The genus Candelabrum, an aero-aquatic fungus, produces chandelier-shaped conidia that can float on the water. Seven species have been described in the genus. Our phylogenetic analysis based on the D1/D2 regions of the large subunit rDNA (LSU) revealed that the genus Candelabrum contains two separate lineages, C. spinulosum group (C. clathrosphaeroides,C. desmidiaceum, C. japonense, and C. spinulosum, the type species) nested in Leotiomycetes, and C. brocchiatum group (C. brocchiatum and C. microsporum) in Sordariomycetes. The two groups were distinctive in conidial morphology, especially for the presence/absence of the conidial basal plate. To accommodate the latter group, a new genus Brocchiosphaera is proposed along with a new species, B. bulbiformis. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree inferred from LSU indicated that C. spinulosum group was closely related to Hyaloscypha in Helotiales, whereas Brocchiosphaera (the C. brocchiatum group) belonged to Pisorisporiales. Strains of H. occulta (NBRC 108595 and SANK 13397) clustered with C. japonense and C. clathrosphaeroides in phylogenetic tree inferred from combined sequence data of the RNA polymerase II gene, the internal transcribed spacer regions and 5.8S rDNA (ITS) and LSU, and NBRC 108595 produced conidia of C. japonense in submerging culture. Thus, H. occulta was proved to be a teleomorph of C. japonense. This finding warrants transferring all species of the C. spinulosum group (Candelabrum sensu stricto) to Hyaloscypha and proposing four new combinations H. desmidiacea, H. japonensis, H. macrospora, and H. spinulosa.

Few ophiostomatoid fungi have been reported from the margin of the Tibetan Plateau and none have been found in the central portion of the region. In a survey of ophiostomatoid fungi associated with spruce bark beetles in Tibetan subalpine forests, numerous strains of Leptographium s. l. (Ophiostomataceae) were isolated from Orthotomicus sp. (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) and its galleries infesting Picea likiangensis var. balfouriana. Morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis based on multiple DNA sequence data (ITS2-partial LSU rDNA region, beta-tubulin and transcription elongation factor-1α genes) revealed a new species in the “Grosmannia penicillata complex”, which is proposed as G. tibetensis. The species is characterized by both Leptographium and Pesotum asexual states, which is unique in the “G. penicillata complex”. Additionally, sequences of the tubC paralogue gene were found combining with tub2 sequences in many species of the “G. penicillata complex”, resulting in incongruent trees. This is the first report of tubulin paralogue genes in ophiostomatoid fungi. Gene duplication and losses make beta-tubulin a potentially challenging locus for use as a molecular marker for tracing speciation.

We described the ectomycorrhizae (ECM) of the Japanese Lactarius section Deliciosi species L. akahatsu, L. hatsudake, L. laeticolor, and L. subindigo with the aim of promoting the use of mycorrhizae for taxonomy and expansion of available cultures. Lactarius tottoriensis (sect. Lactarius) was also included as a comparator. The ECM of the four species of sect. Deliciosi showed orange laticifers and plectenchymatous mantles, whereas those of L. tottoriensis showed white laticifers and pseudoparenchymatous mantles. The ECM of L. hatsudake and L. subindigo showed complex rhizomorphs with thicker walls and more developed vessel-like hyphae compared to the other three species. Cystidium-like cells were rarely found on the mantles of L. laeticolor and L. subindigo. Fungal cultures of the five Lactarius species from their ECM were morphologically characterized. Cultures produced laticifers on agar medium, but the five species showed different growth rates. Rhizomorphs of L. hatsudake and L. subindigo in cultures showed a similar morphology to their ECM. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of cultures from the ECM demonstrated that they were of the targeted Lactarius species and suggested the need for taxonomic studies of L. hatsudake, L. subindigo, and L. tottoriensis at the species and section levels.

Ochroconis guangxiensis isolated from sugarcane and banana rhizosphere, was described as a new species based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis using sequence data of the nuclear small subunit rRNA gene (SSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene. Taxonomic and phylogenetic remarks are also provided for O. minima and O. ramosa. The latter two species are newly recorded for China. These three Ochroconis species, as dark septate endophytes, inhabit rhizosphere and can form a symbiosis with sugarcane and banana.

We describe two new species of deer truffle, Elaphomyces marmoratus and E. fuscus spp. nov., collected from a secondary forest dominated by Quercus serrata, in Tokyo, Japan. Both species have morphological similarities to E. muricatus and E. granulatus; however, the former has a gleba without a purplish color and the latter has reticulated ascospores more closely resembling E. asperulus. Molecular phylogenetic analyses also support the assignment of these specimens as new species. ITS rDNA homologies with known species were low (<91% and <97%). In addition, phylogenetic trees using neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood methods showed that the sequences of the two new species each formed a monophyletic group within section Elaphomyces with bootstrap support of 99%. Analyses of ectomycorrhizal roots collected concurrently with the ascomata revealed that E. marmoratus is associated with at least Pinus densiflora, while E. fuscus is associated with at least Q. serrata.

A new species of Athelia, A. termitophila, from Japan is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Basidiomes of this species are characterized by having hyphae sometimes with clamp connections at the septa, basidia without clamp connections at the basal septa, and ellipsoid to ovoid basidiospores measuring 4.5–6 × 3–4.5 μm. In culture, mycelia produce pale brown, orange-brown to brown, globose sclerotia measuring 0.24–0.41 mm diam. The sclerotia are distinctly different in shape and size from those of other Athelia species, and are occasionally found inside the woody substrate beneath basidiomes. They are identical in shape and size to those of Fibularhizoctonia sp., also known as termite balls. Phylogenetic analysis using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence data revealed that A. termitophila is the teleomorph of Fibularhizoctonia sp.

To understand how ectomycorrhizal (ECM), wood-decomposing (WDC) and litter-decomposing (LDC) fungi differ in abundance and fruiting season, fruiting-body production was monitored by counting their number and/or measuring their biomass in deciduous broad-leaved and coniferous forests in Ishikawa (central Japan) and Hokkaido (northern Japan). ECM fungi were dominant in forests of both types in Ishikawa and a Larix kaempheri forest in Tomakomai (Hokkaido), whereas WDC fungi were dominant in a deciduous broad-leaved forest in Sapporo (Hokkaido). ECM and WDC fungi usually showed two abundance peaks in Kanazawa (Ishikawa), mid-summer and autumn for ECM fungi and spring or summer and autumn for WDC fungi, whereas LDC fungi usually showed one peak in autumn. In Tomakomai, the abundance peak appeared later in ECM fungi but earlier in LDC and WDC fungi in comparison with Kanazawa. The mode of resource acquisition is assumed as one of factors that affect the seasonal timing of fruiting-body production. On the other hand, highly positive correlations were often observed between precipitation in Jun or Aug and the fruiting-body production in summer and/or autumn in the survey in Kanazawa, suggesting that precipitation could affect the fruiting-body production a few months later.

A new species, Metapochonia hahajimaensis is proposed. Three isolates were obtained from soil samples collected from Hahajima, Ogasawara Islands, Tokyo, Japan. Using a combination of morphological characteristics and multigene (ITS, SSU, LSU, TEF) phylogenics, the isolates were identified as a Metapochonia species which were previously undescribed. The new species is distinguished from the closely-related M. bulbillosa and M. goniodes or other Metapochonia taxa by conidial size and colonial characteristics.

Species of Tricholomopsis are known to be lignicolous and to cause white rot. Several collections of Tricholomopsis that grow near bamboo were sampled from southern China and morphologically could not be assigned to any known species of Tricholomopsis. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses inferred from nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the D1-D2 domains of the 28S rDNA large subunit indicated that it is an independent lineage with undescribed species. As a result of morphological data and phylogenetic analyses the new lineage is formally described as T. rubroaurantiaca. This species is characterized by its light orange to yellowish orange squamulose pileus with reddish disc, mostly clavate-shaped cheilocystidia, absence of pleurocystidia, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores 5.0–5.8 × (4.0–)4.3–5.0 μm, a cutis-type pileipellis, and is usually habitat with bamboo. Morphological description, color photos, phylogenetic placement and phenotypic comparison with the closely related taxa within the genus are presented.

A new species of Mallocybe is described and illustrated based on material collected near the vicinity of Pinus wallichiana in mixed conifer forests in district Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw, Pakistan. Mallocybe velutina is recognized by the presence of moderate yellow to light yellow pileal margin with deep yellow or fulvous pileus center; strikingly velvety pileus surface; subdistant moderate yellow lamellae; subphaseoliform to ellipsoid basidiospores, clavate to cylindrical cheilocystidia and an ecological association with Pinaceae. The internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nrLSU) were used for the delimitation of this species based on sequence data. The evolutionary relationships of M. velutina with other closely related species of Mallocybe were inferred by means of maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony of concatenated ITS + nrLSU dataset. Mallocybe velutina is most closely related to M. arenaria, M. heimii and M. tomentosula.

The correct type species of Antennatula Fr. ex F. Strauss 1850 was quite recently considered to be Antennularia ericophila (Link) Höhn., not Antennatula pinophila (Nees) F. Strauss, and currently the illegitimate name Antennatula is regarded as a synonym of Metacapnodium Speg. 1918 (Metacapnodiaceae). Among Euantennaria Speg. 1918 and competing synonymous generic names Aithalomyces Woron. 1926, Phaeocapnis Cif. & Bat. 1963, Hormisciella Bat. 1956, and Hormisciomyces Bat. & Nacim. 1957, Euantennaria is adopted. As a consequence, with the change to one scientific name for pleomorphic fungi, the following 10 new combinations in Euantennaria (Euantennariaceae) for species of Antennatula sensu or used by Hughes are herein proposed: Euantennaria atra, E. cubensis, E. dingleyae, E. fisherae, E. fraserae, E. katumotoi, E. lumbricoidea, E. pinophila, E. shawiae, and E. triseptata. The respective brief notes for these species are also provided.