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Issue: Vol. 716 No. 1: 26 Aug. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-08-26
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.716.1.4
Page range: 36-44
Abstract views: 659
PDF downloaded: 340

Morphological and phylogenetic evidence reveal a new species of Protomerulius (Basidiomycota) from China

The Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-forest Resource, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
Yunnan Wumeng Mountains National Nature Reserve, Zhaotong 657000, P.R. China
College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
The Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-forest Resource, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
Fungi 1 New species Molecular systematics Taxonomy Yunnan Province

Abstract

The corticioid fungi, distinguished by their longitudinally septate basidia, represent a unique group within the Auriculares taxa. A new corticioid fungus, Protomerulius wumengshanensis was discovered in Yunnan Province, southwest China, and is described and illustrated based on morphological and molecular evidence. It is characterized by producing white and smooth basidiomata, a monomitic system with clamp connections, hyphoid cystidia, longitudinally septate basidia, and thin-walled and oblong-ellipsoid, ellipsoid to ovoid, basidiospores measuring 4.3–5.9 × 3.0–4.0 µm. The new species resembles Protomerulius dubius macroscopically, but the latter differs in having larger basidiospores (5.2–8.0 × 3.7–4.7 μm vs. 4.3–5.9 × 3.0–4.0 μm). In nuclear large subunit rDNA (nLSU) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) based phylogenies, the new species formed a distinct lineage in the Protomerulius clade. A full description, illustrations and phylogeny analysis results of the new species are provided.

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How to Cite

Gu, Z., Zhou, C., Deng, Q., Zhang, J., Li, M. & Zhou, H. (2025) Morphological and phylogenetic evidence reveal a new species of Protomerulius (Basidiomycota) from China. Phytotaxa 716 (1): 36–44. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.716.1.4