Unveiling Species Diversity Within Early-Diverging Fungi from China XII: Six New Species of Mucor (Mucoromycota)

<i>Mucor</i> is widely distributed in nature and extensively applied in industries, food, and other fields. Based on analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) of the ribosomal RNA gene, RNA polymerase II largest subunit gene (<i>RPB1</i>), and their morphological characteristics, six new species of <i>Mucor</i> were identified. <i>Mucor catenatus</i> sp. nov. forms chlamydospores in chains. <i>Mucor jujubinus</i> sp. nov. is characterized by jujube-shaped columellae. <i>Mucor macrosporangium</i> sp. nov. produces larger sporangia. <i>Mucor multiramosus</i> sp. nov. features extensively branched sporangiophores. <i>Mucor oligorhizus</i> sp. nov. shows a rare rhizoid formation. <i>Mucor tumidus</i> sp. nov. usually develops swellings in sporangiophores. This study represents the twelfth contribution in a series exploring early-diverging fungal diversity in China and raises the number of accepted <i>Mucor</i> species to 60.