Trematosphaeriaceae fam. nov. is introduced to accommodate the genera Falciformispora, Halomassarina and Trematosphaeria. The main distinguishing characters of the family are medium-sized rounded ascomata with a papillate ostiole, a relatively wide, coriaceous peridium, cellular pseudoparaphyses and cylindro-clavate asci. The ascospores are two-celled or many celled, hyaline or brown. Phylogenetic analysis inferred from combined nuclear SSU and LSU rRNA and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF-1-alpha) and second largest subunit of RNA polymerase (RPB2) datasets show that these genera form a strongly supported cluster within the Pleosporales. The type species of each genus is illustrated and briefly discussed. Asteromassaria pulchra has been included in the family in previous publications; however, since the type of the genus (A. macrospora) was not included in the phylogenetic analysis, the familial placement cannot be confirmed. Furthermore Asteromassaria pulchra did not cluster in Trematosphaeriaceae in the analysis presented in this paper.

A new species of Thozetella growing on leaf litter is described. Thozetella aculeata has characteristic inverted T-shaped microawns with acerose and pointed apical part. The holotypes of the related T. acerosa (BRIP29318), T. boonjiensis (BRIP29319), T. cubensis (INIFAT C84/11) and T. gigantea (BRIP29202) were examined but all differ from T. aculeata in size and shape of their microawns.

Since 2008, fungal explorations have been undertaken in a mycologically unexplored area: West district of Sikkim (India), located in the Esatern Himalaya. Three Lactarius species are proposed here as new taxa: Lactarius elaioviscidus, L. ermineus and L. byssaceus. Extended descriptions and illustrations are given; the taxonomic position and relation to allied species is discussed.

In the frame of an ongoing survey of the genus Perenniporia sensu Ryvarden & Johansen (1980) (Basidiomycota) in sub-Saharan Africa, the status of some collections from high elevation, cloud forest of Obô National Park, São Tomé, and their relation to Perenniporia sensu stricto and Truncospora have been analyzed. The genus Truncospora is redefined and a new species, Truncospora oboensis is proposed. The new combination Truncospora detrita is also proposed. In sub-Saharan Africa, Truncospora is now represented by two species: Truncospora ochroleuca sensu Ryvarden & Johansen (1980) occurring mainly in open woodlands and Truncospora oboensis, known from high altitude cloud forest of São Tomé.

Bourdotiella complicata, gen. & sp. nov (Basidiomycota, Polyporales) collected in the Luberon Regional Natural Park, in Vaucluse Department in France, is described and illustrated. The new genus is characterized by corticoid, effused basidiomata that are intimately adhering to the substrate, thin but brittle, rapidly developing numerous, irregular, narrow, and very small asperities (< 0.5 mm) that are conical to subcylindrical, sometimes truncated or fused by two and with cristulate tips under a hand lens, ochraceous gray to dark brown, attenuated at the margin. Context monomitic, dense, hyphae with clamp connections and incrusted with many crystals. Hymenium without true cystidia or gloeocystidia, but with some dendrophysoid elements; basidia variable, cylindrical, clavate, (2)4-spored. Spores ellipsoid, oblong to shortly reniform, thin-walled, smooth, neither cyanophilous nor amyloid.

R. hixsonii Murrill, only known from its type locality in Florida, USA, is described and illustrated from a recent collection in southern Georgia and compared with the type specimen. Its very unusual combination of morphological features and eventual affinities are discussed.

Hyphodermella brunneocontexta sp. nov. (Basidiomycota, Hymenochaetales), collected in Mayotte (France, Comoros archipelago, Indian Ocean), is described and illustrated. The new species is characterized by a resupinate basidiome with many, very small aculei, locally with odontioid appearance, with apically projecting, heavily encrusted single to three or four congregated hyphae, a monomitic hyphal system with simple septate hyphae, clavate or subcylindrical, sometimes stocky basidia, and ellipsoid, oboval to subglobose, smooth, thin-walled, non-amyloid spores. The most important feature is the brown context with thick-walled hyphae, densely interwoven, welded together, sometimes forming a pseudoparenchymatic texture, particularly in the subiculum, which, in addition, is crammed with crystal conglomerates.

Tremella fuciformis, a typical dimorphic fungus, displays two distinct morphological transitions: (i) yeast-pseudohyphae transition; (ii) yeast-hyphae transition. To understand the mechanism of its dimorphism, we initiated a study by investigating how environmental factors affect the yeast-to-pseudohypha transition, including pH value, temperature, carbon source, nitrogen source, cultural time, ethanol and inoculum size. Our studies showed that the optimal conditions for yeast-to-pseudohypha transition were as follows: incubating at 25 to 30°C for 3 to 7 days in media containing glucose as the carbon source, ammonium as the nitrogen source and 10 ml/L ethanol. Below a threshold of inoculum size (10⁵ cells/L), the transition ratio fluctuated markedly, which made us propose that quorum sensing molecules contribute to the dimorphic behavior in T. fuciformis.

As a result of lichenological exploration in Ardahan (Turkey), thirty-four species of lichenicolous fungi belonging to 15 genera were determined on 20 different lichenized fungi. Three lichenicolous fungi — Intralichen lichenicola, Lichenoconium lichenicola, Polycoccum evae — are reported as new to Turkey and the Middle East. In addition Lichenostigma rupicolae, firstly reported from Turkey was also found on Pertusaria sp. for the second time in the world. Their geographical distribution are presented.