The Genus <i>Chlorosplenium</i> (Helotiales, Leotiomycetes) from China with Notes on <i>C. chlora</i> Complex

Abstract

The small fruitbodies of Chlorosplenium are greenish yellow and mainly grow on woody substrates. The species diversity of the genus in China was investigated based on specimens formerly deposited in the Herbarium Mycologicum Academiae Sinicae as well as new collections gained in recent years. Our phylogenetic results revealed the species diversity of the genus is underestimated and the commonly known Chlorosplenium chlora is a species complex. Based on morphology studies and sequence analyses of three regions (ITS, LSU and RPB1), the Chinese collections represent two new species which are described and illustrated here as C. sinicum and C. sinochlora. Chlorosplenium fusisporum is quite possibly a species of the genus Chlorociboria, and C. hyperici-maculati should be excluded from the genus.

Keywords

• Chlorospleniaceae
• DNA barcode
• fungi
• novel taxa
• species diversity
• saprotrophic