Competing sexual-asexual generic names of Pezizomycetes and recommendations for use

Following the change that eliminated dual naming of sexual and asexual morphs of fungi, generic names of Pezizomycetes have been evaluated to determine which of the competing names should be recommended for use. Evaluation is based on congruence of type species to determine if the names are congeneric and which name is most commonly cited as well as priority. In the Pezizomycetes six pairs of generic names were determined to compete. In all cases the older name, representing the sexual morph, is recommended for use, specifically Caloscypha rather than Geniculodendron, Desmazierella rather than Verticicladium, Miladina rather than Actinosporella, Morchella rather than Costantinella, Sarcoscypha rather than Molliardiomyces, and Trichophaea rather than Dichobotrys

Two new species of Hygrophorus from temperate Himalayan Oak forests of Pakistan

The genus Hygrophorus is poorly studied from Asia. From Pakistan, only one species has been reported so far. Two new species in the genus have been collected from Himalayan oak forests of Pakistan. Hygrophorus alboflavescens (section Pudorini, subgenus Colorati) is characterised by its pure white, centrally depressed pileus, occurrence of white stipe with yellow patches at lower half and broader (4.98 μm) basidiospores. Hygrophorus scabrellus (section Hygrophorus, subgenus Hygrophorus) is characterised by its yellowish-green stipe with white apex that has fine scales on the entire stipe, an off-white pileus with dark green and greyish fibrils, ovoid to ellipsoid basidiospores and clavate 4-spored basidia. Macro- and micromorphological descriptions have revealed that both these taxa are not yet described. Phylogenetic estimation based on DNA sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) genes, is congruent with the morphological characters that help to delimit these as new species of Hygrophorus. Allied taxa are also compared

Two new species of Hygrophorus from temperate Himalayan Oak forests of Pakistan

The genus Hygrophorus is poorly studied from Asia. From Pakistan, only one species has been reported so far. Two new species in the genus have been collected from Himalayan oak forests of Pakistan. Hygrophorus alboflavescens (section Pudorini, subgenus Colorati) is characterised by its pure white, centrally depressed pileus, occurrence of white stipe with yellow patches at lower half and broader (4.98 μm) basidiospores. Hygrophorus scabrellus (section Hygrophorus, subgenus Hygrophorus) is characterised by its yellowish-green stipe with white apex that has fine scales on the entire stipe, an off-white pileus with dark green and greyish fibrils, ovoid to ellipsoid basidiospores and clavate 4-spored basidia. Macro- and micromorphological descriptions have revealed that both these taxa are not yet described. Phylogenetic estimation based on DNA sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) genes, is congruent with the morphological characters that help to delimit these as new species of Hygrophorus. Allied taxa are also compared

Tuber aztecorum sp. nov., a truffle species from Mexico belonging to the Maculatum clade (Tuberaceae, Pezizales)

A new species of truffle, T. aztecorum, is described from central Mexico. Tuber aztecorum can be distinguished from other related Tuber species synoptically by a combination of morphological features including ascospore size, pellis cells with irregular thickness, cystidia, ascoma colour and associated host (Abies religiosa an endemic Abies species from central Mexico); sequence variation on the ITS rDNA also distinguishes T. aztecorum from related species. A phylogenetic analysis of the ITS rDNA demonstrates that T. aztecorum belongs to the Maculatum clade and is unique from other similar small, white-cream coloured Tuber species distributed in north-eastern Mexico such as T. castilloi and T. guevarai