Advances in the phylogeny of Helvella (Fungi: Ascomycota), inferred from nuclear ribosomal LSU sequences and morphological data

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Helvella were investigated using both LSU rDNA sequences and morphological features. The latter were coded and included in the analyses, resulting in better-supported clades. Helvella is monophyletic and Wynnella is its sister genus. Aporhynchous vs. pleurorhynchous asci are the synapomorphies for the 2 subgenera, Leucomelaenae and Helvella, which were confirmed as natural groups. Other recovered supported clades were section Leucomelaenae in the subgenus Leucomelaenae, and sections Elasticae, Helvella, and Lacunosae within the subgenus Helvella. Generic description, comments on taxonomically informative features, species complexes, and species that need typification are presented.

Morphology and phylogenic position of Wynnella subalpina sp. nov. (Helvellaceae) from western China

“…1), we found that species in Helvellaceae are divided into four clades: the Helvella clade, the Wynnella clade, the Balsamia/Barssia clade and Underwoodia clade. This result is consistent with O'Donnell et al (1997), Haltington et al (1999), Landvik et al (1999), Laessøe and Hansen (2007) and Landeros et al (2015) with regard that Wynnella is an separate genus within Helvellaceae and is more closely allied to Helvella than to any other genera.…”

“…1), which is consistent with the suggestion of O'Donnell et al (1997), Haltington et al (1999), Landvik et al (1999), Laessøe and Hansen (2007) and Landeros et al (2015). Diagnosis:-Rabbit-ear shaped apothecia, with a tea brown to blackish brown hymenium, a red, reddish brown to greyish yellow receptacle surface, and a costate stipe.…”

“…Some mycologists treated Helvella in a broad sense, and took Wynnella as a later synonym (Harmaja 1974, Häffner 1987, Abbott and Currah 1997. Some thought Wynnella is an independent genus from Helvella (Zhuang 2004, Parslow and Spooner 2009, Landeros et al 2015. Based on Bayesian and RAxML phylogenetic analyses (Fig.…”

“…It is characterized by ear-shaped, two colored apothecia, ectal excipulum of textura angularis, medullary excipulum of textura intricata, subcylindrical, nonamyloid asci, and ellipsoide, uniguttulate ascospores (Nannfeldt 1931, Abbott and Currah 1997, Parslow and Spooner 2009. The systematic position of Wynnella in the family Helvellaceae was suggested with molecular phylogenetic studies (O'Donnell et al 1997, Haltington et al 1999, Landvik et al 1999, Laessøe and Hansen 2007, Landeros et al 2015. This genus has been regarded as monotypic with only W. auricula (Schaeff) Boud.…”

A synopsis of the saddle fungi (Helvella: Ascomycota) in Europe – species delimitation, taxonomy and typification

“… Landvik et al (1999) used nrDNA sequences to characterise a small subset of Helvella species from Norway and emphasized the general limitation of single locus analyses and the unsuitability of ITS to infer phylogeny and discriminate species across the breadth of the genus. Nguyen et al (2013) used ITS and LSU nrDNA sequences and morphology to discriminate among at least four distinct species of the H. lacunosa species complex in western North American, and Landeros et al (2015) used partial LSU sequences to study infrageneric groups of Helvella from Europe and North America. Recently, Ariyawansa et al (2015) used the ITS, Zhao et al (2015) ITS and a concatenated multilocus dataset of ITS, LSU, tef , rpb2 and mcm7 , and Zhao et al (2017) a dataset of ITS, LSU and tef to discriminate and describe new species of the H. lacunosa , H. crispa and H. monachella morphospecies complexes in China.…”