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Type: Article
Published: 2026-07-28
Page range: 22-38
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Vararia subtropica sp. nov. (Peniophoraceae, Russulales), a coriaceous fungus from Yunnan Province, SW 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
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
College of Forestry; Southwest Forestry University; Kunming 650224; P.R. 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; Department Microbial Drugs (MWIS); Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research; 38124 Braunschweig; Germany
College of Biological Science and Food Engineering; Southwest Forestry University; Kunming 650224; P.R. China
Fungi Biodiversity morphology new taxon taxonomy wood-inhabiting fungi

Abstract

A new species, Vararia subtropica, from Yunnan Province, SW China, is described and illustrated based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses. Vararia subtropica is characterized by the cream to buff hymenial surface, a dimitic hyphal system with generative hyphae with clamp connections, and cylindrical, slightly curved to allantoid basidiospores (7.1–11.3 × 2.7–5.2 µm). Sequences of ITS and nLSU were generated from the studied specimens, and phylogenetic analysis was performed with Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the new species belongs to the genus Vararia and is the sister species of V. daweishanensis. A description, illustrations, and phylogenetic analysis results are provided. This discovery expands the known diversity of Vararia in subtropical Asia and improves our understanding of phylogenetic relationships within the genus.

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How to Cite

Deng, Y., Dou, Y., Wang, K., Chen, M., Xu, X., Zhao, C. & Liu, X. (2026) Vararia subtropica sp. nov. (Peniophoraceae, Russulales), a coriaceous fungus from Yunnan Province, SW China. Phytotaxa 768 (1): 22–38. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.768.1.2