Fungal Diversity in the Americas

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Evolution, Biodiversity and Systematics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2026 | Viewed by 3266

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Mexico
Interests: fungal diversity

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Guest Editor
Institute of Biotechnology and Applied Ecology, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
Interests: fungal genetic diversity; plant fungi pathology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi are one of the most biodiverse taxonomic groups worldwide. It is estimated that there are around 3.8 million species worldwide, of which nearly 155,000 have been described so far. In the Americas, around 55,000 species have been estimated, most of which are distributed in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Colombia, reflecting the limited knowledge available about them. Although fungi are cosmopolitan organisms, most research has focused on temperate forests, highlighting a significant gap in our knowledge regarding fungal species across diverse ecosystems. This underscores the critical importance of studying fungal biodiversity in the Americas, where native species may vanish before being thoroughly documented, particularly in the face of climate change and habitat loss. Moreover, our understanding of the distribution of these species, their ecological interactions, and their potential applications in addressing contemporary human challenges remains limited. This Special Issue aims to bring together articles on the biodiversity, biotechnology, and traditional uses of fungi from all countries in the Americas, integrating taxonomic, phylogenetic, bioprospecting, microbiome, chemical-nutritional content, metabolome, proteome, transcriptome, genome, biomaterials, interactions, and ethnomycological knowledge relating to fungal diversity in the Americas.

Dr. Antero Ramos-Fernández
Dr. Juan Carlos Noa-Carrazana
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fungi
  • diversity
  • Americas
  • phylogeny
  • taxonomy

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 7665 KB  
Article
Morphological Diversity and Preliminary DNA Barcoding of Xylaria (Xylariales) from Estación Científica San Francisco, Including Xylaria aenea as a New Record for Ecuador
by Darío Cruz, Juan Pablo Suárez, Andres Chamba, Paola Duque-Sarango, Luisa Espinosa and Roo Vandregrift
J. Fungi 2026, 12(3), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12030211 - 15 Mar 2026
Viewed by 661
Abstract
The genus Xylaria comprises numerous species, particularly prevalent in tropical ecosystems such as those of Ecuador. Despite its ecological importance, the taxonomy of the genus remains challenging, and much of its diversity in the Neotropics remains under-documented. This study provides a preliminary characterization [...] Read more.
The genus Xylaria comprises numerous species, particularly prevalent in tropical ecosystems such as those of Ecuador. Despite its ecological importance, the taxonomy of the genus remains challenging, and much of its diversity in the Neotropics remains under-documented. This study provides a preliminary characterization of the Xylaria diversity at the Estación Científica San Francisco, an Andean biodiversity hotspot in Southern Ecuador. Through an integrated approach including detailed macro- and micro-morphological descriptions and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA ITS and LSU) phylogenetic analyses, 20 Xylaria specimens were examined. As a result, ten species were recognized: Xylaria adscendens, X. cf. anisopleura, X. apiculata, X. curta, X. enterogena, X. fissilis, X. globosa, X. aff. telfairii, X. tuberoides, and X. aenea, the latter representing a new record for Ecuador. The phylogenetic analysis presented here serves as a preliminary systematic positioning of these specimens within the genus rather than a comprehensive global reconstruction. While these ribosomal markers provided preliminary insights into species relationships, partial incongruence with morphospecies highlights the evolutionary complexity of certain lineages and underscores the need for future multilocus studies. Furthermore, four additional phylotypes found in their anamorphic state are documented, suggesting that local diversity exceeds current records. By providing detailed morphological documentation supported by preliminary barcode data from a poorly sampled region, this study contributes vital information to the global understanding of Xylaria and underscores the importance of Southern Ecuador as a reservoir of fungal diversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diversity in the Americas)
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15 pages, 11314 KB  
Article
Two New Species of Lactifluus (Basidiomycota, Russulales) Sections Piperati and Albati Inhabiting Tropical Quercus Forests of Eastern Mexico
by Victor M. Bandala, Paloma Susan, Antero Ramos and Leticia Montoya
J. Fungi 2026, 12(3), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12030203 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 642
Abstract
Mexican species of Lactifluus have often been identified using names of morphologically similar Old World taxa. However, integrative approaches combining morphological and molecular data have revealed a high level of previously unrecognized diversity in the region. Here, two new species from lowland tropical [...] Read more.
Mexican species of Lactifluus have often been identified using names of morphologically similar Old World taxa. However, integrative approaches combining morphological and molecular data have revealed a high level of previously unrecognized diversity in the region. Here, two new species from lowland tropical Quercus forest are described: one in section Piperati (subgenus Lactifluus), characterized by pale yellow basidiomes and another in section Albati (subgenus Lactariopsis), with whitish basidiomes. The two taxa are distinguished by a unique set of macro- and micromorphological features, and their recognition is strongly supported by phylogenetic evidence from a concatenated dataset including nc ITS rDNA, nc 28S rDNA and the 6–7 region of the second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II (rpb2). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diversity in the Americas)
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18 pages, 10851 KB  
Article
Integrative Taxonomy Reveals Two New Trichoderma Species and a First Mexican Record from Coffee Soils in Veracruz
by Rosa María Arias Mota, Rosario Gregorio Cipriano, Alondra Guadalupe Martínez Santos and Gabriela Heredia Abarca
J. Fungi 2025, 11(12), 856; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11120856 - 1 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1557
Abstract
Trichoderma species are globally distributed fungi with remarkable biotechnological relevance. In this study, we describe two new species, T. jilotepecense and T. sanisidroense, and report T. endophyticum as the first record for Mexico. All isolates were obtained from soils of coffee agroecosystems [...] Read more.
Trichoderma species are globally distributed fungi with remarkable biotechnological relevance. In this study, we describe two new species, T. jilotepecense and T. sanisidroense, and report T. endophyticum as the first record for Mexico. All isolates were obtained from soils of coffee agroecosystems in Veracruz. Species identification was based on the integration of cultural and micromorphological characteristics (PDA, SNA, CMD; 25–35 °C) with multilocus phylogenetic analyses using the ITS, tef1, and rpb2 markers. The concatenated dataset provided strong support for species delimitation and clarified phylogenetic relationships within the Harzianum and Virens clades. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fungal Diversity in the Americas)
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