Abstract
A novel species of the genus Phallus (Phallaceae, Agaricales), designated as Phallus hainanensis sp. nov., is described from tropical rainforests in Hainan Province, China. This new species is identified based on the integrative morpho-molecular evidence. Morphologically, it is characterized by an oval to ovoid egg in immature stage, a cylindrical, hollow, white to pale yellow pseudostipe, ellipsoid, smooth basidiospores, and a foul-smelling gleba. Microscopically, it possesses ellipsoid basidiospores measuring 4–5(–5.4) × 2–3 μm with smooth walls. Phylogenetic analyses based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and nuclear large subunit (nuc-LSU) rDNA regions confirmed its distinct taxonomic position, forming a well-supported monophyletic clade sister to P. campanulatus. Sequence divergence between Phallus hainanensis and P. campanulatus is 5.7% (ITS) and 3.7% (nuc-LSU), respectively. A detailed description, illustrations, and phylogenetic affinities are provided. The new species enriches the diversity of Phallus in China, which currently comprises 29 known species, and contributes to fungal biodiversity.
References
- Adamčík, S., Cai, L., Chakraborty, D., Chen, X.H., Cotter, H.V.T., Dai, D.Q., Dai, Y.C., Das, K., Deng, C.Y., Ghobad-Nejhad, M., Hyde, K.D., Langer, E., Latha, D.K.P., Liu, F., Liu, S.L., Liu, T.T., Lv, W., Lv, S.X., Machado, A.R., Pinho, D.B., Pereira, O.L., Prasher, I.B., Rosado, A.W.C., Qin, J., Qin, W.M., Verma, R.K., Wang, Q., Yang, Z.L., Yu, X.D., Zhou, L.W. & Buyck, B. (2015) Fungal Biodiversity Profiles 1-10. Cryptogamie, Mycologie 36 (2): 1–46. https://doi.org/10.7872/crym/v36.iss2.2015.121
- Cabral, T.S., Silva, B.D., Martín, M.P., Clement, C.R., Hosaka, K. & Baseia, I.G. (2019) Behind the veil -exploring the diversity in Phallus indusiatus s.l. (Phallomycetidae, Basidiomycota). MycoKeys 58: 103–127. https://doi.org/10.3897/MYCOKEYS.58.35324
- Chen, C., Wang, J., Li, Q., Fu, R., Jin, X., Huang, W. & Lu, D. (2020) Mitogenomes of two Phallus mushroom species reveal gene rearrangement, intron dynamics, and basidiomycete phylogeny. Frontiers in Microbiology 11: 573064. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.573064
- Hall, T. (2007) BioEdit v7. Available from: http://www.mbio.ncsu.edu/BioEdit/bioedit.html (accessed 13 May 2026)
- Katoh, K. & Standley, D.M. (2013) MAFFT multiple sequence alignment software version 7: improvements in performance and usability. Molecular Biology and Evolution 30 (4): 772–780. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/mst010
- Kreisel, H. (1996) A preliminary survey of the genus Phallus sensu lato. Czech Mycol 48: 273–281. https://doi.org/10.33585/cmy.48407
- Li, H.L., Ma, X., Mortimer, P.E., Karunarathna, S.C., Xu, J. & Hyde, K.D. (2016) Phallus haitangensis, a new species of stinkhorn from Yunnan Province, China. Phytotaxa 280 (2): 116–128. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.280.2.2
- Li, H.L., Mortimer, P.E., Karunarathna, S.C., Xu, J. & Hyde, K.D. (2014) New species of Phallus from a subtropical forest in Xishuangbanna, China. Phytotaxa 163 (2): 91–103. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.163.2.3
- Li, T., Deng, W.Q., Song, B., Zhang, M., Wang, M. & Li, T.H. (2021) Two new species of Phallus (Phallaceae) with a white indusium from China. MycoKeys 85: 109–125. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.85.75309
- Li, T., Li, T.H., Deng, W.Q., Song, B., Deng, C. & Yang, Z.L. (2020) Phallus dongsun and P. lutescens, two new species of Phallaceae (Basidiomycota) from China. Phytotaxa 443 (1): 37–52. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.443.1.3
- Liu, B., Fan, L., Li, J.Z., Li, T.H., Song, B. & Li, J.H. (2005) Flora Fungorum Sinicorum. vol. 23. Science Press, Beijing: Science Press, pp. 137–171.
- Lv, T., Li, Y.R., Ao, C.C., He, J., Yu, F.M., Tang, S.M. & Li, S.H. (2022) Phallus aureus sp. nov. (Phallaceae, Basidiomycota) from Yunnan Province, China. Phytotax 567 (1): 61–70. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.567.1.5
- Medeiros, G.S., Rodrigues, A.C.M., Cruz, R.H.S.F., Melanda, G.C.S., Carvalho Jr, A.A. & Baseia, I.G. (2017) Phallus fluminensis (Phallaceae, Basidiomycota), a new species of stinkhorn from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. Studies in fungi 2 (1): 191–198. https://doi.org/10.5943/sif/2/1/21
- Melanda, G.C.S., Silva-Filho, A.G.S., Lenz, A.R., Baseia, I.G. & Cabral, T.S. (2021) An overview of 24 years of molecular phylogenetic studies in Phallales (Basidiomycota) with notes on systematics, geographic distribution, lifestyle, and edibility. Frontiers in Microbiology 12: 689374. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.689374
- Moreno, G., Khalid, A.N. & Alvarado, P. (2009) A new species of Phallus from Pakistan. Mycotaxon 108: 457–462. https://doi.org/10.5248/108.457
- Moreno, G., Khalid, A.N., Alvarado, P. & Kreisel, H. (2013) Phallus hadriani and P. roseus from Pakistan. Mycotaxon 125: 45–51. https://doi.org/10.5248/125.45
- Rebriev, Y.A., Pham, T.H.G. & Alexandrova, A.V. (2014) Phallus coronatus sp. nov. from Vietnam. Mycotaxon 127: 93–96. https://doi.org/10.5248/127.93
- Rebriev, Y.A., Kudashova, N.N., Gashkov, S.I. & Kazartsev, I.A. (2023) The veiled stinkhorn Dictyophora sibirica in Russia – taxonomic position, epitypification and its conspecifity with Phallus ultraduplicatus. Turczaninowia 26 (3): 173–183. https://doi.org/10.14258/turczaninowia.26.3.16
- Ronquist, F., Teslenko, M., van der Mark, P., Ayres, D.L., Darling, A., Höhna, S., Larget, B., Liu, L., Suchard, M.A. & Huelsenbeck, J.P. (2012) MrBayes 3.2: efficient Bayesian phylogenetic inference and model choice across a large model space. Systematic Biology 61 (3): 539–542. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/sys029
- Sommai, S., Khamsuntorn, P., Somrithipol, S., Luangsa-ard, J.J. & Pinruan, U. (2021) Phallus chiangmaiensis sp. nov. and a Record of P. merulinus in Thailand. Mycobiology 49 (5): 439–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/12298093.2021.1965706
- Song, B., Li, T., Li, T.-H., Huang, Q.-J. & Deng, W.-Q. (2018) Phallus fuscoechinovolvatus (Phallaceae, Basidiomycota), a new species with a dark spinose volva from southern China. Phytotaxa 334 (1): 19–27. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.334.1.3
- Stamatakis, A. (2014) RAxML version 8: a tool for phylogenetic analysis and post-analysis of large phylogenies. Bioinformatics 30 (9): 1312–1313. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btu033
- Tang, J., Liu, J., Yu, H. & Yang, Z.L. (2025) Linking historical types with the current taxonomy: DNA sequence generation and molecular phylogenetic inferences for thirteen macrofungal species. Mycological Progress 24: 36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-025-02051-w
- Trierveiler-Pereira, L., Loguercio-Leite, C., Calonge, F.D. & Baseia, I.G. (2009) An emendation of Phallus glutinolens. Mycological Progress 8 (4): 377–380. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-009-0603-7
- Trierveiler-Pereira, L., Silveira, R.M.B. & Hosaka, K. (2014) Multigene phylogeny of the phallales (phallomycetidae, agaricomycetes) focusing on some previously unrepresented genera. Mycologia 106 (5): 904–911. https://doi.org/10.3852/13-188
- Trierveiler-Pereira, L., Baltazar, J.M., Da Silveira, R.M. (2016) Phallus campanulatus Berk. (Phallaceae, Agaricomycetes), a poorly known species from South America and its synonym P. granulosodenticulatus B. Braun. Phytotaxa 286 (2): 127–130. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.286.2.9
- Trierveiler-Pereira, L., de Meijer, A.A.R., Reck, M.A., Hosaka, K. & Silveira, R.M.B. (2017) Phallus aureolatus (Phallaceae, Agaricomycetes), a new species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Phytotaxa 327 (3): 223–236. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.327.3.2
- Vilgalys, R. & Hester, M. (1990) Rapid genetic identification and mapping of enzymatically amplified ribosomal DNA from several Cryptococcus species. Journal of bacteriology 172 (8): 4238–4246. https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.172.8.4238-4246.1990
- White, T.J., Bruns, T., Lee, S.J.W.T. & Taylor, J. (1990) Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal RNA genes for phylogenetics. PCR protocols: a guide to methods and applications 18 (1): 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-372180-8.50042-1
