Atheliales

Abstract: This is the first study to assess the diversity and community structure of the Agaricomycotina in an ectotrophic forest using above-ground fruiting body surveys as well as soil rDNA sampling. We recovered 132 molecular operational taxonomic units, or 'species', from fruiting bodies and 66 from soil, with little overlap. Fruiting body sampling primarily recovered fungi from the Agaricales, Russulales, Boletales and Cantharellales. Many of these species are ectomycorrhizal and form large fruiting bodies. Soil rDNA sampling recovered fungi from these groups in addition to taxa overlooked during the fruiting body survey from the Atheliales, Trechisporales and Sebacinales. Species from these groups form inconspicuous, resupinate and corticioid fruiting bodies. Soil sampling also detected fungi from the Hysterangiales that form fruiting bodies underground. Generally, fruiting body and soil rDNA samples recover a largely different assemblage of fungi at the species level; however, both methods identify the same dominant fungi at the genus-order level and ectomycorrhizal fungi as the prevailing type. Richness, abundance, and phylogenetic diversity (PD) identify the Agaricales as the dominant fungal group above- and below-ground; however, we find that molecularly highly divergent lineages may account for a greater proportion of total diversity using the PD measure compared with richness and abundance. Unless an exhaustive inventory is required, the rapidity and versatility of DNA-based sampling may be sufficient for a first assessment of the dominant taxonomic and ecological groups of fungi in forest soil.

Abstract: Stipitate stereoid fungi are Basidiomycetes with a stipe, a spathulate-to funnel-shaped pileus, a smooth hymenophore, and hyaline, smooth spores. Representatives of the genera Cotylidia, Cymatoderma, Muscinupta, Podoscypha and Stereopsis were subjected to molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ribosomal large subunit, 5.8S and ITS sequences. For four of the genera the type species was included in analyses. Stereopsis radicans, the type species of Stereopsis, forms a lineage with the corticioid species Clavulicium globosum but could not be placed in any of the presently accepted orders within Agaricomycotina. Stereopsis vitellina falls within the Atheliales, making it the first pileus- and stipe-forming fungus recovered in this order. Cotylidia and Muscinupta again are shown to be members of the Hymenochaetales, whereas Cymatoderma and Podoscypha belong in the Polyporales. Cymatoderma is polyphyletic and Cymatoderma sensu stricto is separated from other stipitate stereoid fungi in the Polyporales, whereas the remaining Cymatoderma species are nested within a well supported clade holding all Podoscypha species but also Abortiporus biennis.

Abstract: We present a revised molecular phylogeny of higher Basidiomycota focusing on Lepidostromataceae based on the large subunit (28S) of the nuclear ribosomal rDNA (nuLSU), with additionl data from the translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1 (TEF1) and the RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes. Our results suggest that Lepidostromataceae is best recognized in a separate order, Lepidostromatales ordo novum, within subclass Agaricomycetidae. Furthermore, the internal topology of Lepidostromataceae, correlating with thallus features, indicates that three genera, instead of a single genus, should be recognized. We therefore introduce the genera Ertzia genus novum and Sulzbacheromyces genus novum for Lepidostroma akagerae and L. caatingae, respectively. In addition, the new species L. winklerianum spec. nova is described for Mexican material previously identified as L. calocerum. The photobionts of Sulzbacheromyces and Lepidostroma were identified using molecular data of the large subunit of the ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) gene, revealing a possibly undescribed genus in Trebouxiophyceae and the first report of lichenization for the genus Bracteacoccus in Chlorophyceae.