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The genus Fuscoporia (Hymenochaetaceae, Basidiomycota) comprises poroid white-rot fungi characterized by dark brown hymenial setae, a dimitic hyphal system, and encrusted generative hyphae. Despite the ecological and commercial significance of Fuscoporia species, their identification has been challenging owing to their morphological overlap with other genera of Hymenochaetaceae and to the limited resolution of nuclear ribosomal DNA markers. With the advances in molecular research, Fuscoporia has been revised to include species from Inonotus sensu lato and Phellinus sensu lato, and 71 new species have been reported over the past decade. In Korea, a comprehensive taxonomic study elucidating the true diversity of Fuscoporia is yet to be conducted. Among the 11 Fuscoporia species reported in Korea, two were identified solely based on morphological characteristics, and four were identified based on nuclear ribosomal DNA regions, which have limited resolution for species identification in Fuscoporia. To investigate the current status of Fuscoporia species native to Korea, we conducted a phylogenetic study using four genetic markers (ITS + nrLSU + RPB2 + TEF1), along with morphological characteristics, and re-analyzed the GenBank records deposited from Korea. Ten Fuscoporia species were identified, including three previously unrecorded species. A detailed description of the unrecorded species and a list of proposed Korean names for all Fuscoporia species in Korea are provided. This study will guide further taxonomic and applied research of Fuscoporia by providing a species identification key and a verified multigenetic database, in addition to confirming the sequences in public database.

Abstract Although there is a continuous increase in available molecular data, not all sequence identities in public databases are always properly verified and managed. Here, the sequences available in GenBank for Fuscoporia (Hymenochaetales) were validated. Many morphological characters of Fuscoporia overlap among the species, emphasizing the role of molecular identification for accuracy. The identities of 658 Fuscoporia GenBank internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences were assessed using ITS phylogeny, revealing 109 (16.6%) misidentified and 196 (29.8%) unspecified sequences. They were validated and re-identified based on the research articles they were published in and, if unpublished, based on sequences from the type, type locality-derived sequences, or otherwise reliable sequences. To enhance the resolution of species delimitation, a phylogenetic assessment of a multi-marker dataset (ITS + nrLSU + rpb2 + tef1) was conducted. The multi-marker phylogeny resolved five of the twelve species complexes found in the ITS phylogeny and uncovered five new Fuscoporia species: F. dolichoseta, F. gilvoides, F. koreana, F. reticulata, and F. semicephala. The validated ITS sequences in this study may prevent further accumulation of misidentified sequences in public databases and contribute to a more accurate taxonomic evaluation of Fuscoporia species.