. Six datasets were employed, including a five-locus concatenated dataset (ITS, nrLSU, tef1-α, rpb2, hsp) , a two-locus concatenated dataset (ITS, nrLSU), and four single-locus datasets (ITS) that were divided based on the four different phylogenetic clades of Helvella recognized in this study. A total of I 946 sequences were used, of which 713 were newly generated, including 170 sequences of ITS, 174 sequences of nrLSU, 131 sequences of tef1-α , 107 sequences of rpb2 and 131 sequences of hsp. The phylogeny based on the five-locus concatenated dataset revealed that Helvellas. str . is monophyletic and four phylogenetic clades are clearly recognized, i.e., Acetabulum clade, Crispa clade, Elastica clade, and Lacunosa clade. A total of 24 lineages or subclades were recognized, II of which were new, the remaining 13 corresponding with previous studies. Chinese Helvella species are distributed in 22 lineages across four clades. Phylogenetic analyses based on the two-locus concatenated dataset and four single-locus datasets confirmed the presence of at least 93 phylogenetic species in China. Among them, 58 are identified as known species, including a species with a newly designated lectotype and epitype, 18 are newly described in this paper, and the remaining 17 taxa are putatively new to science but remain unnamed due to the paucity or absence of ascomatal materials. In addition, the Helvella species previously recorded in China are discussed. A list of 76 confirmed species, including newly proposed species, is provided. The occurrence of H. crispa and H. elastica are not confirmed although both are commonly recorded in China. Citation: Mao N, Xu YY, Zhang YX, Zhou H, Huang XB, Hou CL, Fan L (2023). Phylogeny and species diversity of the genus Helvella with emphasis on eighteen new species from China. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 12 : 111-152. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2023.12.08., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Helvella is a species-rich genus, forming a large variation of astounding ascocarps in many different habitats. During the last decade, molecular markers and morphological characters have been combined to delimit and identify cryptic species in this genus. We report on a list of 54 species of Helvella s.s. in the Nordic region and describe five new species, i.e. H. bresadolae , H. convexa , H. japonica , H. nordlandica and H. oroarctica . The morphological and molecular characteristics of the new species and the emended / hypocrateriformis, / fibrosa-macropus, and / fallax-pezizoides lineages of Helvella s.s. are shortly commented upon. Further we include a discussion of the distribution of species in the Nordic region based on a large set of studied collections. The ecological versatility and variable geographic patterns of these species indicate that cryptic species may have contrasting ecology in their local habitats. Citation: Skrede I, Løken SB, Mathiesen C, Schumacher T (2023). Additions to the knowledge of the genus Helvella in Europe. New records and de novo description of five species from the Nordic region. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 11 : 71-84. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2023.11.06., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Amylascus is a genus of ectomycorrhizal truffles within Pezizaceae that is known from Australia and contains only two described species, A. herbertianus and A. tasmanicus . Species of Amylascus are closely related to truffles ( Pachyphlodes , Luteoamylascus ) and cup fungi ( Plicariella ) from the Northern Hemisphere. Here we reevaluate the species diversity of Amylascus and related taxa from southern South America and Australia based on new morphological and molecular data. We identify previously undocumented diversity and morphological variability in ascospore color, ascospore ornamentation, hymenial construction, epithecium structure and the amyloid reaction of the ascus in Melzer's reagent. We redescribe two Amylascus species from Australia and describe seven new Amylascus species, five from South America and two from Australia. This is the first report of Amylascus species from South America. We also describe the new South American genus Nothoamylascus as sister lineage to the Pachyphlodes-Amylascus-Luteoamylascus clade (including Amylascus , Luteoamylascus , Pachyphlodes , and Plicariella ). We obtained ITS sequences of mitotic spore mats from Nothoamylascus erubescens gen. & sp. nov. and four of the seven newly described Amylascus species, providing the first evidence of mitotic spore mats in Amylascus . Additional ITS sequences from mitotic spore mats reveal the presence of nine additional undescribed Amylascus and one Nothoamylascus species that do not correspond to any sampled ascomata. We also identify three additional undescribed Amylascus species based on environmental sequences from the feces of two grounddwelling bird species from Chile, Scelorchilus rubecula and Pteroptochos tarnii . Our results indicate that ascomata from Amylascus and Nothoamylascus species are rarely collected, but molecular data from ectomycorrhizal roots and mitotic spore mats indicate that these species are probably common and widespread in southern South America. Finally, we present a time-calibrated phylogeny that is consistent with a late Gondwanan distribution. The time since the most recent common ancestor of: 1) the family Pezizaceae had a mean of 276 Ma (217-337 HPD); 2) the Amylascus-Pachyphlodes-Nothoamylascus-Luteoamylascus clade had a mean of 79 Ma (60-100 HPD); and 3) the Amylascus-Pachyphlodes clade had a mean of 50 Ma (38-62 HPD). The crown age of Pachyphlodes had a mean of 39 Ma (25-42 HPD) and Amylascus had a mean age of 28 Ma (20-37 HPD), falling near the Eocene-Oligocene boundary and the onset of the Antarctic glaciation (c. 35 Ma). Citation : Healy RA, Truong C, Castellano MA, et al. 2023. Re-examination of the Southern Hemisphere truffle genus Amylascus (Pezizaceae, Ascomycota) and characterization of the sister genus Nothoamylascus gen. nov. Persoonia 51: 125-151. doi: 10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.03., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023 Naturalis Biodiversity Center & Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Gyromitrin (acetaldehyde N -methyl- N -formylhydrazone) and its homologs are deadly mycotoxins produced most infamously by the lorchel (also known as false morel) Gyromitra esculenta , which is paradoxically consumed as a delicacy in some parts of the world. There is much speculation about the presence of gyromitrin in other species of the lorchel family (Discinaceae), but no studies have broadly assessed its distribution. Given the history of poisonings associated with the consumption of G. esculenta and G. ambigua , we hypothesized that gyromitrin evolved in the last common ancestor of these taxa and would be present in their descendants with adaptive loss of function in the nested truffle clade, Hydnotrya . To test this hypothesis, we developed a sensitive analytical derivatization method for the detection of gyromitrin using 2,4-dinitrobenzaldehyde as the derivatization reagent. In total, we analyzed 66 specimens for the presence of gyromitrin over 105 tests. Moreover, we sequenced the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS barcode) and nuc 28S rDNA to assist in species identification and to infer a supporting phylogenetic tree. We detected gyromitrin in all tested specimens from the G. esculenta group as well as G. leucoxantha . This distribution is consistent with a model of rapid evolution coupled with horizontal transfer, which is typical for secondary metabolites. We clarified that gyromitrin production in Discinaceae is both discontinuous and more limited than previously thought. Further research is required to elucidate the gyromitrin biosynthesis gene cluster and its evolutionary history in lorchels.

Urnula craterium (Schwein.) Fr. (1851) has been reported from North America, Europe, and Asia, and can be a pathogen on various hardwood species. In this study, we investigated the mitochondrial genome of U. craterium. The biology and taxonomy of this fungus is poorly studied and there are no mitogenomes currently available for any member of the Sarcosomataceae (Order Pezizales). The complete mitogenome of U. craterium comprises 43 967 bps and encodes 14 protein-coding genes, a complete set of tRNAs and rRNA genes. A novel feature of the mitogenome is the presence of a single subunit DNA polymerase-coding region that is typically associated with linear invertron-type plasmids. The mitogenome may offer insights into the evolution of mitogenomes among members of the Pezizales with regards to gene content and order, mobile elements, and genome sizes.

The genus Tuber ( Tuberaceae , Pezizales ) is an important fungal group of Ascomycota both economically and ecologically. However, the species diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and geographic distribution of Tuber species in China remains poorly understood, primarily because descriptions of many new species relied heavily on morphological features with molecular data either not sought or ignored. The misapplication of European and North American names further added to confusion regarding the taxonomy of Chinese Tuber species. In this study, we examined more than 1 000 specimens from China, and performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis for Chinese Tuber species using ITS sequences and multilocus sequence data. To infer the phylogeny of Chinese Tuber spp., 11 molecular datasets were assembled, including a concatenated internal transcribed spacers of the nuc rDNA (ITS), nuc rDNA 28S subunit (LSU), translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( tef1 -α), and RNA polymerase II subunit ( rpb2 ) dataset as well as 10 ITS datasets (totally including 1 435 sequences from 828 collections with 597 newly generated sequences, and 168 sequences from the types of 63 species). Our phylogenetic tree based on a concatenated multilocus dataset revealed that all Chinese Tuber species nested in nine phylogenetic clades (phylogroups), including Aestivum , Excavatum , Latisporum , Macrosporum , Maculatum , Melanosporum , Puberulum , Rufum and Turmericum . Of these, five phylogroups ( Macrosporum , Maculatum , Melanosporum , Puberulum and Rufum ) are shared across the continents of Asia, Europe and North America; two phylogroups ( Aestivum and Excavatum ) are shared by Europe and Asia; and the phylogroups Turmericum and Latisporum are endemic only to Asia. Phylogenetic trees based on 10 ITS datasets confirmed the presence of at least 82 phylogenetic species in China. Of these, 53 are identified as known species, including three new records for China, and 25 species are identified as new to science. Of the new species, nine are described and illustrated in this paper, and the others remain unnamed due to the paucity or absence of ascomatal materials. Accordingly, the confirmed, excluded and doubtful Tuber species in China are discussed. Tuber species showed high endemism. Of the 82 phylogenetic species found in China, 68 species occur only in China, six species are also found in other regions in Asia, and only eight species ( T. anniae , T. excelsum-reticulatum , T. formosanum , T. maculatum , T. wenchuanense , Tuber sp. CHN-3, Tuber sp. CHN-10 and Tuber sp. CHN-11) are shared with other continents. Most Tuber species have a small and limited distribution in China, but a few, such as T. formosanum and T. parvomurphium , are widely distributed across China. Some phylogenetically closely related species, such as T. liaotongense and T. subglobosum , as well as T. xuanhuaense and T. lijiangense , show a pattern of allopatric distribution., (© 2022 Naturalis Biodiversity Center & Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

The ectomycorrhizal truffle genus Tuber is widespread and diverse. Recent sampling of ascomata, ectomycorrhizal root tips, and environmental sequences has resulted in the identification of many Tuber species that cannot be assigned to described species and require formal description. Using morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis, we describe two North American Tuber species associated with pines ( Pinus spp.). Tuber eburneum , sp. nov., is an early-diverging taxon in the Melanosporum clade that differs substantially from all other taxa in that clade due to its light-colored peridium and gleba, lack of peridial warts, and peridial hairs that are ornamented with small, irregular protrusions. Tuber mujicii , sp. nov., is a whitish truffle species in the Puberulum clade. Although T. mujicii is morphologically similar to many related taxa, it can be distinguished by a combination of characters, including peridium color, spore size, number of ascospores per ascus, and number of reticulations across the spore surface.

Over 80 species are recognized in the commercially important genus Morchella , many of them endemic to specific regions or continents. Among them, M. anatolica and M. rufobrunnea are the earliest diverging lineages and are key in decoding the evolutionary history, global biogeography, and ecological trends within this iconic genus. Early ancestral area reconstruction (AAR) tests postulated a western North American origin of morels but had not included in the analyses M. anatolica , whose phylogenetic identity remained at the time unresolved. Following new collections of M. anatolica and M. rufobrunnea from the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus, Kefalonia, Lesvos, Malta, and Zakynthos, we performed revised AAR tests to update the historical biogeography of the genus. Our results, inferred from multilocus analysis of an expanded data set of 79 phylospecies, challenge previous reconstructions and designate the Mediterranean basin as the most likely place of origin for morels. Detailed morphoanatomical analyses demonstrate that ascocarp rufescence, the nondarkening apothecial ridges, the absence of a sinus, and the stipe pruinescence are all stable synapomorphic features of sect. Rufobrunnea , which could be interpreted as ancestral for the genus. The saprotrophic mode of nutrition, suggested by the prolific in vitro growth of M. anatolica , might also be an ancestral trait. Emended descriptions, including extensive imagery and scanning electron microscopy, are provided, and a new evolutionary hypothesis of the genus is proposed.

Phylogenetic analyses of 115 newly collected Helvella specimens from Spain using three genetic markers [heat shock protein 90 ( hsp ), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( rpb2 ) and the nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU)] confirm the assignment of the Spanish collections to one Dissingia and 30 Helvella species. The analyses were supplemented with an additional sample of 65 Spanish and extralimital Helvella specimens from the fungaria of Oslo (O), Trondheim (TRH), Copenhagen (C), Uppsala (UPS), Stockholm (S) and Venice (MCVE). Nine species are described as new, i.e. Helvella fuscolacunosa, H. hispanica, H. iberica, H. inexpectata, H. neopallescens, H. phlebophoroides, H. poculiformis , H. retinervis , and H. terricola . We present photographs of a selection of fresh specimens and provide descriptions of all species of this diverse South European Mediterranean element of the genera in Europe., (© 2020 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Tuber luomae, a new truffle species known only from the Pacific Northwest, USA, is distinguished by spiny, non-reticulate spores and a two-layered peridium - the outermost layer (pellis) consists of inflated, globose to subpolygonal cells and the inner (subpellis) of narrow hyphae. ITS sequence analyses show that it has phylogenetic affinity to other Tuber species in the Rufum clade. The only other members of the Rufum clade with a strongly developed peridiopellis of large, inflated cells are the southern European T. malacodermum and T. pustulatum and the northern Mexican T. theleascum . We find it interesting that this peridial structure that is uncommon in the Rufum clade has been found in geographically disjunct species., (© 2020 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Acervus (Pyronemataceae, Pezizales) is a saprobic genus in Pezizomycetes, characterized by colored apothecia, subcylindrical to cylindrical asci and guttulate ascospores. We collected four Acervus samples from China and Thailand. Descriptions and illustrations are introduced for all fresh samples. One new record of A. globulosus from Thailand, one new species, A. rufus , two known species, A. epispartius and A. stipitatus from China are reported. Phylogenetic analysis based on five genes, the large subunit rRNA (LSU), the translation elongation factor-1 alpha ( tef1-α ), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II ( rpb2 ), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II ( rpb1 ), and the small subunit rRNA (SSU), revealed the distinct position of the new species. The new species is set apart by its red apothecia. A key to Acervus species is also given., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of the Korean Society of Mycology.)

Mycologists have always been curious about the elaborate morphotypes and shapes of species of the genus Helvella . The small, black, cupulate Helvella specimens have mostly been assigned to Helvella corium, a broadly defined morpho-species. Recent phylogenetic analyses, however, have revealed an aggregate of species hidden under this name. We performed a multispecies coalescent analysis to re-assess species limits and evolutionary relationships of the Helvella corium species aggregate in the Nordic countries. To achieve this, we used morphology and phylogenetic evidence from five loci - heat shock protein 90 ( hsp ), translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( tef ), RNA polymerase II ( rpb2 ), and the 5.8S and large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. All specimens under the name Helvella corium in the larger university fungaria of Norway, Sweden and Denmark were examined and barcoded, using partial hsp and/or rpb2 as the preferential secondary barcodes in Helvella . Additional fresh specimens were collected in three years (2015-2018) to obtain in vivo morphological data to aid in species discrimination. The H. corium species aggregate consists of seven phylogenetically distinct species, nested in three divergent lineages, i.e. H. corium, H. alpina and H. pseudoalpina sp. nov. in the /alpina-corium lineage, H. alpestris, H. macrosperma and H. nannfeldtii in the /alpestris-nannfeldtii lineage, and H. alpicola as a weakly supported sister to the /alpestris-nannfeldtii lineage. Among the seven species, the ribosomal loci expressed substantial variation in evolutionary rates, suggesting care in the use of these regions alone in delimitation of Helvella species. Altogether, 469 out of 496 available fungarium specimens were successfully barcoded., (© 2020 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

Geodina salmonicolor is shown to be a synonym of G. guanacastensis , the type and only species of the genus. Comparisons of ITS rDNA sequences of a paratype and two recent collections of G. guanacastensis with published ITS sequences of G. salmonicolor , from the Dominican Republic, show that these are nearly identical. When G. salmonicolor was erected no sequences of the type species were available. Morphological comparisons supports the conspecificity. Details regarding the description of G. salmonicolor are pointed out. A four-gene phylogeny places Geodina and Wynnea as a supported sister group to the rest of the Sarcoscyphaceae . Species in these genera share morphological traits of cyanophobic spore markings, dark angular outer excipular cells that give rise to hairs and the origin of several apothecia from a common basal stalk. Their occurrence on soil rather than on wood or plant material distinguish them from other Sarcoscyphaceae . Based on morphology, phylogenic relationships and trophic interactions we erect a new family, Wynneaceae , for Geodina and Wynnea ., (© 2020 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.)

In this paper, species of the genus Morchella are investigated in China. Based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analyses of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) and the combined data set ITS + nuclear large subunit rDNA (28S) + the translation elongation factor 1-α ( TEF1 ) gene + RNA polymerase II first largest subunit ( RPB1 ) + RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( RPB2 ), six new phylogenetic species are illustrated and described: M. clivicola, M. confusa, M. odonnellii, M. owneri, M. yangii , and M. yishuica . Furthermore, two new record species, M. dunensis and M. palazonii , which were only known in Europe, are now reported for the first time from Asia. New species of morels will provide additional information on species diversity and genetic resource candidates for improving the cultivation of this economically important fungus.

Morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of true morels (Morchella) in North America, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru led to the discovery of four undescribed species of Morchella. Two new species in the Elata clade, one from the Dominican Republic, initially distinguished by the informal designation Mel-18, and a newly discovered sister species from northern Arizona, are now recognized. Mel-18 is described as a novel phylogenetically distinct species, M. hispaniolensis. Its sister species from Arizona is described as M. kaibabensis, also recovered as an endophyte of Rocky Mountain juniper. Two additional species in the Esculenta clade, M. peruviana discovered in Peru and M. gracilis (previously reported as Mes-14) from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Ecuador, are described as new. We also demonstrate that scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging of ascospores using rehydration/dehydration/critical point drying preparation techniques provides for enhanced resolution of spore wall surfaces, thereby increasing the number of morphological traits available to assess differences among otherwise closely related species.

Helvella is a widespread, speciose genus of large apothecial ascomycetes ( Pezizomycete : Pezizales ) that are found in terrestrial biomes of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This study represents a beginning on assessing species limits and applying correct names for Helvella species based on type material and specimens in the university herbaria (fungaria) of Copenhagen (C), Harvard (FH) and Oslo (O). We use morphology and phylogenetic evidence from four loci - heat shock protein 90 ( hsp ), translation elongation factor alpha ( tef ), RNA polymerase II ( rpb2 ) and the nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU) - to assess species boundaries in an expanded sample of Helvella specimens from Europe. We combine the morphological and phylogenetic information from 55 Helvella species from Europe with a small sample of Helvella species from other regions of the world. Little intraspecific variation was detected within the species using these molecular markers; hsp and rpb2 markers provided useful barcodes for species delimitation in this genus, while LSU provided more variable resolution among the pertinent species. We discuss typification issues and identify molecular characteristics for 55 European Helvella species, designate neo- and epitypes for 30 species, and describe seven Helvella species new to science, i.e., H. alpicola , H. alpina , H. carnosa , H. danica , H. nannfeldtii , H. pubescens and H. scyphoides .

Desmazierella acicola (anamorph Verticicladium trifidum, Chorioactidaceae) represents a frequent colonizer of pine needles in litter. Considering the global diversity and distribution of pine species, we expected different phylogenetic lineages to exist in different geographical and climatic areas inhabited by these hosts. We compared DNA sequence data with phenotypic characteristics (morphology of the anamorph and growth at three different temperatures) of 43 strains isolated mostly from pine and also spruce needle litter sampled in various geographical areas. Analyses of ITS rDNA recovered eight geographically structured lineages. Fragments of genes for the translation elongation factor 1-α, and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II reproduced similar lineages, although not all of them were monophyletic. The similarity in ITS sequences among the clade with samples from Continental-Atlantic Europe and four other clades was lower than 95%. Several lineages exhibit also a tendency toward host specificity to a particular pine species. Growth tests at different temperatures indicated a different tolerance to specific climatic conditions in different geographic areas. However, the surveyed phenotypic characteristics also showed high variation within lineages, most evident in the morphology of the anamorph. Until a morphological study of the teleomorph is carried out, all of these lineages should be treated as distinct populations within a single species., (© 2016 by The Mycological Society of America.)

Morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies of true morels (Morchella) in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador resulted in the discovery of two undescribed species in the M. elata clade that we initially distinguished by the informal designations Mel-19 and Mel-36. The latter species, also collected in New Brunswick, Canada, is hitherto known only from the St Lawrence River Basin. Mel-36 is described here as a novel, phylogenetically distinct species, M. laurentiana. Before the discovery of Mel-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Washington state it was only known from central China and central and northern Europe. Mel-19 is described here as a novel species, M. eohespera., (© 2016 by The Mycological Society of America.)

Colonies of Costantinella species growing on soil, moss and woody debris in the autumn in the inland Pacific Northwest USA were established in culture. Five different mitospore taxa were distinguished based on colony color, presence or absence of setae and internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) rDNA amplicon size. Sequence data from the largest and second largest subunits of RNA polymerase II, translation elongation factor 1-α, D1 and D2 domains of nuclear large subunit rDNA and ITS were used to connect each of the distinct mitospore taxa to corresponding vernal-fruiting Pezizales, including Disciotis cf. venosa, Gyromitra cf. esculenta and three species of Morchella. Both meiospore and mitospore stages of Morchella brunnea and M. populiphila collected in spring and autumn within a meter of each other at two urban sites had identical multilocus haplotypes, providing evidence connecting the two stages of the life cycle. Among other Morchella mitospore stages collected, some had identical haplotypes to previously sampled meiospore stages, while others were distinct, possibly representing undescribed species. Mitospore isolates with sequences assigning them to Disciotis or Gyromitra had different haplotypes from meiospore stages occurring in the same area. Meiospore stages of Disciotis and Gyromitra sampled as part of the study were also genetically distinct from European collections of D. venosa and G. esculenta, indicating more diversity is present in these taxa than is reflected in the current taxonomy. The widespread occurrence of mitospore stages of these fungi suggests that the life cycles of morels, false morels and allied taxa are more complex than previously recognized., (© 2015 by The Mycological Society of America.)

An abundant fruiting of a black morel was encountered in temperate northwestern New South Wales (NSW), Australia, during a mycological survey in Sep 2010. The site was west of the Great Dividing Range in a young, dry sclerophyll forest dominated by Eucalyptus and Callitris north of Coonabarabran in an area known as the Pilliga Scrub. Although the Pilliga Scrub is characterized by frequent and often large, intense wildfires, the site showed no sign of recent fire, which suggests this species is not a postfire morel. Caps of the Morchella elata-like morel were brown with blackish ridges supported by a pubescent stipe that became brown at maturity. Because no morel has been described as native to Australia, the collections were subjected to multilocus molecular phylogenetic and morphological analyses to assess its identity. Results of these analyses indicated that our collection, together with collections from NSW and Victoria, represented a novel, genealogically exclusive lineage, which is described and illustrated here as Morchella australiana T. F. Elliott, Bougher, O'Donnell & Trappe, sp. nov.

Cotton root rot is an important soilborne disease of cotton and numerous dicot plants in the south-western United States and Mexico. The causal organism, Phymatotrichopsis omnivora (= Phymatotrichum omnivorum), is known only as an asexual, holoanamorphic (mitosporic) fungus, and produces conidia resembling those of Botrytis. Although the corticoid basidiomycetes Phanerochaete omnivora (Polyporales) and Sistotrema brinkmannii (Cantharellales; both Agaricomycetes) have been suggested as teleomorphs of Phymatotrichopsis omnivora, phylogenetic analyses of nuclear small- and large-subunit ribosomal DNA and subunit 2 of RNA polymerase II from multiple isolates indicate that it is neither a basidiomycete nor closely related to other species of Botrytis (Sclerotiniaceae, Leotiomycetes). Phymatotrichopsis omnivora is a member of the family Rhizinaceae, Pezizales (Ascomycota: Pezizomycetes) allied to Psilopezia and Rhizina.