Two remarkable crepidotoid agarics were collected many times from Kerala State, India. Detailed morphological and molecular analysis indicated that one is an undescribed species of Crepidotus while the other represents Simocybe amara which represents a new Asian record. Complete morphological descriptions, photographs and comparisons with phenetically similar species are provided.

Two Cantharellus species collected from different forest types in northern Iran are reported as new to the country. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), nuclear ribosomal large subunit (nLSU), RNA polymerase II (RPB2) and translation elongation factor 1-a gene (TEF1) are presented. Cantharellus alborufescens was collected in slightly acidic soils and C. ferruginascens in moderate acidic soils. Illustrations from fresh material are provided for both species.

Two new heterobasidiomycetes species belonging to the genera Helicogloea and Spiculogloea (Pucciniomycotina) are described from Belgium. Helicogloea jozefii sp. nov. and Spiculogloea inaequalis sp. nov. are proposed with descriptions and illustrations of macroand microscopical features. The latter species grows as an intrahymenial parasite in Sistotrema spp. Identification keys to the new species are provided for each genus. The newly described species are compared to morphologically similar species and their ecology is briefly discussed. A type study of H. graminicola is included.

Lignin degradation is achieved by a specific group of enzymes known as Lignin-Modifying Enzymes (LME) where Manganese Peroxidase (MnP) plays a key role. Classified as extracellular enzymes and produced by white-rot fungi (Basidiomycetes, Agaricomycotina, Polyporales), the MnP2 gene was detected in twelve isolates from Ganoderma australe, G. gibbosum, G. multiplicatum, G. parvulum and G. subamboinense collected as parasites in legume species, as well as saprophytes in logs from Brazil and Colombia. The presence of this enzyme was barely detected in liquid culture medium, and not at all in solid fermented culture. Analysis based on PCR-RFLP showed a considerable variability in fragment patterns for G. parvulum and G. subamboinense, however no discrimination was identified for the other species. Sequence analyses from a partial MnP2 gene fragment (∼700bp) demonstrated a high degree of similarity in gene structure among species, as well as conserved amino acid residues at the enzyme active sites, in four exons predicted for each isolate. Phylogenetic inference analysis with partial peroxidase sequences from polypore species supports the MnP2 clade for our isolates, although tree topology also indicated the polyphyletic nature of ligninolytic peroxidases, where possible scenarios such as multiple ancestor origin or a single origin with posterior diversification are discussed.

Two novel species of Russula section Ingratae, collected in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, southern China, are described and illustrated based on both morphology and phylogenetic analyses of rDNAITS sequences. Russula gelatinosa sp. nov. is characterized by the gelatinized pileus with tuberculate striate margin, irregularly forked and inter-veined lamellae, winged basidiospores (ornamentations up to 3.5 µm), a suprapellis entirely composed of short erect chains of inflated terminal elements, and abundant gloeocystidia (hymenial cystidia and dermatocystidia) changing to reddish brown in SV. Russula rufobasalis sp. nov. is mainly recognized by the reddish stipe base, inter-veined lamellae and frequent lamellulae, cystidia blackened in SV, thick pileipellis with slender, but often thick-walled terminal elements, stipe trama with scattered cystidioid hyphae becoming blackish brown in SV. The differences and similarities with related species are discussed. Russula punctipes is redescribed here for the first time since it was originally published nearly a century ago, on the basis of new collections from the same area. Our analyses placed it sister to the Japanese R. senecis.

In the course of surveys on dothideomycetous fungal genera associated with various hosts in Taiwan, Neomassaria-like species were collected as saprobes on dead stems of Rhododendron sp. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated LSU, rpb2, SSU and tef1 gene matrices indicate that Neomassaria-like isolates generated in our study formed a separate clade in a sister group relationship with Neomassaria fabacearum with high statistical support. Hence, the new species Neomassaria formosana is described to accommodate the new linage in Neomassaria. The new species is characterised by immersed to erumpent, papillate ascomata with a dark brown peridium, fissitunicate, cylindrical to oblong asci and fusoid to ellipsoid, hyaline, bicellular ascospores with 4–6 large guttules. Moreover, Neomassaria formed a monophyletic and well-supported lineage with an uncertain phylogenetic placement within the Pleosporales. Therefore, the new family Neomassariaceae is proposed for the genus Neomassaria within the order Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes. The morphological characters also support justification for both the new family and the new species.

The following three new species of Trypetheliaceae are described from Sri Lanka: Astrothelium inspersoconicum, A. isohypocrellinum, and Polymeridium fernandoi. Ten species are newly recorded from Sri Lanka: Astrothelium flavoduplex, A. galligenum, A. scoria, A. straminicolor, Constrictolumina planorbis, C. porospora, Dictyomeridium proponens, Marcelaria cumingii, Polymeridium jordanii, and Pseudopyrenula media.