Morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses revealed five new species (Basidiomycota) from Southwestern China

In the present study, five new wood-inhabiting fungal species, <i>Conferticiumalbocremeum</i> (Stereaceae, Russulales), <i>Dendrocorticiopsisluteoalba</i> (Punctulariaceae, Corticiales), <i>Eichleriellabiluoxueshanensis</i> (Auriculariaceae, Auriculariales), <i>Gloeohypochniciumyunnanense</i> (Incertae sedis, Russulales), and <i>Punctularianigrodontea</i> (Punctulariaceae, Corticiales), collected from southern China, are proposed based on a combination of morphological features and phylogenetic evidence. <i>Conferticiumalbocremeum</i> is characterized by membranaceous and smooth basidiomata with white to cream surface and ellipsoid and verrucose basidiospores (9-11 × 5-7 µm); <i>Dendrocorticiopsisluteoalba</i> is characterized white to buff, membranaceous basidiomata and ellipsoid, thin-walled and smooth basidiospores (7-8 × 4.5-5.5 µm); <i>Eichleriellabiluoxueshanensis</i> is characterized by coriaceous and grandinioid basidiomata with buff to cinnamon-buff hymenophore and allantoid, thin-walled basidiospores (13.5-17.5 × 7-9 µm); <i>Gloeohypochniciumyunnanense</i> is characterized by buff to cream, coriaceous and smooth basidiomata and globose, thick-walled and warted basidiospores (10-12 × 10-11.5 µm), and <i>Punctularianigrodontea</i> is characterized by resupinate to effused-reflexed basidiomata and ellipsoid, thin-walled and smooth basidiospores (8.5-10 × 5-6 µm). 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 performed based on the ITS+nLSUrDNA gene regions with the maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods revealed that five new species belong to the genera <i>Conferticium</i>, <i>Dendrocorticiopsis</i>, <i>Eichleriella</i>, <i>Gloeohypochnicium</i>, and <i>Punctularia</i>. Descriptions, illustrations, phylogenetic analysis results, and a comparison with closely related taxa of the five new species are provided.