Molecular phylogeny and morphology reveal a new species of wood-inhabiting fungal Dacrymyces (Dacrymycetaceae, Dacrymycetes) from Eastern China

During a mushroom survey in Jiangsu Province, eastern China, basidiomata of an interesting, gelatinous, wood-inhabiting Dacrymyces species were collected; morphological and phylogenetic evidence revealed it as a new species, described as Dacrymyces jiangsuensis. The species is characterized by its white to yellowish white basidiomata , with obviously cerebriform when mature, thin- to thick-walled marginal hyphae with c ylindrical terminal cells, thin-walled i nternal hyphae without clamp connections , and hyaline, thick-walled, allantoid, mostly with 3-septate basidiospores measuring 11– 16 × 4– 7 μm . Phylogenetic analyses, based on a concatenated dataset of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the large subunit (nrLSU) of ribosomal DNA, confirmed the placement of D. jiangsuensis within the core clade of the genus Dacrymyces with strong statistical support. A description , illustrations, and phylogenetic analysis results of the new species are provided . This study advances the understanding of Dacrymyces diversity in China and the fungal diversity in the eastern plains of China.