Unveiling species diversity within early-diverging fungi from China II: Three new species of Absidia (Cunninghamellaceae, Mucoromycota) from Hainan Province

Abstract

Absidia is distributed worldwide and primarily isolated from soil, feces, and decaying plants. The genus was initially classified into Absidiaceae and then Mucoraceae, and currently belongs to Cunninghamellaceae and is further divided into Absidia s.s., Lichtheimia, and Lentamyces. Three new species of Absidia s.s. are identified and described from soil in Hainan Province of China based on morphological characteristics, molecular data, and maximum growth temperatures as well. They are named based on distinct shapes of projections on columellae: A. crystalloides sp. nov. (crystal-like), A. pacifica sp. nov. (pacifier-like), A. pateriformis sp. nov. (bowling-like). In SSU-ITS-LSU-TEF-Act phylogram, the A. crystalloides is closely related to A. oblongispora and A. heterospora, the A. pacifica is a sister group with A. edaphica, and the A. pateriformis has a close relationship with A. jiangxiensis. This study enriches the species diversity of Absidia in China.