Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy reveal two new genera and five new species in Phanerochaetaceae (Polyporales) from Yunnan, Southwest China

In the present study, two new genera <i>Paradonkia</i>, and <i>Neodonkiella</i>, and five new species, <i>viz. Paradonkiafarinacea</i>, <i>Neodonkiellayinjiangensis</i>, <i>Phanerochaetealbocremea</i>, <i>Phanerochaetefissurata</i>, and <i>Phanerochaetepunctata</i> collected from southern China, are proposed based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. <i>Paradonkiafarinacea</i> is characterized by the resupinate, membranaceous basidiomata with pale cream to gray cream hymenial surface and a monomitic hyphal system with simple septa and clamp connections; <i>Neodonkiellayinjiangensis</i> is characterized by soft coriaceous basidiomata, a monomitic hyphal system and ellipsoid basidiospores (3.5-5 × 2-2.5 µm); <i>Phanerochaetealbocremea</i> is characterized by resupinate basidiomata with white to a pale cream hymenial surface, and ellipsoid basidiospores (3.5-5 × 2-3 µm); <i>Phanerochaetefissurata</i> is characterized by gray-brown and cracked hymenial surface, and ellipsoid basidiospores (4-5.5 × 2-3 µm) and <i>Phanerochaetepunctata</i> is characterized by farinaceous basidiomata, a monomitic hyphal system, and ellipsoid basidiospores. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and the large subunit (nLSU) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) markers of the studied samples were generated. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogram based on the ITS+nLSUrDNA gene regions, revealed that two new genera, <i>Paradonkia</i> and <i>Neodonkiella</i>, belong to the family Phanerochaetaceae, and three new species belong to the genus <i>Phanerochaete</i> in the family Phanerochaetaceae.