The genus Auricularia (Agaricomycotina: Basidiomycota) in Mexico

Abstract

Auricularia species were believed to be cosmopolitan because they are saprobic. However, it is currently known that the 2 most cited species in the world, Auricularia auricula-judae and A. mesenterica, are species complexes, and they are not distributed in America. Morphological studies of Auricularia in Mexico had recognized a total of 10 species: A. auricula-judae, A. cornea, A. delicata, A. fuscosuccinea, A. mesenterica, A. nigricans, A. peltata, A. polytricha, A. tenuis, and A. tremellosa. This study was based on the review of materials from the most important herbaria in Mexico and phylogenetic analyses of the ITS rDNA region to compare with other studies around the world. Results indicate the presence of eight species in Mexico: the occurrence of A. cornea, A. fuscosuccinea, A. nigricans and A. tremellosa is confirmed; A. americana, A. angiospermarum, A. brasiliana, and A. scissa are registered for the first time in Mexico. In contrast, we could not confirm the presence of A. auricula-judae, A. delicata, A. mesenterica, A. peltata, and A. tenuis in Mexico.