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For the very first time, morpho-anatomical features of both fruiting bodies as well as below-ground structures have been confronted with a newly produced multigene phylogeny of root symbiotic basidiomycetes using one of the most speciose genera of ectomycorrhizal fungi (Russula, Russulales) as an example. In this first of two papers, the authors focus more specifically on below-ground structures. Our five-gene phylogeny divides the genus in five main clades, here interpreted as representing seven subgenera, all significantly supported. Although more conserved than features of fruiting bodies, the anatomy of ectomycorrhiza does not allow for an unambiguous characterization of the main clades resolved by phylogenetic analysis, but the anatomy of ectomycorrhiza performs better to naturally classify the species of this genus. Features of fruiting bodies remain much more adequate for the delimitation of terminal clades and are irreplaceable for morphological species identification. Tropical taxa mostly nest in ancient lineages, but are also present in some terminal clades of otherwise temperate species groups. The shift from plectenchymatic to pseudoparenchymatic ECM outer mantle structures happened most likely already in the paleotropics, and is here hypothesized to have facilitated a major diversification of the genus with new hosts in the northern hemisphere. Available data as well as our own observations on below ground structures of several Lactifluus species suggests that this genus shares with Russula the absence of lactifers in ECM mantles and rhizomorphs, contrary to species of Lactarius where lactifers are always present. First observations on rhizomorphs of species in Multifurca confirm the presence of vessel-like and ladder-like hyphae, also found in the other agarioid genera of this family, while distinct lactifers are only present in the lactarioid, but not in russuloid members of this genus.

This paper on the most significant edible wild mushrooms of Madagascar is organized in the following four categories: (1) mushrooms of introduced eucalypt plantations, (2) mushrooms of introduced pine plantations, (3) mushrooms of native forests and woodlands, and (4) mushrooms found in fields, agricultural waste and other altered, non-forest habitats. Eucalyptus robusta plantations yield by far the bulk of edible mushrooms that are sold, especially species of Russula and Cantharellus. Some Suillus species of northern hemisphere origin have been introduced with pine plantations and are locally important, forming the basis of a small canning industry. In native woodland areas on the central plateau, several ectomycorrhizal mushrooms—very similar to those on the African mainland—are collected and consumed. With the exception of the widely marketed Cantharellus platyphyllus ssp. bojeriensis, these are only of local importance in the villages and smaller markets of the area. Denser forests in the mountains or on the east coast as well as manmade habitats such as fields, pastures, and agricultural wastes are searched for saprobic mushrooms of various types. Some of these saprobic mushrooms show considerable potential for cultivation. The variety of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms found in eucalypt plantations is unprecedented outside of Australia and, for the most part, do not appear to be of Australian origin. Possible reasons for this are briefly discussed. Two economically important species, Russula prolifica sp. nov. and R. edulis sp. nov., are newly described. /// Les champignons comestibles sauvages de Madagascar sont présentés d'après leur appartenance à quatre habitats différents: plantations exotiques d'Eucalyptus, plantations exotiques de pins, savanes et forêts indigènes et, enfin, champs cultivées, prairies et déchets agronomiques. Les plantations d'Eucalyptus (en particulier d'E. robusta) produisent de loin la majorité des champignons comestibles mis en vente, surtout chanterelles et russules. Quelques bolets du genre Suillus, manifestement introduits de l'hémisphère nord, pullulent localement sous des pins importés et font l'objet d'une industrie artisanale de conserves. Sur le Haut Plateau, plusieurs espèces de champignons ectomycorrhiziques, très similaires à celles décrites du continent africain, sont ramassées et consommées dans l'aire des savanes. A l'exception du Cantharellus platyphyllus ssp. bojeriensis — espèce très commune sur les marchés et le long des routes du Haut Plateau, ces différentes espèces ne représentent qu'un intérêt local. Les forêts denses d'altitude ou le long de la côte Est, ainsi que les habitats créés par l'homme (champs, prairies de pâturage, déchets de l'agriculture) sont explorées à la recherche d'un nombre de champignons comestibles saprophytes, dont certains à potentiel très prometteur pour la domestication. La diversité des champignons ectomycorrhiziques associés aux plantations d'eucalyptus dépasse de loin celle observée dans les autres pays ou les eucalyptus ont été introduits par l'homme. L'auteur discute sommairement quelques éléments qui ne semblent pas favoriser l'hypothèse d'une éventuelle origine australienne pour la plupart de ces champignons. Deux russules comestibles représentant un intérêt économique, R. prolifica sp. nov. et R. edulis sp. nov., sont sommairement décrites comme nouvelles.

Background Evolutionary radiation is widely recognized as a mode of species diversification, but the drivers of the rapid diversification of fungi remain largely unknown. Here, we used Amanitaceae, one of the most diverse families of macro-fungi, to investigate the mechanism underlying its diversification. Results The ancestral state of the nutritional modes was assessed based on phylogenies obtained from fragments of 36 single-copy genes and stable isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen. Moreover, a number of time-, trait-, and paleotemperature-dependent models were employed to investigate if the acquisition of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbiosis and climate changes promoted the diversification of Amanitaceae. The results indicate that the evolution of ECM symbiosis has a single evolutionary origin in Amanitaceae. The earliest increase in diversification coincided with the acquisition of the ECM symbiosis with angiosperms in the middle Cretaceous. The recent explosive diversification was primarily triggered by the host-plant switches from angiosperms to the mixed forests dominated by Fagaceae, Salicaceae, and Pinaceae or to Pinaceae. Conclusions Our study provides a good example of integrating phylogeny, nutritional mode evolution, and ecological analyses for deciphering the mechanisms underlying fungal evolutionary diversification. This study also provides new insights into how the transition to ECM symbiosis has driven the diversification of fungi.

After a short historical overview of past systematic studies on Cantharellus , discussing delimitation and species diversity of the genus as well as previous, morphology-based, infrageneric classifications, this paper presents the first molecularly-based infrageneric classification of this genus using a multigene phylogenetic approach (nucLSU, mitSSU, RPB2 and tef-1 ) on a dataset that covers approximately halve of the described chanterelles worldwide, including many type specimens. Six subgenera are recognized and the recognition of subgenus Afrocantharellus as a separate genus is not accepted. The taxonomic value of individual morphological features is discussed as challenged by this new multigene phylogeny which comprises five new sections, one new subgenus and many emendations for previously recognized infrageneric groups. The paper discusses the observed discrepancy in biodiversity of Cantharellus when comparing between studies that focus either on below- or above-ground presence. A preliminary biogeographic hypothesis suggests an ‘out of Africa’ Gondwanan origin as a result of vicariance and subsequent migrations.

Resolving species delimitation issues of European Cantharellus is crucial to correctly name chanterelles around the globe. Thirty names referring to Cantharellus s. str. have been described in Europe, some of which are used in other continents. Based on combined analyses of ITS2, LSU, RPB 2 and TEF -1, merely eight species are here recognized in Europe applying the genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition criteria, one of which, C. roseofagetorum , is described as new. Morphological characters used in species delimitation are mapped and their variability evaluated. The colour of the hymenophore in young specimens is found to be a rather constant morphological character of taxonomic use. European species of Cantharellus are morphologically distinguished by unique combinations of characters, such as the presence of a pink pileal coating, pileus and hymenophore colour when young, and in some cases, the mean spore length and ecology. Eighteen type specimens from Europe are sequenced. Based on revised species concepts sixteen novel taxonomic synonyms are here proposed for European chanterelles: C. alborufescens (=  C. henrici , C. ilicis , C. lilacinopruinatus ), C. amethysteus (=  C. cibarius subsp. squamulosus , C. cibarius var. umbrinus, C. rufipes ), C. cibarius (=  C. cibarius var. atlanticus , C. parviluteus ), C. ferruginascens (=  C. cibarius var. flavipes ), C. friesii (=  C. ignescens ), C. pallens (=  C. cibarius var. albidus , C. cibarius var. bicolor , C. subpruinosus ), and C. romagnesianus (=  C. pseudominimus , C. lourizanianus , C. romagnesianus var. parvisporus ). The type of Cantharellus , C. cibarius, is epitypified. Descriptions, colour illustrations and a key to all European species are provided.

Multifurca is a small genus newly established to accommodate lactarioid and russuloid species with some characters reminiscent of corticoid members of Russulaceae. It shows an amphi-pacific distribution with strong preference for the tropical zone of the Northern Hemisphere and thus has particular significance for biogeographical study. Using worldwide samples and three loci (ITS, 28S rDNA and rpb2), we demonstrated that Multifurca is split into two highly supported major clades that are here recognized at the subgeneric level: subg. Furcata subg. nov. exclusively includes lactarioid species, while subg. Multifurca includes species with a russuloid habit. Using phylogenetic species recognition and comparison of genetic distances we recognize five new and six previously described species, almost double the known number of species before this study. Molecular dating using a Bayesian method suggested that Multifurca originated in early Paleocene and diversified in the Eocene. The most recent interspecific divergences occurred both in Asia and America, roughly at the same time around the Pliocene. Ancestral area reconstruction and comparisons of genetic distances and morphology suggested an early divergence within Australasia or tropical Asia. From the early Miocene to Pliocene, multiple dispersals/migrations to Australasia and North America by island hopping or land bridge likely happened. Vicariance at the late Tertiary might be the most likely mechanism accounting for the eastern Asia-southeastern North America and Australasia-tropical Asia disjunct distributions. The shared polymorphisms in the ITS alignment, numerous degenerated base pairs in the rpb2 sequences and weak conflict between the ITS and LSU genealogies of M. subg. Furcata suggest recent speciation. Host specificity of Multifurca species or species pairs is relatively low. Host shifts are believed to have aided establishment in new territories during the dispersals and migrations.

The diversity within the ectomycorrhizal genus Russula (Basidiomycota) in West Africa is largely unexplored. The study area was Benin, where only ten out of the 159 species endemic to tropical Africa have been previously reported. We focused on \" \", which is a monophyletic lineage within Russulasubgen.Heterophyllidiaesister tosubsect.Virescentinae. The phylogenetic placement of this clade was analysed using sequence data from ITS, LSU, mtSSU, , and regions. Ten \" \" species are recognised, described and illustrated from Benin. Four of them, , , and , were previously published. Five species, , , , and , are newly described. Species within this group are characterised by densely reticulated spore ornamentation, but they exhibit considerable variation in field appearance and pileipellis structure. In gallery forests, their basidiomata are ephemeral, small and their basidiospores have prominent ornamentation; while in savannah woodlands, the basidiomata are fleshy, large and basidiospores present low ornamentation. We suggest that these morphological traits may represent evolutionary adaptations to a specific environmental condition. We analysed the species richness, ecological range and distribution of the \" \" clade globally based on data from the UNITE database, estimating a total diversity of 94 species primarily distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, but also in the Neotropics. Four additional previously described species not detected in Benin were assigned to this clade, based on holotype sequencing. Several species are widely distributed across tropical Africa and do not show specificity regarding their associated plant symbionts.

The ability of fungi isolated from nails of patients suffering from onychomycosis to induce de novo production of bioactive compounds in co-culture was examined. Comparison between the metabolite profiles produced by Sarocladium strictum, by Fusarium oxysporum, and by these two species in co-culture revealed de novo induction of fusaric acid based on HRMS. Structure confirmation of this toxin, using sensitive microflow NMR, required only three 9-cm Petri dishes of fungal culture. A targeted metabolomics study based on UHPLC-HRMS confirmed that the production of fusaric acid was strain-dependent. Furthermore, the detected toxin levels suggested that onychomycosis-associated fungal strains of the F. oxysporum and F. fujikuroi species complexes are much more frequently producing fusaric acid, and in higher amount, than strains of the F. solani species complex. Fusarium strains producing no significant amounts of this compound in pure culture, were shown to de novo produce that compound when grown in co-culture. The role of fusaric acid in fungal virulence and defense is discussed.

The ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushroom family Inocybaceae is widespread in north temperate regions, but more than 150 species are encountered in the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. The relative roles of recent and ancient biogeographical processes, relationships with plant hosts, and the timing of divergences that have shaped the current geographic distribution of the family are investigated. Africa, Australia, Neotropics, New Zealand, north temperate zone, Palaeotropics, Southeast Asia, South America, south temperate zone. We reconstruct a phylogeny of the Inocybaceae with a geological timeline using a relaxed molecular clock. Divergence dates of lineages are estimated statistically to test vicariance-based hypotheses concerning relatedness of disjunct ECM taxa. A series of internal maximum time constraints is used to evaluate two different calibrations. Ancestral state reconstruction is used to infer ancestral areas and ancestral plant partners of the family. The Palaeotropics are unique in containing representatives of all major clades of Inocybaceae. Six of the seven major clades diversified initially during the Cretaceous, with subsequent radiations probably during the early Palaeogene. Vicariance patterns cannot be rejected that involve area relationships for Africa-Australia, Africa-India and southern South America-Australia. Northern and southern South America, Australia and New Zealand are primarily the recipients of immigrant taxa during the Palaeogene or later. Angiosperms were the earliest hosts of Inocybaceae. Transitions to conifers probably occurred no earlier than 65 Ma. The Inocybaceae initially diversified no later than the Cretaceous in Palaeotropical settings, in association with angiosperms. Diversification within major clades of the family accelerated during the Palaeogene in north and south temperate regions, whereas several relictual lineages persisted in the tropics. Both vicariance and dispersal patterns are detected. Species from Neotropical and south temperate regions are largely derived from immigrant ancestors from north temperate or Palaeotropical regions. Transitions to conifer hosts occurred later, probably during the Palaeogene.

Between December 2012 and May 2017, we conducted a fungal inventory at the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BHI) in Massachusetts. We extensively sampled 4 sites (Grape Island, Peddocks Island, Thompson Island, and World's End peninsula) and occasionally visited 4 others for sampling (Calf Island, Great Brewster Island, Slate Island, and Webb Memorial State Park). We made over 900 collections, of which 313 have been identified. The survey yielded 172 species in 123 genera, 62 families, 24 orders, 11 classes, and 2 phyla. We report 4 species as new, but not formally described, in the genera Orbilia, Resupinatus, and Xylaria. Another collection in the genus Lactarius may be new to science, but further morphological and molecular work is needed to confirm this conclusion. Additionally, Orbilia aprilis is a new report for North America, Proliferodiscus earoleucus represents only the second report for the US, and Chrysosporium sulfureum, a common fungus of some cheeses, was discovered on woodlice (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Isopoda: Oniscidea). We discuss our findings in the light of DNA-based identifications using the ITS ribosomal DNA region, including the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and stress the need for biodiversity studies in urbanized areas during all seasons.