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Coniferiporia, belonging to Hymenochaetaceae and now segregated from Phellinidium, is a wood-inhabiting fungal genus with three species, each having a specific geographic distribution and a strong host specificity as a forest pathogen of coniferous trees. In this study, the species diversity of Coniferiporia is further clarified with the aid of a wider sampling and multilocus-based phylogenetic analysis, which reveals a new species Coniferiporia uzbekistanensis. The molecular clock and ancestral geographic origin analyses indicate that the ancestor of Coniferiporia emerged in one of the Pinaceae and Cupressaceae, then jumped to the other plant family originated in eastern Eurasia 17.01 million years ago (Mya; 95% highest posterior density: 9.46 to 25.86 Mya), and later extended its distribution to western North America, Central Asia, and eastern Europe. Coniferiporia sulphurascens speciated on Pinaceae in eastern Eurasia 8.78 Mya (9.46 to 25.86 Mya) and then extended its distribution to western North America and eastern Europe. Coniferiporia qilianensis and C. uzbekistanensis speciated on Juniperus przewalskii in eastern Eurasia 3.67 Mya (0.36 to 8.02 Mya) and on Juniperus polycarpos in Central Asia 4.35 Mya (0.94 to 8.37 Mya), respectively. The speciation event of Coniferiporia weirii occurred 4.45 Mya (0.77 to 9.33 Mya) right after the emergence of its host, the endemic Cupressaceae species Thuja plicata, and soon after, this fungus evolved to also inhabit another endemic Cupressaceae species Calocedrus decurrens. In summary, this study for the first time unambiguously clarified and timed the adaptive evolutionary event of Coniferiporia in association with its biogeography and host plants.

Phylloporia, a wood-inhabiting fungal genus, has been used as an anti-inflammatory food taken in the form of tea in Shandong Province, China. The species used in folklore have been clarified as Phy...

Basidiocarps of Phylloporia are used as a source of natural medicine in China mainly in Shandong Province. Although the species diversity of Phylloporia has been well-studied worldwide, especially in China, the species identities of the medicinal basidiocarps are still unconfirmed. In this study, we sampled basidiocarps of Phylloporia from Shandong Province, China. On the basis of morphological and phylogenetic evidence as well as host-tree information, it is clarified that Phylloporia lonicerae on Lonicera japonica is the most widely used medicinal species of this genus, P. fontanesiae on Fontanesia fortunei is rarely used, and P. pulla on Pyrus is potentially used. The taxonomical status of these three species is briefly discussed, and P. lonicerae and P. pulla originally described from outside of China are described with illustrations based on specimens from Shandong Province, China. This clarification is crucial for medicinal studies and potential industry development of Phylloporia species.

Basidioradulum was morphologically considered to be a synonym of Xylodon. Here, its independence within Hymenochaetales is confirmed from a phylogenetic perspective. Basidioradulum radula, the generic type, is widely distributed in Northern Hemisphere. Two Southern Hemisphere species close to B. radula are newly described as B. mayi and B. tasmanicum, respectively, from Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. Basidioradulum mayi differs from B. radula by lack of cystidia. Moreover, the hymenial surface of B. radula is normally much more strongly hydnoid than that of B. mayi. Basidioradulum tasmanicum is distinct from B. radula and B. mayi by having capitate cystidia, ellipsoid to subglobose basidiospores, and crystal-covered hyphae. Although morphologically distinct, the two new species isolated by Bass Strait have an almost identical ITS region, and could not be differentiated by nLSU- and ITS-based phylogenetic analyses. This case reminds us that basing phylogeny simply on the ITS as a barcode region may underestimate fungal species diversity.