Unveiling Species Diversity Within Early-Diverging Fungi from China VII: Seven New Species of <i>Cunninghamella</i> (<i>Mucoromycota</i>)

Unveiling Species Diversity Within Early-Diverging Fungi from China VII: Seven New Species of <i>Cunninghamella</i> (<i>Mucoromycota</i>)

The fungal genus <i>Cunninghamella</i>, ubiquitously distributed as saprotrophic organisms with occasional endophytic and phytopathogenic manifestations, holds significant biomedical and biochemical importance. During systematic investigations of fungal biodiversity in China, seven novel...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zi-Ying Ding, Meng-Fei Tao, Xin-Yu Ji, Yang Jiang, Yi-Xin Wang, Wen-Xiu Liu, Shi Wang, Xiao-Yong Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Fungi
Subjects:
<i>Mucorales</i>
basal fungi
fungal diversity
taxonomy
molecular phylogeny
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/6/417
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Summary:The fungal genus <i>Cunninghamella</i>, ubiquitously distributed as saprotrophic organisms with occasional endophytic and phytopathogenic manifestations, holds significant biomedical and biochemical importance. During systematic investigations of fungal biodiversity in China, seven novel taxa (<i>C. amphispora</i> sp. nov., <i>C. cinerea</i> sp. nov., <i>C. flava</i> sp. nov., <i>C. hainanensis</i> sp. nov., <i>C. rhizoidea</i> sp. nov., <i>C. simplex</i> sp. nov., and <i>C. yunnanensis</i> sp. nov.) were delineated through integrated taxonomic approaches incorporating morphological characterization, multilocus phylogenetic analyses (ITS-LSU-<i>TEF1α</i>), and physiological assessments. Phylogenetic reconstructions positioned these novel species within a well-supported clade along with <i>C. bainieri</i> and <i>C. verticillata</i>. New species and their diagnostic features are <i>C. amphispora</i>, exhibiting dimorphic sporangiola production; <i>C. cinerea</i>, distinguished by gray pigmentation in the colony; <i>C. flava</i>, characterized by a yellow colony; <i>C. hainanensis</i> and <i>C. yunnanensis,</i> bearing eponymous designations reflecting their geographic origins; and <i>C. simplex</i>, displaying simplified sporangiophore branching. Comprehensive taxonomic descriptions accompanied by photomicrographic illustrations are provided herein. This study constitutes the seventh installment in an ongoing series elucidating early-diverging fungal diversity in China, expanding the global <i>Cunninghamella</i> taxonomic inventory to 63 species and advancing our understanding of mucoralean phylogeny.
ISSN:2309-608X

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