Molecular phylogeny and morphology reveal a new Eichleriella species (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota) from China

A new wood-inhabiting fungus Eichleriella yunnanensis is proposed based on a combination of the morphological features and molecular evidence. Eichleriella yunnanensis is characterized by the buff to clay-pink hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with thin- to thick walled generative hyphae having the clamp connections, and thin-walled, subglobose to subclavate basidia with longitudinally septate, and thin-walled, curved-cylindrical to allantoid basidiospores. The phylogenetic tree inferred from ITS+nLSU sequences revealed that the new species was nested into the family Auriculariaceae within the order Auriculariales, in which it was closely related to the species E. discolor and E. xinpingensis. On the basis of ITS sequences indicated that the new species was nested into the genus Eichleriella, and also grouped with the clade comprising E. discolor and E. xinpingensis.