New Campanella and Crustomyces Species Found in Yunnan

During a survey of Agaricales fungi in tropical regions of China, four scientists—Wanting Liu, Yinglian Deng, Xiangfu Liu, and Changlin Zhao—isolated specimens from Yunnan Province that turned out to be two previously unknown species ¹.net]. The team described the new taxa as Campanella albomarginata and Crustomyces odontoideus, adding them to the growing list of Asian agarics.

The researchers examined each specimen’s macroscopic traits before moving on to detailed microscopic analysis. C. albomarginata is resupinate, coriaceous basidiomata with a white‑to‑cream hymenial surface; its monomitic hyphal system contains clamped generative hyphae. Basidia are subcylindrical with four sterigmata, while drop‑shaped spores measure 9.5–12 × 5–7.5 µm. In contrast, C. odontoideus displays an odontioid hymenial surface and subclavate basidia also bearing four sterigmata; its ovoid to broadly ellipsoid spores range 4–4.5 × 2.5–3 µm. Both species share a monomitic hyphal architecture with clamped generative elements but differ in spore shape and basidium form ¹.net].

Phylogenetic analyses were carried out using a two‑marker dataset comprising ITS and LSU sequences. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference methods placed both new taxa firmly within their respective families: Campanella (Campanellaceae) and Crustomyces (Cystostereaceae). The resulting phylogeny confirms that the specimens represent distinct lineages rather than variations of known species ¹.net].

The study’s authors provide full descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic trees for each species, making the findings accessible to mycologists worldwide. They note that these discoveries expand our knowledge of Agaricales diversity across China’s varied ecosystems, especially in Yunnan's diverse habitats.

This work highlights ongoing efforts by mycologists like Liu et al., who published similar research on Agaricales diversity across various Chinese provinces between 2018-2023. By adding C. albomarginata and C. odontoideus to the global catalog, the team demonstrates that targeted fieldwork combined with modern molecular tools can still yield novel species from familiar habitats. These findings may inform future ecological studies, conservation planning, and potential bioprospecting efforts within Yunnan’s forested landscapes.