The genus Sidera is a polypore genus with resupinate, white to cream or buff fresh basidioma, poroid or hydnoid hymenophore, a monomitic or dimitic hyphal system with generative hyphae bearing clamp connections, the presence of rosette-like crystals and allantoid to lunate basidiospores. We study the phylogeny and diversity of Sidera herein by using both morphological and molecular methods. Phylogenetic analyses are based on the ITS dataset, the combined 2-locus dataset (5.8S + nLSU) and 7-locus dataset (ITS + nLSU + RPB1 + RPB2 + TEF1 + mtSSU + nSSU) of 15 taxa of Sidera all over the world. Among them, four species are new to science and described and illustrated in this paper, viz. S. inflata, S. malaysiana, S. punctata and S. roseo-bubalina. In addition, three taxa were treated as Sidera vulgaris sensu lato. An identification key of the 14 accepted species of Sidera worldwide is provided.

A new poroid wood-inhabiting fungus in the family Steccherinaceae, Steccherinum fragile sp. nov., is described and illustrated from China based on morphological and molecular evidence. The species was collected in Yunnan Province, growing on the ground and undersides of rotten angiosperm wood. S. fragile is characterized by an annual growth habit, resupinate basidiocarps with salmon to peach pores when fresh becoming cinnamon buff to pinkish buff upon drying, a thin margin with distinct rhizomorphs, a monomitic hyphal system, generative hyphae thin- to distinctly thick-walled with simple septa, neither amyloid nor cyanophilous. The phylogenetic analysis based on ITS + nLSU rDNA sequences shows that the new species belongs to Steccherinum, forming a monophyletic lineage with strong support (100% BS, 100% BP, 1.00 BPP). In addition, a new combination, S. subcollabens, is also proposed based on examination of its type material and phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetically, Steccherinum fragile is closely related to S. amapaense and groups with S. subcollabens, S. formosanum and S. collabens. Both morphological and molecular characters confirm the placement of the new species and combination in Steccherinum.

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Two new wood-inhabiting fungi, Sidera salmonea sp. Nov. and S. tibetica sp. Nov. in the order Hymenochaetales from southwest China, are described and illustrated based on molecular and morphological evidence. They were found on gymnosperm wood that is rotten and charred. The characteristics of S. salmonea include annual, resupinate basidioma, salmon pores with distinctly white margins, angular pores (7–9 per mm), a dimitic hyphal system, and lunate basidiospores that are 3–3.5 × 0.9–1.1 μm. The characteristics of S. tibetica include annual, resupinate basidioma with a white to cream fresh pore surface that becomes cream to honey-yellow and shiny when dry, round pores (7–8 per mm), a dimitic hyphal system, and lunate basidiospores that measure 2.9–3.1 × 1–1.1 μm. A phylogenetic analysis based on the combined 2-locus dataset (5.8S + nuclear large subunit RNA (nLSU)) shows that the two species are members of the genus Sidera, and they are morphologically compared with related species, respectively. This paper provides a key to the identification of 16 accepted species of Sidera that are found throughout the world.

Phylogenetic analyses inferred from the nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) data set and the combined 2-locus data set [5.8S + nuc 28S rDNA (nLSU)] of taxa of Trechisporales around the world show that Sistotremastrum family forms a monophyletic lineage within Trechisporales. Bayesian evolutionary and divergence time analyses on two data sets of 5.8S and nLSU sequences indicate an ancient divergence of Sistotremastrum family from Hydnodontaceae during the Triassic period (224.25 Mya). Sistotremastrum family is characterized by resupinate and thin basidiomata, smooth, verruculose, or odontoid-semiporoid hymenophore, a monomitic hyphal structure, and generative hyphae bearing clamp connections, the presence of cystidia and hyphidia in some species, thin-walled, smooth, inamyloid, and acyanophilous basidiospores. In addition, four new species, namely, Trechispora dentata, Trechispora dimitiella, Trechispora fragilis, and Trechispora laevispora, are described and illustrated. In addition, three new combinations, namely, Brevicellicium daweishanense, Brevicellicium xanthum, and Sertulicium limonadense, are also proposed.