Unveiling Species Diversity Within Early-Diverging Fungi from China XII: Six New Species of Mucor (Mucoromycota)

Mucor is widely distributed in nature and extensively applied in industries, food, and other fields. Based on analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) of the ribosomal RNA gene, RNA polymerase II largest subunit gene (RPB1), and their morphological characteristics, six new species of Mucor were identified. Mucor catenatus sp. nov. forms chlamydospores in chains. Mucor jujubinus sp. nov. is characterized by jujube-shaped columellae. Mucor macrosporangium sp. nov. produces larger sporangia. Mucor multiramosus sp. nov. features extensively branched sporangiophores. Mucor oligorhizus sp. nov. shows a rare rhizoid formation. Mucor tumidus sp. nov. usually develops swellings in sporangiophores. This study represents the twelfth contribution in a series exploring early-diverging fungal diversity in China and raises the number of accepted Mucor species to 60.