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Phellodon is a genus of ectomycorrhizal fungi belonging to the group known as the stipitate hydnoids. It is associated with coniferous trees in forest ecosystems and is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere. Phellodon, together with Hydnellum, and Sarcodon, is classified in the Bankeraceae, members of which are generally considered as symbiotic fungi. Ectomycorrhizal fungi can help plant roots fix nitrogen and improve the absorption capacity of soil nutrients by trees, so they play an important role in ecosystem protection. Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of Chinese Phellodon collections were carried out. Four new Phellodon species were discovered from southwestern China based on a combination of morphological characters and molecular data. Phellodon atroardesiacus is characterized by the blackish blue to dark grey pileus, dark grey to ash grey spines, and presence of clamp connections in spines. Phellodon cinereofuscus is distinguished by a cottony tomentose pileal margin, long spines which become clay-buff when dry, and echinulate basidiospores. Phellodon stramineus is characterized by a depressed and tomentose pileus, straw buff-colored pileal surface, and dark grey to ash grey spines. Phellodon yunnanensis is distinguished by a clay-pink to brown pileus, pale brown to white spines, and the presence of clamp connections in the outer layer of stipe. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and ecological traits for the new taxa are provided. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions confirmed that the four new species are distinct within Phellodon.

In this study, phylogenetic analyses of Phellodon from China were carried out based on sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the small subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nSSU), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1), and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), combined with morphological characters of the collected specimens in China. The fruiting bodies of the specimens were used to observe their characteristics, and three new species of Phellodon are discovered. Phellodon crassipileatus is characterized by its pale brown to dark brown pileal surface, tomentose pileal margin, white spines, and the presence of clamp connections in generative hyphae of pileal surface, context, and stipe. Phellodon griseofuscus is characterized by its dark brown to black pileal surface, white to pale brown pileal margin, the presence of both simple septa and clamp connections in generative hyphae of spines, and moderately long basidia. Phellodon perchocolatus is characterized by its woody and broad pileus, brown to greyish brown pileal surface when fresh, tomentose pileal margin when young, which becomes glabrous with age, and the presence of both simple septa and clamp connections in the generative hyphae of the spines. This is the first time both single and multi-genes analysis is used in such a phylogenetic and taxonomic study on Phellodon, which can provide the basis for the phylogenetic study of the genus.

Fomitopsis is a worldwide brown-rot fungal genus of Polyporales, which grows on different gymnosperm and angiosperm trees and has important ecological functions and economic values. In this study, species diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and ecological habits of Fomitopsis were investigated. A total of 195 specimens from 24 countries representing 29 species of Fomitopsis were studied. Based on the morphological characters and phylogenetic evidence of DNA sequences including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the small subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nSSU), the small subunit of mitochondrial rRNA gene (mtSSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF), and the second subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), 30 species are accepted in Fomitopsis, including four new species: F. resupinata, F. srilankensis, F. submeliae and F. yimengensis. Illustrated descriptions of the novel species and the geographical locations of the Fomitopsis species are provided.