Abstract

Mucoralean fungi are mostly saprotrophic. During a fungal investigation of soil in Guangdong and Anhui provinces of China, five new species of Mucorales were discovered, namelyCunninghamella brevisporasp. nov.,C. geminatasp. nov.,Mucor chlamydosporiferussp. nov.,M. citrinussp. nov., andM. magnisporussp. nov. The identification is based on morphological characteristics, as well as molecular phylogenetics of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (LSU rDNA), translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF1α), and RNA polymerase II largest subunit gene (RPB1).Cunninghamella brevisporasp. nov. is sister toC. guizhouensis, and is distinguished by short sporangiophores.Cunninghamella geminatasp. nov. is sister toC. subclavata; rhizoids are absent in the former but well-developed in the latter.Mucor chlamydosporiferussp. nov. is closely related toM. prayagensis, and is characterized by abundant chlamydospores.Mucor citrinussp. nov. is closely related toM. paraorantomantidis, and is differentiated by pale yellow sporangiospores.Mucor magnisporussp. nov. is sister toM. merdicola, and is discriminated by large sporangiospores. To date, with the addition of the five new species described herein, the total number of accepted species in the genusCunninghamellaandMucorhas increased to 49 and 163, respectively.