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Molecular investigations into two truffle-like fungi within the Pyronemataceae (Pezizales, Ascomycota) revealed hidden diversity that required further clarification of generic and species boundaries of the hypogeous, ptychothecial members of this family. Here we describe Terracavicola echinospora gen. et. sp. nov. from Mexico and we transfer Pachyphlodes lateritia from the western United States into the genus Geopora as Geopora lateritia comb. nov. We provide molecular phylogenetic evidence based on ITS and 28S ribosomal DNA for the placement of both taxa and provide detailed morphological analyses. We also discuss the taxonomy of other morphologically similar taxa in Pyronemataceae with an emphasis on the lineage that includes Geopora, Hoffmannoscypha, Picoa, and Tricharina.

A species of Pseudotricharina, similar in sequence and morphology to the type species P. intermedia, is described from a soil bank in a Nothofagus forest of the Andes Mountains of Argentina. This is only the second species of Pseudotricharina to be described and the first known from the Southern Hemisphere

Tricharina is one of the most difficult genera of Pezizales because it is hard to distinguish morphologically among species. To provide a more robust taxonomy, new investigations on the genus were conducted, both morphologically and phylogenetically. This study focuses on the four key species of the genus: T. ascophanoides, T. gilva, T. ochroleuca and T. praecox. The type material of these species was reviewed. In the literature, T. gilva is considered to be close or even identical to T. ochroleuca. The phylogenetic analysis shows that all recent collections identified as T. ochroleuca appear to be T. gilva. Furthermore, the morphological study of the type material of T. ochroleuca leads to the conclusion that the name is a nomen dubium. The presence of several endophytes sequences in the Tricharina-core clade suggests that this genus has an endophytic lifecycle. The confusion between T. gilva and T. praecox, both considered as pyrophilous species, is now resolved thanks to phylogenetic analyses and new data based on vital taxonomy. In contrast to T. gilva, which can occasionally grow on burnt places, T. praecox is a strictly pyrophilous taxon and belongs genetically to a different clade than T. gilva. In agreement with art. 59 of ICN, the anamorphic genus Ascorhizoctonia is used to accommodate the species belonging to the “T. praecox clade”. T. ascophanoides, an extra-limital species, is excluded from the genus Tricharina and combined in the genus Cupulina based on the phylogenetic results. The genetic exploration of some other tricharinoid species, i.e. Leucoscypha semi-immersa and L. patavina, confirms they do not belong to the genus Leucoscypha in its original sense, and deserve their own genus. The name Sepultariella is validated to accommodate the latter

Pachyphlodes is a pleiomorphic pezizalean truffle genus, originally described from Europe. Color is an important diagnostic character for the species in this genus, and is naturally, if unfortunately, obscured in dried herbarium specimens. Therefore, some notable experts have understandably misidentified some of the species in herbaria. This study was part of a larger effort to use molecular phylogenetic analyses followed by morphological study to sort the relationships and species limits within Pachyphlodes. One clade of Pachyphlodes that we refer to here as the /nemoralis clade was previously unrecognized for its unique spore ornamentation of coalesced spine tips present in all species in this clade studied to date. A North American species was misidentified as P. melanoxanthus, while a European species was misidentified as P. citrinus, or P. ligericus. Here we describe these two species in the /nemoralis clade as P. pfisteri from North America and P. nemoralis from Europe. We also link a mitosporic form to P. pfisteri, and revisit the concept of the mitosporic form called Glischroderma. We dedicate this paper to Richard P. Korf, who’s work on pezizalean anamorphs inspired this study

Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS and LSU rDNA of Pachyphloeus species from Europe and North America revealed a new truffle genus. These molecular analyses plus sequences downloaded from a BLAST search in GenBank indicated that Pachyphloeus prieguensis is within the Pezizaceae but well outside of the genus Pachyphloeus. Morphological differences in the peridial and glebal hyphae and spores distinguish this genus from Pachyphloeus. We here propose the monotypic new genus Calongea, with the type species C. prieguensis comb. nov., in honor of Prof. Francisco de Diego Calonge, who has long studied the truffle fungi of Spain and participated in describing the type species of Calongea.El análisis filogenético del ITS y LSU rDNA de especies europeas y norteamericanas de Pachyphloeus revelan un género nuevo de trufa. Los datos moleculares de este estudio, además de las secuencias obtenidas de una búsqueda BLAST en GenBank, indican que Pachyphloeus prieguensis es un miembro de la familia Pezizaceae pero no está relacionado con ninguna otra especie hipogea o epigea de dicha familia. Encontramos diferencias morfológicas en las hifas del peridio y gleba así como en las esporas que morfológicamente distinguen éste de Pachyphloeus. Proponemos el nuevo género monotípico Calongea, con C. prieguensis comb. nov. como la especie tipo, en honor a uno de los descubridores originales, Prof. Francisco de Diego Calonge.