Taxonomic Re-Evaluation of the Genus <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> in the Republic of Korea Including Three Unrecorded Species.

AbstractThe genus <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> (<italic>Hymenochaetaceae</italic>, <italic>Basidiomycota</italic>) 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 <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> species, their identification has been challenging owing to their morphological overlap with other genera of <italic>Hymenochaetaceae</italic> and to the limited resolution of nuclear ribosomal DNA markers. With the advances in molecular research, <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> has been revised to include species from <italic>Inonotus</italic> sensu lato and <italic>Phellinus</italic> sensu lato, and 71 new species have been reported over the past decade. In Korea, a comprehensive taxonomic study elucidating the true diversity of <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> is yet to be conducted. Among the 11 <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> 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 <italic>Fuscoporia</italic>. To investigate the current status of <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> species native to Korea, we conducted a phylogenetic study using four genetic markers (ITS + nrLSU + <italic>RPB2</italic> + <italic>TEF1</italic>), along with morphological characteristics, and re-analyzed the GenBank records deposited from Korea. Ten <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> species were identified, including three previously unrecorded species. A detailed description of the unrecorded species and a list of proposed Korean names for all <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> species in Korea are provided. This study will guide further taxonomic and applied research of <italic>Fuscoporia</italic> by providing a species identification key and a verified multigenetic database, in addition to confirming the sequences in public database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]