Sordariomycetes is one of the largest classes of Ascomycota that comprises a highly diverse range of fungi characterized mainly by perithecial ascomata and inoperculate unitunicate asci. The class includes many important plant pathogens, as well as endophytes, saprobes, epiphytes, coprophilous and fungicolous, lichenized or lichenicolous taxa. They occur in terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats worldwide. This paper reviews the 107 families of the class Sordariomycetes and provides a modified backbone tree based on phylogenetic analysis of four combined loci, with a maximum five representative taxa from each family, where available. This paper brings together for the first time, since Barrs’ 1990 Prodromus, descriptions, notes on the history, and plates or illustrations of type or representative taxa of each family, a list of accepted genera, including asexual genera and a key to these taxa of Sordariomycetes. Delineation of taxa is supported where possible by molecular data. The outline is based on literature to the end of 2015 and the Sordariomycetes now comprises six subclasses, 32 orders, 105 families and 1331 genera. The family Obryzaceae and Pleurotremataceae are excluded from the class.

Families of Sordariomycetes

An account of the Chinese species of Hymenochaetaceae based on most recent phylogenetic analysis is presented. One hundred and seventy species from 23 genera are recognized; descriptions are provided based on the Chinese collections. Keys to genera and species are given. Phellinopsis gen. nov. is introduced. Coltricia abieticola sp. nov., Coltricia crassa sp. nov., Coltricia macropora sp. nov., Coltricia spina sp. nov., Coltriciella subglobosa sp. nov., Fuscoporia yunnanensis sp. nov. and Inonotus magnisetus sp. nov. are described here as new. Eighteen new combinations, Fulvifomes cesatii, F. chinensis, F. collinus, F. glaucescens, F. inermis, F. johnsonianus, F. kanehirae, F. macgregorii, F. minisporus, F. pullus, F. umbrinellus, Fuscoporia setifera, Inonotus lonicericola, I. tricolor, Phellinopsis conchata, P. occidentalis, Porodaedalea himalayensis and P. yamanoi are proposed. The taxonomy of all species is discussed. Spore dimensions given in this study derive from at least 30 spores of each species, and 10 386 spores were measured from 347 specimens. Two thousand specimens were examined, and they are listed after each species. Colour photos for 140 species are supplied.This report provides a modern treatment of the Hymenochaetaceae of China. To further support the results of morphology, nuclear large subunit (nuc-LSU) sequences from some typical species were selected to reconstruct their phylogeny.

Hymenochaetaceae (Basidiomycota) in China

This is a continuation of the papers “Towards a classification of Sordariomycetes” (2015) and “Families of Sordariomycetes” (2016) in which we compile a treatment of the class Sordariomycetes. The present treatment is needed as our knowledge has rapidly increased, from 32 orders, 105 families and 1331 genera in 2016, to 45 orders, 167 families and 1499 genera (with 308 genera incertae sedis) at the time of publication. In this treatment we provide notes on each order, families and short notes on each genus. We provide up-to-date DNA based phylogenies for 45 orders and 163 families. Three new genera and 16 new species are introduced with illustrations and descriptions, while 23 new records and three new species combinations are provided. We also list 308 taxa in Sordariomycetes genera incertae sedis. For each family we provide general descriptions and illustrate the type genus or another genus, the latter where the placement has generally been confirmed with molecular data. Both the sexual and asexual morphs representative of a family are illustrated where available. Notes on ecological and economic considerations are also given.

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Refined families of Sordariomycetes

The genus Cochliobolus (anamorphs Bipolaris, Curvularia) comprises many destructive plant pathogens that cause severe crop losses worldwide. The taxonomy of Cochliobolus is confused as frequent nomenclatural changes have occurred in the sexual and asexual states of species over the past 50 years. We provide an overview of these nomenclatural changes together with a morphological circumscription of the genus. Taxonomic notes and information about the life history of 55 species epithets of Cochliobolus listed in Index Fungorum are also given. Further information is given concerning the location of type cultures; availability of DNA sequence data derived from type cultures; mode of life; novel metabolite production; and use of Cochliobolus species in biocontrol. We provide a multilocus phylogenetic tree based on DNA sequence data derived from 25 ex-type and authentic cultures that shows the group as monophyletic. This paper represents the first comprehensive overview of Cochliobolus since 1987, including a summary of applications of species and molecular phylogenetic research. The 55 species of Cochliobolus are listed alphabetically, with synonyms, hosts and diseases, brief notes concerning taxonomic and phylogenetic research.

Cochliobolus : an overview and current status of species

The huge land areas in China provide highly diverse habitats for macrofungi. Of these macrofungi, many are directly related to people’s daily life and have been utilized by ancient Chinese for at least 6800 years. In this study, we evaluate the current known resource diversity of Chinese macrofungi. A total of 1662 taxa are summarized, and all species names and their authorities have been checked and corrected according to authentic mycological databases. Among the 1662 taxa, 1020, 692, and 480 are considered to be edible, medicinal and poisonous mushrooms, respectively. A few of edible macrofungi in China are commonly used for commercial production. All known medicinal functions are labeled for medicinal species. The most common medicinal functions possessed by Chinese macrofungi are antitumor or anticancer, followed by antioxidant and antimicrobial. A total of 277 Chinese macrofungi are edible simultaneously with certain medicinal functions and without known toxicity. These species could be treated as “Gold Mushrooms”. Contrarily, 193 edible and/or medicinal species are also recognized as poisonous mushrooms. To avoid poisoning caused by these species, ingestion either in a proper way or in small amounts is important. However, the mycotoxins metabolized by these poisonous species could be a huge wealth of natural products yet to be explored. How to utilize these Chinese macrofungal resources is a critical to benefit humans worldwide.

Teng ShuChün

Papers

Fungi of China