This study addressed three important aims:(1) undermining the previously obtained raw data about wood-decaying fungi(WDF) distribution and continuously investigating permanent plots to address certain scientific questions in ecology,(2) resolving the higher-level phylogeny of WDF with the help of multiple loci,and(3) testing and estimating the medicinal values of species that are closely related to well-known medicinal species.More than 1200 species and 2469 strains of WDF in China were identified from 28908 specimens collected from a series of field investigations.Using these materials,studies in multiple disciplines,such as ecology,taxonomy and phylogeny,and medicine,have been performed.With respect to ecology,the diversity of wood-decaying polypores significantly differed among a boreal forest zone,a temperate and warm temperate forest zone,and a tropical and subtropical forest zone.For instance,from north to south,the number and proportion of brown-rot species and the proportion of species found on fallen trunks were both decreased.The ecological patterns of wood-decaying polypores on gymnosperm and angiosperm trees were also explored by a case study in Northeast China.Although the total species richness was similar between the two tree groups,several other characteristics were significantly different,such as community structure and richness in certain substrates.The taxonomy and phylogeny of wide samples were referred to and their phylogenetic positions were resolved or at least partially established.In particular,phylogenetic knowledge about four genera,Fomitiporia,Ganoderma,Inonotus and Perenniporia,which include medicinal species,was essential for further research to determine the medicinal values of these types of fungi.Among these medicinal species,we mainly focused on Inonotus obliquus for its medicinal purposes.Polyphenols,polysaccharides and lanostane-type triterpenoids,extracted from the sterile conk of this species,could dramatically decrease levels of free radicals,DPPH and hydroxyl radicals,respe
Three new resupinate,poroid,wood-inhabiting fungi,Perenniporia aridula,P.bannaensis and P.substraminea,are introduced on the basis of morphological and molecular characters.Molecular study based on sequence data from the ribosomal ITS and LSU regions supported the three new species’positions in Perenniporia s.s.,and all of them formed monophyletic lineages with strong support(100%BP,1.00 BPP).Phylogenetic analysis revealed seven clades for the 31 species of Perenniporia s.l.used in this study.Among them,Perenniporiella clustered with Perenniporia ochroleuca group,and then subsequently grouped with Abundisporus.In addition,the P.ochroleuca group,the P.vicina group,the P.martia group and P.subacida formed well supported monophyletic entities,which could be recognized as distinct genera,and they are not related to P.medulla-panis which belongs to Perenniporia s.s.clade.An identification key to 38 species of Perenniporia occurring in China is provided.
The Inonotus linteus complex comprises several closely related species characterized by pileate basidiomes,a heterogeneous hyphal system with a monomitic context and a dimitic hymenophoral trama.Setae are hymenial and basidiospores are broadly ellipsoid to subglobose,yellowish and thick-walled.Research to understand this complex have been particularly noticeable in East Asia.In the present paper,the complex was studied at a larger scale,including samples from Mesoamerica.Inonotus linteus,an epitype of this species being designated here,is circumscribed as a narrow sense based on morphological and phylogenetic data,and this has lead to delimiting a new species from Mesoamerica,viz.I.cubensis,and provides evidence for two additional species,I.alpinus and I.zonatus,from East Asia.Phylogenetic analyses of ITS sequences also confirmed the status of I.baumii,I.linteus,I.lonicericola,I.lonicerinus,I.vaninii,I.sanghuang,I.weigelae and I.weirianus as distinct taxa,while I.tenuicontextus is considered to be a synonym of I.weigelae.A key to 11 species in the complex is provided.
Xue-Mei TianHai-You YuLi-Wei ZhouCony DecockJosef VlasákYu-Cheng Dai
Polyporus accommodates species with stipitate basidiocarps,a dimitic hyphal system with skeleto-binding hyphae,and hyaline,thin-walled,more or less cylindrical basidiospores.The species of Polyporus are divided into six morphological groups,of which Melanopus is characterized by coriaceous basidiocarps,thin context and a black cuticle on the stipe.In this study,we explore the phylogeny and species diversity of Polyporus sensu lato focusing on the group Melanopus based on global samples.Our combined ITS and nLSU dataset included 117 collections represented by 117 ITS and 94 nLSU sequences,of which 43 ITS and 37 nLSU sequences were newly generated.The resulting phylogenetic analysis recovered four clades,Favolus,Neofavolus,Melanopus and Polyporellus clades,while several species in the morphological groups Melanopus and Polyporus were outside these clades.Combined with morphological evidence,three new species in the Melanopus clade,Polyporus americanus,P.austroandinus and P.conifericola,are newly described and illustrated,and their distinctive characters are discussed.The illegitimate name Polyporus fraxineus is renamed as Polyporus fraxinicola.The phylogeny and taxonomy of each species in group Melanopus(morphology)or Melanopus clade(phylogeny)and related species are briefly discussed.
