The contribution of tropical long-term studies to mycology.

Fungi are arguably the most diverse eukaryotic kingdom of organisms in terms of number of estimated species, trophic and life history strategies, and their functions in ecosystems. However, our knowledge of fungi is limited due to a distributional bias; the vast majority of available data on fungi have been compiled from non-tropical regions. Far less is known about fungi from tropical regions, with the bulk of these data being temporally limited surveys for fungal species diversity.

Recent fieldwork and fungarium studies double known diversity of and improve understanding of species distributions.

is a small genus comprising five species of inoperculate discomycetes in the order Helotiales (Leotiomycetes) often recognizable by their bright yellowish-green colors and gregarious growth on wood. In this study, we describe five new species-, and -based on a combination of recent fieldwork and examination of previously collected fungarium specimens. We use an integrative taxonomic approach to support the distinction of new species, incorporating morphology and DNA sequence data with biogeography.

Molecular phylogenetic analyses and micromorphology reveal placement of the enigmatic tropical discomycete in (Sclerococcales, Eurotiomycetes).

is an enigmatic, monotypic, and rarely reported genus of Ascomycota of uncertain placement. The morphologically unique grows on dead wood and forms compound ascomata composed of thick, black, gelatinous somatic tissue that branches out from a common base. Multiple apothecia are located on the branches, mostly toward the tips, and are composed of 8-spored asci and paraphyses embedded in a gelatinous matrix that turns blue in Melzer's reagent.

Importance of Seasonal Variation in Hawaiian Mushroom (Agaricomycetes) Basidiomata Production for Biodiversity Discovery and Conservation.

The Hawaiian Islands have a relatively well-known funga for a tropical location, yet there are over 400 species of mushrooms (Agaricomycetes) in the archipelago that remain to be documented. Importantly, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently evaluated six mushrooms endemic to the islands as threatened with extinction. To improve detection of mushrooms for biodiversity discovery and better monitor threatened species in the archipelago-where many localities lack strong annual precipitation patterns associated with an obvious season for increased mushroom basidiomata production-we examined the phenology of Hawaiian mushrooms.