Global phylogeny and new classification of the Rapaninae (Gastropoda: Muricidae), dominant molluscan predators on tropical rocky seashores

The monophyly of the muricid subfamily Rapaninae has recently been confirmed with molecular techniques, but its composition and the relationships among its constituent genera remain unclear. We use four genes (28S rRNA, 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI) to construct a Bayesian phylogeny of 80 rapanine species (73% of the approximately 109 currently accepted), representing 27 of the 31 nominal genera. This is the most complete phylogeny of this taxonomically confusing subfamily yet produced. We propose a revised phylogenetic classification of the Rapaninae, assigning the recognized species to 28 genera. Most of the morphologically-defined rapanine genera are considered valid, including Purpura, Drupa, Thais and Nassa, but many of them are here restricted or redefined so that they are monophyletic. In particular the familiar genus Thais is narrowly restricted to a single species. Many groups previously accepted as subgenera, including Mancinella, Vasula, Thalessa and Thaisella, are here accorded full generic rank. We describe one new genus, Indothais. While we do not formally alter species-level taxonomy, we show molecular evidence for two cryptic species and several instances of probable species synonymy. We estimate the age of diversification of the Rapaninae as Late Cretaceous (75.9 Ma) and of many of its genera as Miocene.     

The Bryophyta (Mosses): Systematic and Evolutionary Inferences from an rps4 Gene (cpDNA) Phylogeny

Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide and amino acid sequencesof the chloroplast protein coding generps4 were performed for225 species of mosses, representing 84% of families recognizedby Vitt (1984. In: Schuster RM, ed. New manual of bryology,vol 2. Nichinan: Hattori Botanical Laboratory), under the criterionof maximum parsimony with Takakia and Sphagnum as outgroups.Most parsimonious topologies converge to a scenario whereinthe Andreaeidae are monophyletic and sister to the Bryidae (peristomatemosses), the Nematodonteae and the Buxbaumiaceae form a monophyleticlineage, the Diphysciaceae are sister to the Arthrodonteae and,within the latter, the Funarineae-Encalyptineae-Timmiaceae-Haplolepideaecompose a monophyletic clade sister to remaining diplolepideousmosses. This hypothesis suggests that early in the evolutionof the Arthrodonteae, two major lineages diverged, with oppositeand alternate peristomes, respectively. Bootstrap support forthe deep dichotomies is poor or lacking but increases when proteintranslations ofrps 4 sequences are included in the analysis.Several novel systematic hypotheses are raised, including (a)a diplolepideous rather than haplolepideous origin of the Pleurophascaceae;(b) an affinity of the Catascopiaceae with the Funariineae ratherthan the Bryineae; and (c) a close relationship of the Calomniaceaeand Mitteniaceae to the Rhizgoniaceae. The advantages and disadvantagesof a single gene phylogeny are discussed with respect to theidentification of polyphyletic familial or suprafamilial taxa.Copyright 2001 Annals of Botany Company Bryophyta, mosses, phylogeny, rps4, evolution, peristome, parsimony, sequences     

A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANORBIDAE (GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA: PULMONATA) FROM NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

A new genus and species of Planorbidae, Kessneria papillosa n.gen.and sp. from the Northern Territory, Australia, are described.The new genus is morphologically most similar to Leichhardtia,another genus restricted to Northern Australia, from which itdiffers in a number of important shell and anatomical characters.The shell of the new genus differs from all other planorbidsin having a raised, papillate protoconch, and is also uniqueamongst Australian high-spired genera in being umbilicate and inhaving a sinuate outer lip. (Received 12 May 2000; accepted 25 September 2000)     

CLADISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE OCTOPODS BASED ON ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS

Parsimony analysis of 29 finned and finless octopod taxa considered66 anatomical and morphological characters to discover synapomorphiesthat unite monophyletic groups. The resultant cladogram (177equally parsimonious trees at 191 steps, CI 0.429) resolvedall relationships except those among the 16 exemplars of theOctopodidae included and those among Tremoctopus, Ocythoe andArgonauta. Bootstrap values of over 90% support the monophylyof the finned and finless octopods, relationships among thefinned octopods, the bolitaenids and the monophyly of Haliphron,Tremoctopus, Ocythoe and Argonauta; bootstrap values for othernodes range from 57 to 79%. Among finned octopods, specimensrepresenting Grimpoteuthis are basal, as Voss (1988a) suggested.Specimens of Opisthoteuthis represent a distinct lineage, andare sister taxon, in this analysis, of Cirroteuthis (althoughspecimens of Stauroteuthis could not be included). New definitionsof the genera Opisthoteuthis and Grimpoteuthis are providedto reflect their separate evolutionary histories rather thantheir overt morphological similarity. Among finless octopods,bolitaenids are basal. The monophyletic Octopodidae is the sistertaxon to the clade containing the sister taxa Vitreledonellaand Amphitretus, and Haliphron, Tremoctopus, Ocythoe and Argonauta.The Ctenoglossa and Heteroglossa, families grouped by sharedradular dentition, are diphyletic and paraphyletic, respectively.The cladistic relationships demonstrate that both the Vitrele-donellidaeand Idioctopodidae are junior synonyms of the Amphitretidae;despite conspicuous morphological differences separating thesetaxa, they share a recent evolutionary history.     

Phylogenetic Studies on Didelphid Marsupials I. Introduction and Preliminary Results from Nuclear IRBP Gene Sequences

We report and analyze nucleotide sequence variation in the first exon (1158 bp) of the nuclear gene encoding the Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein (IRBP) among 21 species representing all 15 currently recognized genera of living didelphids. Six previously published IRBP sequences representing five nondidelphimorph marsupial orders were also analyzed to test didelphid monophyly, and 12 published sequences representing ten placental orders were used as outgroups. No gaps (indels) are necessary to align didelphid sequences, but one short region (35 bp) is alignment-ambiguous among nondidelphids. Uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence ranges from 0.7 to 5.7% among nonconspecific didelphids, from 9.2 to 15.3% between didelphids and nondidelphid marsupials, and from 24.9 to 32.1% between marsupials and placentals. Neither transitions nor transversions exhibit saturation for any codon position at any level of taxonomic comparison. Parsimony analyses of these data provide strong support (bootstrap values >95%, Bremer values 7) for the monophyly of (1) Didelphidae ("caluromyines" + Didelphinae); (2) a group containing Caluromys and Caluromysiops; (3) Didelphinae; (4) a group of large opossums that includes Metachirus; (5) a group containing the remaining large opossums (with 2N = 22 chromosomes); (6) a group containing Marmosa and Micoureus; (7) a group containing Thylamys, Lestodelphys, and Gracilinanus; and (8) a group containing the last three genera plus a monophyletic Marmosops. In addition, we found moderate support (bootstrap values >80%, Bremer values 2) for the monophyly of Thylamys + Lestodelphys and for a sister-group relationship between Monodelphis and Marmosa + Micoureus. Sensitivity analysis suggests that all of these clades, together with their associated levels of bootstrap and Bremer support, are robust to alternative hypotheses of positional homology within the ambiguously alignable region. Although some of the relationships supported by IRBP are not consistent with the results of published morphological analyses, our reassessment of the morphological data suggests that many conflicts are more apparent than real.     

Phylogenetics of Asphodelaceae (Asparagales): An Analysis of Plastid rbcL and trnL-F DNA Sequences

Phylogenetic relationships of Asphodelaceae were investigatedby parsimony analysis of 57 monocotrbcL nucleotide sequences,including 17 genera that have at some time been assigned tothe family. All genera of Asphodelaceae except for three (Hemiphylacus,Paradisea and Simethis) form a strongly supported monophyleticgroup with Hemerocallidaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae as their immediatesister taxa. In a second analysis, we added 34 plastid trnL-Fsequences (an intron and a spacer between two transfer RNA genes)for the Asphodelaceae clade and nearest outgroup families (Doryanthaceae,Hemerocallidaceae, Iridaceae, Ixioliriaceae, Tecophilaeaceaeand Xanthorrhoeaceae) in an attempt to improve resolution andlevels of internal support. The results from the separate analysesproduced highly similar although not identical results. No stronglysupported incongruent groups occurred, and we combined bothsequence regions in one analysis, which demonstrated improvedresults. Strong support exists for a monophyletic subfamilyAlooideae, but this leaves a paraphyletic subfamily Asphodeloideaebecause Bulbine/Jodrellia alone are strongly supported as thesister group of Alooideae. Characters that have been used toseparate Alooideae as a distinct group (either as here a subfamilyor as a separate family by other authors), such as secondarygrowth and bimodal karyotypes, are found in at least some membersof Asphodeloideae, particularly in Bulbine and Jodrellia forthe karyotypes, making Alooideae less easily recognized. Copyright2000 Annals of Botany Company Alooideae, Asphodeloideae, Asphodelaceae, Asparagales, phylogenetic analysis, rbcL, trnL-F, molecular systematics     

Phylogenetic positions of rust fungi parasitic on ferns: Evidence from 18S rDNA sequence analysis

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of fern rusts were carried out based on 18S rDNA sequences. We sequenced the 18S rDNAs of fern rusts (Hyalopsora polypodii andUredinopsis intermedia) and non-fern rusts (Aecidium epimedii, Coleosporium asterum, Ochropsora kraunhiae, Puccinia suzutake andPhysopella ampelopsidis) and analyzed their phylogenetic relationships with other members of the Urediniomycetes. Our bootstrapped neighbor-joining tree obtained from these analyses showed that rust fungi were apparently monophyletic at high confidence level (100% bootstrap confidence). In this molecular phylogenetic tree, the two fern rusts did not occupy the basal position within the rust fungal lineage and did not form a monophyletic lineage. Two species of the Cronartiaceae (Peridermium harknessii, Cronartium ribicola) and one species of the Coleosporiaceae (Coleosporium asterum) grouped with the fern rusts. Therefore, our results suggested that the two fern rusts were not primitive. On the other hand,Mixia osmundae, which is parasitic on the primitive fernOsmunda, was phylogenetically far from the fern rusts.     

Phylogenetic relationships in Maloideae (Rosaceae): evidence from sequences of the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA and its congruence with morphology

We used sequences from both internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and a small portion of the 5.8S gene of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) for phylogenetic reconstruction of 19 genera of Maloideae and four potential outgroups from the Rosaceae. Parsimony analyses indicate that Maloideae are not monophyletic; Vauquelinia, which is traditionally placed in Spiraeoideae, and two genera of the Maloideae, Eriobotrya and Rhaphiolepis, form a well-supported clade that is the sister to the remainder of the subfamily. Although our ITS phylogenetic hypothesis is highly resolved, there is considerable homoplasy, and support, as indicated by bootstrap values and decay indices, is relatively weak for all groups except four: Eriobotrya-Rhaphiolepis-Vauquelinia, Crataegus-Mespilus, Amelanchier-Peraphyllum-Malacomeles, and Cydonia-Pseudocydonia. Our DNA sequence data do not support a broad interpretation of Sorbus. Intergeneric hybridization, which is prevalent in Maloideae, occurs between genera that are far removed from one another on our most-parsimonious trees. We infer an overall phylogeny from separate analyses of ITS DNA sequences and recently published morphological and wood anatomical studies of Maloideae and from analyses after pooling these data sets. The four most strongly supported clades of the ITS phylogeny appear in the phylogeny based on pooled data.     

Phylogenetic position of the house dust mite subfamily Guatemalichinae (Acariformes: Pyroglyphidae) based on integrated molecular and morphological analyses and different measures of support

Based on multilocus phylogenetic analyses (18S, 28S, EF1‐α, SRP54, HSP70, CO1, 10 860 nt aligned), we show that the house dust mite subfamily Guatemalichinae is nested within non‐onychalgine pyroglyphid mites and forms the sister group to the genus Sturnophagoides (bootstrap support 100, posterior probability 1.0). Because high bootstrap support values may be misleading in the presence of incongruence, we evaluate robustness of the Guatemalichinae+Sturnophagoides clade using: (1) internode certainty indices to estimate the frequency of conflicting bipartitions in maximum‐likelihood bootstrap trees, (ii) consensus networks to investigate conflict among different loci; and (iii) statistical hypothesis testing based on information theory, both multi‐scale and regular bootstrap. Results suggest that this grouping is very well supported given the data. The molecular analyses were integrated with detailed morphological study using scanning electron and light microscopy. We suggest that the subfamilial status of Guatemalichinae should be reconsidered, and this lineage should be placed within the subfamily Dermatophagoidinae. The latter subfamily is currently accepted in the literature as a monophyletic group but was here inferred as paraphyletic and was not supported by any morphological synapomorphy. The paraphyly involved the most species‐rich and medically important genus, Dermatophagoides. Our findings suggest the need for a comprehensive revision of the higher‐level relationships of pyroglyphid house dust mites using both DNA sequences and morphology coupled with a broad taxonomic sampling.     

Variability of Essential Oil Content and Composition of Origanum vulgare L. Populations from a North Mediterranean Area (Liguria Region, Northern Italy)

Native populations of Origanum vulgare L. from the Liguria andEmilia regions of northern Italy were analysed for essentialoil content and composition. Morphological characters suggestedthat the Ligurian samples belonged to the ssp. viride. The essentialoil content of inflorescences ranged from less than 5 mg g^-1inthe samples from Emilia, to more than 50 mg g^-1in some Liguriansamples, values similar to those reported for ssp. hirtum fromsouthern Italy. Sixty-four compounds were identified in theessential oil. The samples were allotted to three main groupson the basis of oil composition: the first group had a highcontent of components belonging to the carvacrol/thymol biosyntheticpathway; the second was characterized by a different sesquiterpenecomposition and a high linalool content; and the third, includingthe two samples of ssp. vulgare from Emilia, was characterizedby the presence of abundant sesquiterpenes. The high essentialoil content of the samples studied, and the presence of someparticular morphological characters suggest that the taxonomyof O. vulgare, especially in its western distribution area,needs further investigation. Linalool types, although oftennot considered as ‘typical oregano’, may be usefulin promoting wider utilization of the biodiversity of this species.Copyright 2000 Annals of Botany Company Oregano, Origanum vulgare L., ssp. viride, ssp. vulgare, ssp. hirtum, essential oil, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, genetic resources, chemotypes, quality, Mediterranean     

Subtribe Vellinae (Brassiceae, Brassicaceae): a Combined Analysis of ITS nrDNA Sequences and Morphological Data

Phylogenetic relationships in subtribe Vellinae (Brassiceae,Brassicaceae) were studied using combined parsimony analysisof nucleotide sequences of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribedspacers (ITS) and morphology. Analyses of 17 taxa of Vellinae,Zillinae and Savignyinae, plus two outgroups from Brassicinae,reveal a main clade consisting of Vella plus Boleum. This groupis sister to Euzomodendron, to which Carrichtera and Succowiaare successive sisters. Although Euzomodendron, a morphologicallydistinctive genus, is embedded inVella in the ITS analysis,it is placed as sister to Vella in the combined analysis. Boleum,however, is included in the Vella clade in all cases, and itssegregation at the genus rank is inappropriate. Psychine, agenus thought by some authors to be related to Vellinae, issister to Savignya(Savignyinae). Zillinae and Savignyinae aresister groups in the combined analysis, and the pair is sisterto Vellinae. Biogeographical features can be inferred from thecombined analysis. The annual representatives of Vellinae (Succowiaand Carrichtera) are widespread in the Mediterranean and Irano–Turanianterritories. Conversely, the woody taxa are narrow endemicsgrowing in either high-elevation environments or dry, steppehabitats of central and southern Spain, northern Morocco andAlgeria. A combination of molecular data, morphology, cytologyand biogeographical patterns are used for estimating the generalevolutionary patterns of the subtribe.Copyright 2000 Annalsof Botany Company Brassicaceae, Cruciferae, Mediterranean, parsimony analysis, phylogeny, ITS sequences, systematics, Vellinae     

Casparian Strips in the Leaf Intrastelar Canals of Isoetes duriei Bory, a Mediterranean Terrestrial Species

Anatomical observations, using light and fluorescence microscopy,were made on leaves of Isoetes duriei to verify the presenceof casparian bands around the intrastelar canals. This peculiaranatomical feature, previously reported for some Isoetes species,is confirmed. The possible role of this endodermis-like structure,in the transport of water due to root pressure or in the accumulationof certain metabolites, is discussed in relation to the ecologicaland anatomical features of the species. Copyright 2000 Annalsof Botany Company Isoetes duriei, Lycopsida, Mediterranean, leaf anatomy, endodermis, casparian strips, fluorescence microscopy     

Illicioxylon, an Element of Gondwanan Polar Forests? Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary Woods of Antarctica

The Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary sediments from the northernPeninsula region of Antarctica yield a rich assemblage of fossilwood with well preserved anatomy. Wood specimens of a previouslyrecognized morphotype are described. The woods are characterizedby diffuse porous wood, mainly solitary vessels with long scalariformperforation plates, scalariform and opposite vessel-ray pitting,generally uniseriate and biseriate heterogeneous rays, and tracheidswith obvious uniseriate, circulate, bordered pits. These fossilspecimens show greatest anatomical similarity to the organ genusIllicioxylon Gottwald and extant members of the Illiciaceae.The occurrence of illiciaceous-like wood in Gondwana suggeststhat the distribution of this family may have been more widespreadin the geological past and that a relatively warm temperateclimate prevailed over the northern Peninsula region of Antarcticaduring the Late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic. Copyright 2000Annals of Botany Company Fossil, wood, Illiciaceae, Illicioxylon, Illicium, Cretaceous, Tertiary, Gondwana, Antarctica     

Multigene Barcoding and Phylogeny of Geographically Widespread Muricids (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda) Along the Coast of China

The identification and phylogeny of muricids have been in a state of confusion for a long time due to the morphological convergence and plasticity. DNA-based identification and phylogeny methods often offer an analytically powerful addition or even an alternative. In this study, we employ a DNA barcoding method to identify 17 known and easily confused muricid species (120 individuals) from the whole China coast based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rRNA sequences, and nuclear ITS-1 and 28S rRNA sequences. The phylogeny of muricid subfamilies is also analysed based on all mitochondrial and nuclear sequences. The universal COI and 16S rRNA primers did not work broadly across the study group, necessitating the redesign of muricid specific COI and 16S rRNA primers in this paper. Our study demonstrates that COI gene is a suitable marker for barcoding muricids, which can distinguish all muricid species studied. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA, ITS-1 and 28S rRNA data also provide good support for the species resolution observed in COI data. The relationships of muricid subfamilies are resolved based on the separate and combined gene data that showed the monophyly of each the subfamilies Ergalataxinae, Rapaninae, Ocenebrinae and Muricinae, especially that Ergalataxinae did not fall within Rapaninae.     

FUNCTIONAL MORPHOLOGY AND DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF AMYGDALUM (MYTILOIDEA) FROM THE OXYGEN MINIMUM ZONE OF THE ARABIAN SEA

A new species of Amygdalum (Amygdalum anoxicolum n. sp.) isdescribed living in the soft green muds of the oxygen minimumzone off the Oman margin in the northern Arabian Sea. It isdistinguished by both its shell and anatomical characters. Theanatomy is described and discussed in relation to the environment.The presence of haemoglobin is viewed as a direct adaptationto the low levels of oxygen found in its habitat. The observedwide size range of ingested food particles is discussed in relationto the low oxygen environment. The nest building habit is assumedto be a key adaptation to living in soft, high porosity mud.The distribution of the genus is examined in relation to thedistribution of known zones of hypoxia in the world9s oceans,but no relationship is evident. Amygdalum species are not indicatorsof low oxygen environments. (Received 17 August 2000; accepted 14 November 2000)     

THE BIOMPHALARIA HAVANENSIS COMPLEX (GASTROPODA: PLANORBIDAE) IN CUBA: A MORPHOLOGICAL AND GENETIC STUDY

Conchological, anatomical and genetic characteristics werecompared among several populations of the Biomphalaria havanensis complexfrom Cuba and other localities in the Caribbean region. Two morphometricmeasures (height and diameter) distinguished two closely similarmorphs of the shell. The reproductive system also separated thesemorphs, particularly upon comparison of sizes of the penis sheathand the preputium. The two morphological groups differed in9 to 12 fixed alleles according to population. Further allozymicdata analyzed in the present work confirmed this difference.The results strongly support the assumption that the B. havanensis complexincludes two distinct species: B. havanensis, for which thetype locality is the swampy area near the vicinity of Havana,Cuba and Biomphalaria sp. a species which commonly occurs inCuba and in Dominican Republic. The taxonomic identity of Biomphalariasp. is discussed. (Received 28 January 2000; accepted 15 August 2000)     

The geographic scale of speciation in a marine snail with high dispersal potential

Aim We use the Stramonita haemastoma species complex (Muricidae) to investigate the geographic scale of speciation in a marine snail with a long pelagic larval duration (PLD) of 2–3 months and, consequently, high dispersal potential. We aim to: (1) delimit species within Stramonita, (2) discover the phylogenetic relationship among them, (3) map their distributions, and (4) infer the age and likely cause of speciation events. Location Tropical intertidal of the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Methods We use one nuclear and two mitochondrial genes to construct a molecular phylogeny of the S. haemastoma species complex. We first test the monophyly of the genus and of the species complex, and then use statistical methods to delimit species within the complex. We incorporate information from museum collections and the literature to map distributions and to look for diagnostic morphological traits. We use fossils to date our phylogeny. Results The genus Stramonita is monophyletic and restricted to the tropical and warm‐temperate Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans. The genus is composed of Stramonita delessertiana and six members of the S. haemastoma complex: S. haemastoma, Stramonita rustica, Stramonita floridana, Stramonita canaliculata, Stramonita biserialis and Stramonita brasiliensis (new species described herein). These species are supported by reciprocal monophyly in mitochondrial gene trees, together with independent evidence from morphology, distribution and the nuclear gene. The species are almost entirely allopatric, with only three instances of sympatry. Two species have unusually wide distributions, consistent with their long PLD; one of these is amphi‐Atlantic. Main conclusions Despite the long PLD of Stramonita, speciation has occurred within the Atlantic, both in response to barriers operating at the largest geographical scale (the width of Atlantic, but not the Amazon barrier) and at a smaller scale within the western Atlantic.     

The participation of phytochrome in the signal transduction pathway of salt stress responses in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.

Continuous irradiation of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum plantswith light of equal amounts of photosynthetically active radiation,but widely different red:far red ratios was used to intervenein phytochrome-mediated signal transduction pathways in thepresence and absence of salt stress. Light with a low ratioof red:far red (in contrast to light with a high ratio of red:farred), caused induction of PEP carboxylase activity, accumulationof the CAM isoform of PEP carboxylase, and the accumulationof malate anion. Taking these as indicators of CAM inductionit is concluded that phytochrome can participate in the signaltransduction pathway leading to CAM in M. crystallinum. A lowratio of red: far red light acted synergystically with saltstress in the induction of these CAM indicators. The simplestinterpretation of this interaction is that the phytochrome-mediatedeffects and salt stress effects acted on the same signal transductionpathway. The accumulation of pinitol was also increased by light witha low ratio of red:far red, consistent with the existence ofa stress syndrome in M. crystallinum which utilizes a commontransduction pathway. A low ratio of red:far red light induced a strong shade avoidanceresponse and, compared to light with a high red:far red ratio,modified chlorophyll content and betacyanin pigment complement. Plants grown in light with a low ratio of red:far red floweredearlier than plants grown in light with a high red:far red ratio. It is concluded that phytochrome can participate in the signaltransduction pathway leading to the induction of both CAM andthe processes which result in pinitol accumulation and pigmentationin M. crystallinum, as well as in the mediation of shade avoidanceand flowering responses. Key words: Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, CAM, phytochrome, signal transduction, drought stress     

Phylogenetic placement and anatomical characterisation of two new West African Tomentella (Basidiomycota, Fungi) species

Tomentella amyloapiculata and T. agbassaensis are described as new species within the genus Tomentella based on materials we collected in the West African, northern Guinean seasonal forests. We used a combination of anatomical characters, sequence analyses and phylogenetic inference of 71 ITS rDNA sequences to characterise the two new species. Anatomically, T. amyloapiculata is characterised by simple septate brown to dark brown, thick-walled subicular and subhymenial hyphae and triangular to slightly lobed brown basidiospores (in frontal view), with isolate aculei of 1–2 μm. Phylogenetically, T. amyloapiculata forms a sister species of T. fuscocinerea with a moderate bootstrap support of 70%. T. amyloapiculata deviates from T. fuscocinerea by 10.07–11.73% in their sequence similarities. As far as T. agbassaensis is concerned, it clusters phylogenetically together with T. bryophila with a strong bootstrap support of 99%. The species is characterised by slightly differentiated rhizomorphs with yellowish hyphae, clamped, thick-walled and yellow to dark yellow subicular hyphae and pale yellow, small basidiospores of 6–8(8.5) μm with aculei of up to 0.5 μm. Both new species deviated from each other by 11.0–11.60% with regard to the ITS rDNA nucleotides.