ABSTRACT
Background: Macrofungi are classified in the phylum Ascomycota and Basidiomycota and they are very important from an ecological and economic point of view. Most studies of fungi in Colombia have been carried out mainly in the Andean Region, especially in the Departments of Antioquia, Valle del Cauca and Cundinamarca. However, other Departments in the Andean Region, like Tolima, located in the Cordillera Central, are well documented for plants (4,797 species) and animals (2,983 species), but very poorly documented in terms of knowledge of fungal diversity. New information: This study provides a compiled and annotated checklist of all known macrofungi in the Department of Tolima, based on published literature and on the identification of new specimens collected from five localities of the Department. All records were updated taxonomically and we include detailed information on the localities in which they are distributed in the Department. The list includes 164 taxa distributed in 15 orders (Agaricales, Polyporales, Russulales, Boletales, Hymenochaetales, Xylariales, Auriculariales, Thelephorales, Cantharellales, Hypocreales, Pezizales, Gloeophyllales, Phallales, Tremellales, Dacrymycetales) and eighteen records in a doubtful taxa section. We present 26 new reports, 19 for Tolima and nine for Colombia. We also provide genetic and phylogenetic evidence of the occurrence of Gloeoporustelephoroides and Podoscyphavenustula in Colombia. This checklist provides the basis for future studies on species diversity and taxonomy in Tolima, by identifying the least studied taxa and ecosystems and conservation priorities.
ABSTRACT
The family Steccherinaceae includes genera with smooth, hydnoid, and poroid hymenophores, monomitic to dimitic hyphal systems, and generative hyphae with clamps or simple septa. Steccherinum is the largest genus in the family, with a worldwide distribution, and is characterized mainly by a dimitic hyphal system and presence of thick-walled encrusted cystidia. Species traditionally included in Steccherinum, however, have been transferred to other genera based on results of molecular phylogenetic analyses. Even though knowledge of Steccherinaceae has increased in the past few years, very little is known about the hydnoid species of the family, especially from the Neotropics. In this study, we present morphological and phylogenetic analyses on hydnoid specimens of Steccherinaceae collected in the Neotropics. Molecular data of nuc internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS rDNA (ITS) and portions of nuc 28S rDNA (28S), translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1), and the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb1) were obtained from Brazilian collections. Types and original collections were studied for morphological comparison. Samples we studied grouped in four different genera of Steccherinaceae: Cabalodontia, Etheirodon, Metuloidea, and Steccherinum. Three new neotropical species, Cabalodontia delicata, Etheirodon purpureum, and Steccherinum larssonii, are described. In addition, the new combinations Cabalodontia albofibrillosa and Metuloidea reniformis are proposed. The four genera presented in this study are compared and discussed in detail.
