Southeast Xizang, situated in southwestern China, is a global biodiversity hotspot harbouring exceptionally rich fungal diversity. This study, part of the Second Qinghai-Xizang Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program, undertook a comprehensive survey of macrofungal diversity in the region from 2019 to 2024, resulting in the collection of over 1,600 specimens. As the second instalment in the series of “Diversity of macrofungi in southeast Xizang”, this study identified and documented 480 macrofungal species through combined morphological and molecular evidence, and they are belonging to two phyla, seven classes, 17 orders, 67 families, and 158 genera. Species composition analyses revealed 15 dominant families (each containing ≥ 10 species): Russulaceae, Agaricaceae, Cortinariaceae, Boletaceae, Inocybaceae, Hymenogastraceae, Omphalotaceae, Entolomataceae, Amanitaceae, Strophariaceae, Hygrophoraceae, Mycenaceae, Psathyrellaceae, Hydnangiaceae, and Lycoperdaceae. At the genus-level, 23 dominant genera (each containing ≥ 5 species), including Lactarius, Russula, and Cortinarius, etc., accounted for 265 species (55.21% of the total diversity). Among the documented species, 115 are edible, 15 medicinal, and 53 poisonous. Notably, the study proposed eight new species, i.e. Callistosporium motuoense, Chromosera chayuensis, Clavulinopsis motuoensis, Cudonia linzhiensis, Elaiopezia chayuensis, Sarcoleotia motuoensis, Trichoderma atrosphaericum, and Volvariella parvoalba, with detailed descriptions and illustrations.

The Xizang Autonomous Region, China, is a key ecological security barrier, renowned for its rich biodiversity and unique resources. It supports diverse life forms, including fungi, which are vital for ecological balance and the restoration of the region’s ecosystems. This study presents the results of a microfungal survey conducted on the Plateau, focusing on the orders Pleosporales and Kirschsteiniotheliales within the class Dothideomycetes. Based on morphological characteristics and multi-gene (ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1, tub2, and rpb2) phylogeny analyses, we report the discovery of 10 new taxa, including one new genus Neotriplosphaeria and nine new species, Kirschsteiniothelia linzhiensis, K. yadongensis, Neotriplosphaeria yadongensis, Periconia linzhiensis, Tetraploa linzhiensis, Torula dingjieensis, T. yadongensis, Trichobotrys motuoensis, Triseptatospora yadongensis, and one new host record Periconia spodiopogonis. The findings provide valuable insights into the morphological and phylogenetic relationships of these fungi, highlighting the Plateau’s significant role in fungal diversity. This study enriches our understanding of fungal biodiversity in extreme environments and underscores the importance of continued exploration in this region.

Geoglossomycetes is a class within the phylum Ascomycota that accommodates a single order and a single family, comprising nine genera. Geoglossomycetes is traditionally referred to as “earth tongues”. The class is characterised by tongue-shaped to clavate, stipitate, black ascomata covered with or without black setae, a swollen ascigerous portion, a cylindric stipe, filiform, septate paraphyses, cylindrical-clavate, 4–8-spored asci, and filiform or falciform, multi-septate, dark brown to hyaline ascospores. In this study, we examined 34 samples from four genera in China. Based on ecological comparisons, morphological studies, and phylogenetic analyses inferred from the combined internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the large subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene (LSU), we introduce ten new species of Geoglossomycetes, and identify four known species. In addition, we summarise the sexual morph characters of all species within the two largest genera, Geoglossum and Trichoglossum.