Three New Penicillium Species Found in Yunnan Agricultural Soil

In a recent study published in MycoKeys, scientists isolated eight fungal strains from agricultural soils in the mountainous region of Yunnan Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses using four genetic markers—the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β‑tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM), and RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (RPB2)—identified three novel species within the section Lanata‑Divaricata of the family Aspergillaceae. The new taxa are named Penicillium longyangense (series Janthinella), P. longlingense (series Dalearum), and P. zhenyuanense (series Rolfsiorum). Morphological comparisons with closely related species confirmed their distinct status. This discovery expands the known diversity of Penicillium in Yunnan’s agricultural ecosystems ¹.net].

The identification of these species adds to an already large global catalogue; over 200 Penicillium species have been described worldwide, yet many remain undiscovered due to limited sampling and taxonomic expertise. These findings therefore enhance our understanding of fungal biodiversity in mountainous farming landscapes.

Separately, another MycoKeys article reports on the taxonomy and phylogeny of two corticioid genera—Litschauerella (Hymenochaetales) and Tubulicium (Trechisporales)—in East Asia. Researchers provide the first ITS sequence for Litschauerella abietis, the type species, and integrate it with 28S rDNA data. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods place Litschauerella within Litschauerellaceae as a monophyletic clade representing an early‑diverging lineage of Hymenochaetales, while Tubulicium is retained within Hydnodontaceae of Trechisporales, sister to Membranohymenium. The study resolves long‑standing uncertainties surrounding these genera and contributes significantly to improving mycological classification systems globally ¹.net].