Phylogenetic analyses of Chinese Tuber species that resemble T. borchii reveal the existence of the new species T. hubeiense and T. wumengense

Abstract

In phylogenetic analyses based on the internal transcribed spacers and 28S nuc rDNA and translation elongation factor 1-α to compare Chinese white truffle specimens that have ascomata resembling the European Tuber borchii, the sequences of Chinese species resembling T. borchii in morphology grouped into seven distinct clusters among three clades: Puberulum, Maculatum and Latisporum. No sequences from these Chinese species matched those of the European T. borchii and the occurrence of the European T. borchii in China could not be supported by our study. Three unknown species are recognized from the seven Chinese clusters; two are described here as T. hubeiense and T. wumengense based on molecular and morphological evidence.

• Ascomycota
• new species
• phylogeny
• white truffle

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Dr Jin-zhong Cao who provided many specimens used in this research. We thank the curators of Herbarium Mycologicum Academiae Sinicae of Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for loaning specimens. We thank Dr Beth E. Hazen for valuable suggestions and critically reading the English. The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31270058) and the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 5122003).