Melanoderma microcarpum gen. et sp nov (Basidiomycota) from China

A new genus Melanoderma (Polyporales, Basidiomycota), collected from Hainan and Hunan Provinces in southern China, is proposed and typified by M. microcarpum. The new species is characterized by a perennial habit, pileate to effused-reflexed basidiocarps with a black crust at the pileal surface, small round pores, a dimitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, dextrinoid and cyanophilous skeletal hyphae, cylindrical, thin-walled, non-amyloid, non-dextrinoid and acyanophilous basidiospores, the presence of apically encrusted cystidia, and lack of both hyphal pegs and dendrohyphidia. The new genus is compared with related genera of Australoporus, Datronia, Dichomitus, Megasporoporia, and Perenniporia. rDNA sequence analysis supports Melanoderma as a monophyletic clade that is closely related to Vanderbylia.