New species and new records of Aleurodiscus s.l. (Basidiomycota) in China

Two new species from Hunan Province in central China, Acanthobasidium bambusicola and Aleurodiscus effusus, are described and illustrated. Both species have effused basidiocarps, clamped generative hyphae, acanthophyses, gloeocystidia, and amyloid, echinulate basidiospores. Acanthobasidium weirii is proposed as a new combination. In addition, Aleurodiscus ljubarskii, A. wakefieldiae, and Neoaleurodiscus fujii are reported from mainland China for the first time. Descriptions and illustrations of these three species are included. A preliminary molecular phylogenetic assessment of 11 species of Aleurodiscus sensu lato in China is presented. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred from analyses of partial DNA sequences of the nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA (nLSU) and a combined dataset of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, nLSU, and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene sequences (tef1-alpha).