Brunneocorticium pyriforme, a new corticioid fungal genus and species belonging to the euagarics clade

Evidence derived from molecular studies in recent years has revealed that corticioid fungal genera are present in all major clades of Homobasidiomycetes. Brunneocorticium pyriforme, a corticioid fungus is proposed as a new species and placed in a new genus belonging to the euagarics clade. This fungus has been collected in subtropical-tropical Taiwan and southern Yunnan Province, China. Basidiocarps often occur on bark of living Murraya spp. (Rutaceae). Basidiocarps of B. pyriforme are resupinate with a smooth hymenial surface, a dimitic hyphal system, with nodose-septate generative hyphae and abundant yellowish brown skeletal hyphae, and leptocystidia. It has 2-sterigmate basidia and pear-shaped basidiospores. Phylogenetic analysis based on sequence data derived from LSU rDNA included Brunneocorticium in the euagarics clade of Homobasidiomycetes, allied to the agaricoid genera Marasmiellus, Campanella, etc. The molecular analysis indicated that the Brunneocorticium was independent from other corticioid genera with similar morphological features.