Many species of Ganoderma exhibit a high phenotypic plasticity. Hence, particularly among them, the morphological species concept remains difficult to apply, resulting in a currently confused taxonomy; as a consequence, the geographical distribution range of many species also remains very uncertain. One of the areas with a strong uncertainty, as far as morphological species concept is concerned, is the Neotropics. It is common that names of species described from other regions, mainly from northern temperate areas, have been applied to Neotropical species. The aim of the present study was to determine which species might lay behind the G.
weberianum complex in the Neotropics, using morphological studies and phylogenetic inferences based on both single (ITS) and multilocus (ITS, rpb2, and tef1-α) sequences. The results indicated that G.
weberianumsensu Steyaert, which is the usually accepted concept for this taxon, was absent from the Neotropics. In this area, G.
weberianumsensu Steyaert encompassed at least two phylogenetic species, which are tentatively, for the time being, identified as belonging to G.
mexicanum and G.
parvulum. These two species could be distinguished morphologically, notably by the ornamentation or its absence on their chlamydospores. The results also showed that additional species from the Neotropics might still exist, including, e.g., G.
perzonatum, but their circumscription remains uncertain until now because of the paucity of material available. Furthermore, it was found that the current concept of G.
resinaceum embraced a complex of species.
The diversity of lignicolous agaric fungi is poorly known in Mexico. This group of fungi is responsible for the primary decomposition of wood, providing mineral elements that allow the nutrient cycles. The objective of this work was to reveal and confirm some lignicolous species present in Mexico with both morphological and molecular data. Thirteen species of eight genera, belonging to six families of lignicolous agaricoid fungi of the Agaricales were recorded, discussed, and illustrated, of which 11 are new records for Mexico. Considering our results, we confirm that Mexico is a Nearctic and Neotropical convergence zone of fungal taxa from both regions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.