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The Calocybe species possess notable economic and medicinal value, demonstrating substantial potential for resource utilization. The taxonomic studies of Calocybe are lacking in quality and depth. Based on the specimens collected from northeast China, this study provides a detailed description of two newly discovered species, namely Calocybe betulicola and Calocybe cystidiosa, as well as two commonly found species, Calocybe decolorata and Calocybe ionides. Additionally, a previously unrecorded species, C. decolorata, has recently been discovered in Jilin Province, China. The two newly discovered species can be accurately distinguished from other species within the genus Calocybe based on their distinct morphological characteristics. The primary distinguishing features of C. betulicola include its grayish-purple pileus, grayish-brown to dark purple stipe, smaller basidiomata, absence of cellular pileipellis, and its habitat on leaf litter within birch forests. Calocybe cystidiosa is distinguished by its growth on the leaf litter of coniferous forests, a flesh-pink pileus, a fibrous stipe with a white tomentose covering at the base, non-cellular pileipellis, larger basidiospores, and the presence of cheilocystidia. The reconstruction of phylogenetic trees using combined ITS , nLSU , and tef1-α sequences, employing maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses, showed that C. betulicola formed a cluster with C. decurrens, while C. cystidiosa clustered with C. vinacea. However, these two clusters formed separate branches themselves, which also supported the results obtained from our morphological studies. A key to the Calocybe species reported from northeast China is provided to facilitate future studies of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new tree fern of the family Tempskyaceae, Tempskya hailunensis sp. nov., is described herein based on a silicified trunk from the Cretaceous of Hailun City, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. The new species is composed of dichotomizing large stems surrounded by a mesh of adventitious roots, petioles, and leaf-like structures, constituting a solid and compact false trunk. The dorsiventral stems contain solenosteles that have long internodes with mostly two leaf traces. The stem cortex consists of a sclerenchymatous outer zone and a parenchymatous inner zone, and the stem pith is divided into a parenchymatous outer zone and a sclerenchymatous inner zone. Wide multicellular scales are attached to the stem epidermis. Leaf-like structures embedded among adventitious roots in the trunk are isobilateral, thick, and without distinct intercellular spaces. Also present are dispersed annuli of sporangia, which are only few cells long and apparently uniseriate. Though it cannot be fully ruled out that these vegetative and fertile remains belong to epiphytes that colonized the Tempskya trunk, the consistent and exclusive occurrence of these particular types of remains makes it likely that they belonged to the Tempskya plant itself. This new species represents only the second fossil record of Tempskya from China, increasing the known diversity of this genus during the Cretaceous both in Asia and globally. Moreover, it provided evidence for recognizing probable leaf structure and growth habit of Tempskya. • A new Cretaceous fern of Tempskya with leaves described from China. • Isobilateral leaf fragments and annuli are present among adventitious roots. • Leaves grew under environment with adequate illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex interplay between primary and secondary growth processes in trees holds paramount significance in unraveling the physiological connections within distinct tree tissues. In this study, we continuously monitored the intra-annual radial growth of Pinus koraiensis, Quercus mongolica, and Betula platyphylla in Changbai Mountain of northeast China using microcore techniques from April to September 2021. Additionally, we used existing leaf phenology models to simulate the seasonal variations of leaf area of three species. Our results revealed substantial difference in radial growth dynamics and leaf expansion patterns among the different wood species. Notably, a synchronization between leaf expansion and radial growth was observed in certain phases for pine and birch, with a significant positive correlation between the rates of leaf expansion and radial growth. Conversely, oak exhibited no synchrony between leaf development and radial growth. Temporal disparities between cambial phenology and leaf phenology were observed. Specifically, for pine, leaf unfolding occurred prior to the onset of wall-thickening, while leaf shedding took place after the cessation of lignification. Oak exhibited a delayed leaf unfolding compared to the initiation of secondary wall formation, and leaf shedding notably occurred later than the cessation of radial growth. In contrast, birch displayed an earlier leaf unfolding in comparison to the onset of radial growth, and the cessation of lignification was later than leaf shedding. These findings indicate the diversity in physiological mechanisms and survival strategies among different wood species. Our results suggest that radial growth in pine and birch appears to be heavily reliant on photosynthetic activity of leaves, while oak places greater emphasis on carbon storage, particularly during early growing season. The findings provide new insights into the complex mechanisms of tree growth and are critical for predicting future species suitability in temperate forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]