Additions to the Knowledge of Corticioid Xylodon (Schizoporaceae, Hymenochaetales): Introducing Three New Xylodon Species from Southern China

Three wood-inhabiting fungal species, Xylodon gossypinus, X. macrosporus, and X. sinensis spp. nov. were collected from southern China, with the similar function to decompose rotten wood, which are here proposed as new taxa based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Xylodon gossypinus is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata with cotton hymenophore, and ellipsoid basidiospores; X. macrosporus is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata having the cracking hymenophore with pale yellowish hymenial surface, and larger basidiospores 8-10.5 x 7.5-9 mu m; and X. sinensis differs by its grandinioid hymenial surface and subglobose basidiospores measuring as 3-5 x 2.5-4 mu m. Sequences of ITS and nLSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The ITS+nLSU analysis in Hymenochaetales revealed that the three new species clustered into the Schizoporaceae family, located in genus Xylodon; based on the ITS dataset, X. gossypinus was a sister to X. ussuriensis; X. macrosporus closely grouped with X. follis with a high support; and X. sinensis was retrieved as two sisters to X. attenuatus and X. yarraensis with a lower support.

Automated summary

Three new wood-inhabiting fungal species, Xylodon gossypinus, X. macrosporus, and X. sinensis spp. nov., were identified in southern China, with distinct morphological features and basidiospore sizes. Phylogenetic analyses placed these species within the Schizoporaceae family in the genus Xylodon, showing relationships with other known Xylodon species.