Schizocorticium gen. nov. (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) with three new species

The new genus Schizocorticium (Hymenochaetales) of corticioid fungi is presented with three new species: Schizocorticium magnosporum, Schizocorticium mediosporum, and Schizocorticium parvisporum. Most collections of these three species were made from Taiwan, and only two specimens were collected from Yunnan Province of China. Generic status of Schizocorticium was supported by analyses of DNA sequences inferred from a combined dataset of nuc rDNA 28S+5.8S genetic marker. Taxonomic statuses of the proposed three new species were respectively supported by analyses inferred from the nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) genetic marker, and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) genetic marker. Bayesian, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony algorithms were used to construct phylogenies of these analyses. Schizocorticium is diagnostic in having effused basidiomes; hymenial surface smooth, more or less cracked; hyphal system monomitic with clamped hyphae, oily secreted material usually distributed in subiculum and hymenial layer, cystidia lacking, hyphidia present, clavate basidia, sterigmata fairly stout and rigid when young, thin-walled basidiospores usually have a fairly prominent apiculus; and all microscopic elements are inamyloid, non-dextrinoid, and acyanophilous. These three new species can be simply distinguished by different basidiospore lengths.