First collections are reported for Elaphomyces species from Africa and Madagascar. On the basis of an ITS phylogeny, the authors question the monophyletic nature of family Elaphomycetaceae and of the genus Elaphomyces. The objective of this preliminary paper was not to propose a new phylogeny for Elaphomyces, but rather to draw attention to the very high dissimilarity among ITS sequences for Elaphomyces and to the unfortunate choice of species to represent the genus in most previous phylogenetic publications on Elaphomycetaceae and other cleistothecial ascomycetes. Our study highlights the need for examining the monophyly of this family and to verify the systematic status of Pseudotulostoma as a separate genus for stipitate species. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for an in-depth morphological study, combined with molecular sequencing of the studied taxa, to point out the phylogenetically informative characters of the discussed taxa.

A set of historical specimens collected by the American mycologist Charles Leonard Smith in southeastern Nicaragua during 1896 and currently deposited at the Herbarium of the Charles University in Prague (PRC) was examined for the presence of microfungi. Despite the age of the specimens, twenty-two taxa were identified, seventeen of them to species level and other five to generic level. All of them are recorded for the first time from Nicaragua. Cryptophiale cf. kakombensis and Sporoschisma juvenile were found associated with their putative teleomorphic states. Historical facts surrounding the expedition source of these samples and bibliographical data about Smith are also given.

Four anamorphic fungal species of Solicorynespora are described and illustrated from specimens collected on dead branches of unidentified plants in southern China. Solicorynespora guangdongensis sp. nov. differs from other species by obclavate, 8-13-euseptate, usually 1-distoseptate below, 105–182 × 14.5–20 µm, smooth conidia with 1–7 mucous tunica on the rostrum. Solicorynespora Jiangxiensis sp. nov. is easily distinguished by obclavate, upper cells becoming cylindrical, (62-)108–220 × 11–13 µm, smooth conidia with 9-23-euseptate. Solicorynespora biseptata and S. insolita are recorded for the first time from China.

The anamorphic taxon Anacacumisporium appendiculatum gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated from fallen branches of decaying wood in Hainan, China. Anacacumisporium is characterized by pigmented, transversely septate, appendaged conidia and conidiophores that are brown, macronematous, mononematous and that bear one (or more ) integrated phialide at the tip. Complete sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and partial sequences of nuc 28S rDNA (28S) genes are provided. The new fungus is compared with morphologically similar genera of hyphomycetes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed its placement in the Chaetosphaeriaceae. A key to the novel genus and morphologically similar genera is given.

Trois nouvelles espèces de Marasmius sont décrites ici avec leur caractère unique soutenue par des examens morphologique et taxinomique complètes. Marasmius cantareirensis et M. fuligineo-ochraceus appartiennent à la sect. Marasmius subsect. Sicciformes tandis que M. pulberistipitatus est un représentant de la sect. Globulares. Tous les échantillons ont été prélevés en forêt tropicale atlantique dans le sud-est du Brésil. Descriptions micro- et macromorphologiques détaillées sont fournies pour chaque taxon, suivies par des illustrations et commentaires taxinomiques.

Members of the family Sporormiaceae are mostly saprobic on dung, but sometimes occur on other substrates, including plant debris, soil and wood. They have also been isolated as endophytes. The taxonomy and classification of the family is based on a small number of morphological and ecological characters. Several taxa are easily confused by their shared morphological features, and the relationships between genera are inadequately recognized and in need of critical study. In recent treatments, the genera Chaetopreussia, Pleophragmia, Preussia, Sporormia, Sporomiella, Spororminula and Westerdykella were included in the family. During our survey on various hosts and habitats in Italy we obtained several interesting ascomycetous fungi from Spartium junceum. In this paper we introduce Sparticola and Forliomyces gen. nov. with three new species, namely Forliomyces uniseptata, Sparticola forlicesenae and Sparticola junci in the family Sporormiaceae based on multi-locus phylogeny together with morphology. Illustrated accounts are provided for the new taxa, which are compared with morphologically related taxa. Further, we provide an illustrated account of the type of Massariosphaeria triseptata and synonymize it under Sparticola.

Rhytidhysteron (Hysteriaceae) species are widely distributed as saprobes or weak pathogens on a wide range of woody plants. In this study, several Rhytidhysteron collections were made in northern Thailand and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses were used to resolve the phylogenetic boundaries of species. Two novel species, R. thailandicum and R. neorufulum are introduced, based on morphological traits and multi-gene phylogeny. The genus is revised with a key to species.

We analyzed the morphology and phylogenetic placement of six isolates of Phytopythium belonging to P. helicoides, P. palingenes and P. vexans that were isolated from water bodies and substrates used for hydroponically grown crops. The molecular data are from the partial large subunit and the complete internal transcribed regions of the ribosomal DNA. These three species are characterized by the presence of ovoid to globose zoosporangia with papillae, internal proliferation as in Phytophthora and mode of zoospore discharge as in Pythium. All isolates showed high morphological and phylogenetic similarity with members of the Clades II and III of Phytopythium. In this paper, Phytopythium palingenes is included for the first time in phylogenetic analyses and our ITS and LSU phylogenies indicated that Aquaperonospora taiwanensis is a synonym of Phytopythium helicoides.