Leifiporia rhizomorpha gen. et sp. nov. and L. eucalypti comb. nov. in Polyporaceae (Basidiomycota)

A new poroid wood-inhabiting fungal genus, Leifiporia, is proposed, based on morphological and molecular evidence, which is typified by L. rhizomorpha sp. nov. The genus is characterized by an annual growth habit, resupinate basidiocarps with white to cream pore surface, a dimitic hyphal system with generative hyphae bearing clamp connections and branching mostly at right angles, skeletal hyphae present in the subiculum only and distinctly thinner than generative hyphae, IKI–, CB–, and ellipsoid, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, IKI–, CB– basidiospores. Sequences of ITS and LSU nrRNA gene regions of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods. The phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data of ITS + nLSU sequences showed that Leifiporia belonged to the core polyporoid clade and was closely related to Diplomitoporus overholtsii and Lopharia cinerascens, and then grouped with Pycnoporus and Trametes. Further investigation was obtained for more representative taxa in the Polyporaceae based on nLSU sequences, in which the results demonstrated that the genus Leifiporia formed a monophyletic lineage with a strong support (100 % BS, 100 % BP, 1.00 BPP). Both morphological and molecular evidence confirmed the placement of the new genus in the core polyporoid clade. In addition, a new combination, Leifiporia eucalypti, is proposed based on examination of its type material and phylogeny.