Phylogeny and taxonomy of poroid and lamellate genera in the Auriculariales (Basidiomycota)

Abstract

The phylogeny of taxa with poroid and lamellate hymenophores in Auriculariales as yet has not been well studied. Here we sequenced the nLSU and ITS regions of poroid and lamellate representatives from the genera Elmerina, Protodaedalea and Protomerulius to establish the phylogenetic position of these morphologically similar taxa. Our analyses suggest that (i) Elmerina foliacea is divergent from all other Elmerina species sampled; (ii) Protodaedalea hispida (the type of monotypic genus Protodaedalea) and Protomerulius efibulatus should be transferred to Elmerina as E. hispida and E. efibulata respectively; (iii) after exclusion of P. efibulatus, Protomerulius becomes monophyletic and represents the core of a “Protomerulius family” clade that potentially includes species from Tremellodendropsis, Heterochaetella and Protodontia; and (iv) the presence or absence of gloeocystidia serves as the most reliable morphological feature in delimiting Elmerina s.l. and Protomerulius. Concepts of Elmerina s.l. and Protomerulius are redefined, and diagnostic keys for these two genera are provided.

• Auriculariaceae
• Elmerina
• ITS
• nLSU
• Protodaedalea
• Protomerulius

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr Karl-Henrik Larsson (O, Norway) for help in loan of the specimens and Prof Kevin D. Hyde (Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand) and Dr Zheng Wang (Yale University, USA) for improving this manuscript. Drs Hai-Sheng Yuan (IFP, China) and Shuang-Hui He (BJFC, China) are thanked for providing photos of the basidiocarps of Elmerina. We thank two anonymous reviewers and the associate editor for improving our knowledge of phylogenetic analysis.

The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 31070022).