Catalogue of fungi in China 4: Didymiaceae and Physaraceae (Myxomycetes)
Xuefei Li,
Jiajun Hu,
Yonglan Tuo,
You Li,
Dan Dai,
Frederick Leo Sossah,
Minghao Liu,
Jiajia Wang,
Jiage Song,
Bo Zhang,
Xiao Li,
Yu Li
Affiliations
Xuefei Li
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Jiajun Hu
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Yonglan Tuo
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
You Li
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Dan Dai
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Frederick Leo Sossah
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Minghao Liu
College of Mycology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Jiajia Wang
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Jiage Song
Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China
Bo Zhang
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Xiao Li
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Yu Li
Engineering Research Center of Chinese Ministry of Education for Edible and Medicinal Fungi, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
Myxomycetes play crucial ecological roles, yet their species diversity, distribution, and taxonomic relationships remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined 104 specimens from 19 provinces in China. Through morphological analysis, we identified a group of species with reduced lime formation, a feature typically associated with the Physaraceae, but with key morphological similarities to the Diderma. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis was conducted using three genes (nSSU, EF-1α, and COI), resulting in a dataset of 452 sequences from 116 species. Notably, we identified a distinct clade within Didymiaceae containing species with fewer lime knots, a trait traditionally linked to Physaraceae. This clade, designated as the new genus Neodiderma, was phylogenetically positioned as a sister group to Diderma, potentially representing a transitional group between Didymiaceae and Physaraceae, supported by both morphological and molecular evidence. Eleven new species — N. macrosporum, N. pseudobisporum, N. verrucocapillitium, N. rigidocapillitium, N. rufum, Physarum guangxiense, P. subviride, P. nigritum, P. biyangense, P. neoovoideum, and P. jilinense — were identified from China, and their phylogenetic positions were analysed. Additionally, N. spumarioides (formerly Diderma spumarioides) was recombined. The new and recombined species were formally described and illustrated, and a key to the sections and species of Neodiderma and Physarum was provided.
