The names of mushrooms were taken from “Colored illustrations of Mushrooms of Japan, Vol. 1 and 2” (Imazeki and Hongo 1987, 1989), and categorized as follows: 1) “endemic” (182 taxa); 2) known to be distributed in overseas countries (815); and 3) distribution range unknown (2931). The overseas distribution of mushrooms in the first category was further assessed using data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The results revealed that 109 taxa were distributed overseas and not classed as endemic; however, the endemicity of 71 taxa was unclear. Therefore, these should be regarded as possible endemic mushrooms.

Typhula maritima, a maritime basidiomycete fungus newly identified in Honshu, Central Japan, is reported herein, along with a description and illustration of its morphological characteristics. The fungus was collected from an area near the communities of Ischaemum anthephoroides and Imperata cylindrica on the coastal dunes of Niigata, Toyama, and Ishikawa Prefectures. Maximum parsimony analysis of the nuclear rDNA ITS region revealed that the T. maritima samples collected from Honshu and Hokkaido belong to the same well-supported clade. These results support the idea that floating sclerotia of T. maritima are dispersed over long distances by ocean currents.

Here, the utility of several aqueous saccharide solutions (30–50% (w/w)) for the cryopreservation of shiitake strains at −20°C was evaluated. In addition, the survival rates of mycelial disks on agar and mycelial pellets in the absence of agar were observed after cryopreservation. The results revealed that the ANCT-05072 strain was the best preserved as mycelial disks in 40% (w/w) maltose solution. The survival rate was 100% over a period of 8 weeks. The survival time in the presence of 40% (w/w) glucose solution was 4 weeks. However, a combination of mycelial pellets and either of the saccharide solutions did not achieve a 100% of survival rate.

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of smut fungi have led to marked changes in the taxonomic system. These changes are outlined and discussed herein. Taxonomic arrangement of Japanese smut fungi was also performed according to the new taxonomic system.