The coevolution of fungus-ant agriculture.

Fungus-farming ants cultivate multiple lineages of fungi for food, but, because fungal cultivar relationships are largely unresolved, the history of fungus-ant coevolution remains poorly known. We designed probes targeting >2000 gene regions to generate a dated evolutionary tree for 475 fungi and combined it with a similarly generated tree for 276 ants. We found that fungus-ant agriculture originated ~66 million years ago when the end-of-Cretaceous asteroid impact temporarily interrupted photosynthesis, causing global mass extinctions but favoring the proliferation of fungi.

Molecular insights into fungal diversity reveal three novel species of from southern Punjab, Pakistan.

Three novel species of the genus , named , and , are described from unexplored regions of southern Punjab, Pakistan, based on comprehensive analyses of morphoanatomical characteristics and molecular phylogenetic data. We provide illustrations of freshly collected basidiomata and detailed line drawings highlighting key anatomical features. The molecular phylogenetic analyses, which are based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and combined ITS-28S sequences, consistently position these newly described species within the genus .

A multi-gene phylogeny of (, ): new species, new combination and infrageneric classification.

Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of were carried out on the basis of morphological differences and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Based on the phylogeny inferred from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the partial large subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrLSU), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II () and translation elongation factor 1-α () sequences, six well-supported clades and 17 phylogenetic species are recognised. Within this phylogenetic framework and considering the diagnostic morphological characters, two new species, and , are described.

Survey of corticioid fungi in North American pinaceous forests reveals hyperdiversity, underpopulated sequence databases, and species that are potentially ectomycorrhizal.

The corticioid fungi are commonly encountered, highly diverse, ecologically important, and understudied. We collected specimens in 60 pine and spruce forests across North America to survey corticioid fungal frequency and distribution and to compile an internal transcribed spacer (ITS) database for the group. Sanger sequences from the ITS region of vouchered specimens were compared with sequences on GenBank and UNITE, and with high-throughput sequence data from soil and roots taken at the same sites.

Phylogenetic assessment of global Suillus ITS sequences supports morphologically defined species and reveals synonymous and undescribed taxa.

The genus Suillus represents one of the most recognizable groups of mushrooms in conifer forests throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Although for decades the genus has been relatively well defined morphologically, previous molecular phylogenetic assessments have provided important yet preliminary insights into its evolutionary history. We present the first large-scale phylogenetic study of the boundaries of each species in the genus Suillus based on the most current internal transcribed spacer (ITS) barcode sequences available inPUBLIC databases, as well as sequencing of 224 vouchered specimens and cultures, 15 of which were type specimens from North America.

Four new species in Leucoagaricus (Agaricaceae, Basidiomycota) from Asia.

The genus Leucoagaricus has been well studied in Europe. However, species diversity of Leucoagaricus in Asia remains poorly known, especially in the mountains of southwestern China, a hot spot for biodiversity. Based on morphological characters and molecular data, four new species are described, La.

The Helvella lacunosa species complex in western North America: cryptic species, misapplied names and parasites.

Based on morphology, fungal species have been considered widespread and as a result names of species from Europe or eastern North America were applied to species in western North America. However, DNA sequences have shown that many western taxa are different from their European counterparts; one such case is presented here. Comparisons of ITS and LSU rDNA sequences from ectomycorrhizal root tips and ascomata of specimens identified as Helvella lacunosa from North America, Europe and Asia revealed that the taxa from western North America and Mexico formed a well supported clade different from the eastern North American, European and Asian taxa.

The family Agaricaceae: phylogenies and two new white-spored genera.

A well resolved phylogeny of the Agaricaceae based on partial rpb2 sequences is presented from a wide geographic and systematic sampling of the family and compared to phylogenies based on nrLSU and tef1 sequences. A smaller dataset of the family focusing on the Agaricus clade of nrITS sequences and a combined dataset were used to determine the position of several white-spored taxa from northern Thailand. Two new genera are described from Thailand.

Lepiota in California: species with a hymeniform pileus covering.

Eight Lepiota species with a hymeniform pileus covering that are known in California are presented and discussed. Lepiota phaeoderma is described as new; this species is characterized by a dark pileus surface, which splits open into small patches around the umbo, and the absence of an annulus. Lepiota neophana, a species with an annulus and a closed brown pileus surface, and L.

Leucoagaricus decipiens and La. erythrophaeus, a new species pair in sect. Piloselli.

Leucoagaricus decipiens and La. erythrophaeus, are described as new from Sardinia, Italy, and California, USA, respectively. These sister species show distinct reddening when touched on all parts of the basidiocarps and darken on drying.

Suillus quiescens, a new species commonly found in the spore bank in California and Oregon.

Suillus quiescens sp. nov. is common under Pinus muricata on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands in the northern Channel Islands of California, and we subsequently found it fruiting at Point Reyes National Seashore on the central coast of California.

Pseudobaeospora aphana, a new species from California.

Pseudobaeospora aphana, characterized by a brownish pileus with a lilac sheen, yellowish lamellae, a cutis of narrow hyphae on a subpellis of relatively wide and short cells, absence of cheilocystidia and color changes in KOH, and abundant clamp connections, is described as new. It was discovered during the Jan 2007 Mycoblitz at Point Reyes National Seashore, the fourth such event in an ongoing effort to inventory the mycoflora of this national park.

Global patterns of ectomycorrhizal introductions.

Plants have often been moved across the globe with intact root systems. These roots are likely to have housed symbiotic ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi and the movement of plants may have facilitated the introduction of EM fungi.Here, we report data compiled from a newly created database of EM fungal introductions.

Taxonomy of displaced species of Tubaria.

A taxonomic treatment of vinaceous and reddish species of Tubaria (Agaricales) is presented based on morphology and nucleotide sequences. Accessions from western North America, Europe, Central America, the Caribbean and Australia are compared. Phylogenetic analysis of the 25S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions demonstrates that Tubaria is not monophyletic.

Major clades of Agaricales: a multilocus phylogenetic overview.

An overview of the phylogeny of the Agaricales is presented based on a multilocus analysis of a six-gene region supermatrix. Bayesian analyses of 5611 nucleotide characters of rpb1, rpb1-intron 2, rpb2 and 18S, 25S, and 5.8S ribosomal RNA genes recovered six major clades, which are recognized informally and labeled the Agaricoid, Tricholomatoid, Marasmioid, Pluteoid, Hygrophoroid and Plicaturopsidoid clades.

Genera in the family Agaricaceae: evidence from nrITS and nrLSU sequences.

The circumscription of the family Agaricaceae, its genera and their characters are investigated. Analyses of the ITS and LSU sequence data, separately and in combination result in exclusions and reorganization. Notholepiota areolata, a secotioid species from New Zealand, Cystoagaricus with brown, irregular-knobby spores, and Leucopholiota with gelatinized hymenophoral trama and amyloid spores, fall outside the family Agaricaceae.

Phylogeny and taxonomy of Macrolepiota (Agaricaceae).

The position and composition of Macrolepiota within the Agaricaceae and its phylogenetic relationships with other members of the family were investigated, using both molecular (ITS and LSU rDNA sequences) and morphological characters. The molecular data separate the genus into two clades. The first clade comprises M.