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A new genus, Centrolepidosporium, is proposed to accommodate a new smut fungus, C. sclerodermum, collected in Australia on Centrolepis exserta. The new species is unique in that it produces tightly packed spores in spore balls surrounded by a cortex of sterile cells. This is the first report of a smut fungus on the plant family Centrolepidaceae.

Four new smut fungi are described from Australia, Sporisorium incompletum on Cynodon incompletus, Tilletia lachnagrostidis on Lachnagrostis filiformis, Tranzscheliella austrostipae on Austrostipa verticillata, and Urocystis glabella on Hypoxis glabella.

A short overview of the genus Entorrhiza is presented. Based on host plant taxonomy and morphological characters, including septal pore structure, a new genus, Talbotiomyces, is described for the aberrant Entorrhiza calospora. This fungus produces galls on various dicotyledonous host plants, whereas Entorrhiza spp. sensu stricto are restricted to monocotyledonous hosts.

Ganoderma lucidum and allied species are widespread and cause white rot diseases on economically important crops, hardwoods and forest trees. An attempt has been made to distinguish G. lucidum complex by cultural characteristics. This study showed that the G. lucidum complex in a native collection is represented by G. lucidum, G. resinaceum, G. tropicum, G. weberianum, and Ganoderma sp. Most of the collections were confined to hardwood and rarely found on palm host. All the five species produced chlamydospores with varying shape and size. Ganoderma resinaceum and G. lucidum had an optimum growth rate at 30-35 °C; the former produced larger chlamydospores in culture than the later. Ganoderma tropicum produced cylindrical chlamydospores and had average growth rate at 20-25 °C. Ganoderma weberianum produced both chlamydospores and gastrospores in cultures with optimum growth rate at 30-35 °C. Ganoderma sp. produced both amyloid and inamyloid chlamydospores in culture and had optimum growth temperature of 20-25 °C. All the eight isolates showed positive reaction to acid aniline test.

Fourteen parmelioid species, Cetrelia cetrarioides, Hypogymnia physodes, H. austerodes, H. vittata, Melanelixia subaurifera, Melanohalea elegantula, Parmelia saxatilis, Xanthoparmelia camtschadalis, X. delisei, X. loxodes, X. pokornyi, X. stenophylla, X. tinctina and X. verruculifera, are reported as new to Iran. The taxonomy, nomenclature and distribution of the 76 parmelioid lichen species reported from Iran and Caucasus (Russian Caucasus, Azerbaijan Republic, Georgia and Armenia) are briefly reviewed. Menegazzia subsimilis is reported for the first time from the Caucasus Region.

Straminipilous organisms and fungus species on dead fragments of 25 taxa of wetland plants from three water bodies were investigated. A total of 219 fungal taxa, including 85 straminipilous organisms and 134 fungus species were recorded. The largest number of straminipilous organisms and fungus species occurred on fragments of Lathyrus palustre and Rorippa amphibia (45 and 44 species respectively), the fewest on Calla palustris (20). The most common species were Chytridium xylophilum (on 23 plants), Pythium rostratum (on 15), Pithomyces obscuriseptatus (on all plants), Trinacrium subtile (on 17) and Titaea (Tetracladium) maxilliformis (on 16). The larger numbers of species were recorded in running water (Jaroszówka Spring, Supraśl River, 124 and 122 respectively), with fewest (106) in stagnant water at Dojlidy Pond. Thirty-one taxa were recorded for the first time from Poland.

Antioxidant properties were studied from ten submerged cultivated mycelium Basidiomycetes strains of aphyllophoroid mushrooms using the ß-carotene bleaching method and ten strains using DPPH free-radical scavenging assay. Three different solvents: ethanol, water (culture liquid), and ethyl acetate were used for extraction. The yield of extracts from biomasses depended on the mushroom species and solvent used. Water extracts from Stereum hirsutum 524 and Ganoderma lucidum 545 showed high (74 % and 81 %) antioxidant activities (AA) at 2 mg/ml using the ß-carotene bleaching method. When the ethanol extracts were tested, the highest AA were found in Ganoderma lucidum 545, Stereum hirsutum 524, and Trametes versicolor 1013 extracts (77 %, 68 %, and 72 %, respectively) at a concentration of 2 mg/ml. Water and ethanol extracts from Ganoderma lucidum showed the highest scavenging ability (70 % and 56 %, respectively) on 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals at a minimal sample concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. The scavenging capacity of extracts varied from 1 to 85 % depending on the mushroom species, solvent used, and concentration. Inonotus tamaricis and Trametes gibbosa, exerted high scavenging abilities at low-effective concentrations.

Filamentous fungi from Aspergillus niger group were isolated from the hypersaline Dead Sea water 
and the Mediterranean “Evolution Canyon” I, lower Nahal Oren, Mount Carmel. A comparison of growth rates of the strains collected from the Dead Sea and the “European” north- and “African” south-facing slopes of “Evolution Canyon” I, over a range of water activities, was provided. Media adjustments were made with different volumes of Dead Sea water. Strains from all habitats showed optimal growth rates at 5 % of Dead Sea water (a_w 0.983) and ceased growth at 65 % of Dead Sea water (0.785 a_w). However, significant interpopulation growth differences were detected (by the non-parametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov test) at different a_w. Under low salinities (< 15 %), “Evolution Canyon” I strains significantly differ from Dead Sea water strains in distributions of growth rates. Under high salinities (> 40 %), there is the same divergence of “Evolution Canyon” I strains vs. Dead Sea water strains, and some divergence between “African” and “European” slopes appears. “African” slope and “European” slope populations are significantly different in growth rates under 40 % salinity and have a tendency to be different under 45 % and 50 % volumes of Dead Sea water. We conclude that the A. niger group isolated from the Dead Sea water is more resistant, and the “African” slope population has a tendency to be more resistant than the “European” slope to stress associated with low-water activity. We suppose that these patterns are adaptive.

The taxonomic status of Microbotryum species on Silene vulgaris, Lychnis viscaria, and L. alpina is discussed. A new species on Lychnis viscaria, Microbotryum lagerheimii, is described and illustrated.

A new anther smut fungus on Silene uralensis, Microbotryum savilei, is described and illustrated from Canada.

A Puccinia fungus parasitic on cultivated Levisticum officinale was found in various areas of Romania starting in 2000. The fungus is described, illustrated, and identified as Puccinia bornmuelleri, a species previously known from Iran and Afghanistan.

Comatricha suksdorfii is recorded for the first time from Turkey. It has been isolated using the moist chamber technique.

The first Farysia which is not on a Carex, F. unciniae is described on Uncinia multifaria from Chile.

A third Thecaphora species on Androsace, T. pakistanica on A. rotundifolia is described from Pakistan.

Based on evaluation of literature and identification of recent collections, 137 species of lichenized fungi are listed for Golestan National Park, NE Iran; of these, one genus and 14 species are first reports for the country.

This brief note provides information about the first finding in Bulgaria and the southeastern Europe of Lysurus cruciatus, an alien species in this continent. Description is provided upon the Bulgarian sample.

Xylaria filiformis is recorded for the first time from Turkey.

One hundred fifty two taxa belonging to 64 genera are reported from Yaylacık and Yenice Research Forests (Bolu, Karabük, Turkey). Fifty five of 100 taxa are new to the province of Bolu and 107 of 108 taxa are new for the province of Karabük. Buellia schaereri, Caloplaca cretensis, Lichenoconium pyxidatae, and Toninia pennina, are all new records for Turkey. Comments on habitat and substrata are provided for some interesting taxa.

A first checklist of the lichenicolous fungi of Russia is presented, based on all pertinent publications (134 sources) and some unpublished herbarium specimens. The list enumerates 276 species in 97 genera from 285 lichen host species in 102 genera. The knowledge of lichenicolous fungi in various regions of Russia is outlined.

Sigmoid or crescent shaped conidia with acute basal and apical tips, partly resembling those of Anguillospora longissima are being encountered in streams in Hungary over the past two decades. Conidia are generally shorter and wider than those described by Ingold. Some of them are with characteristic rostrated distal part. In one of the streams abundant conidia have been observed on several occasions. But their identity with A. longissima remained questionable. Monoconidial isolations from the cylindrical, thin, long conidia of A. longissima (“longissima”) and the short, wide, rostrate conidia (“rostrate”) collected in the same stream, yielded different cultures. Conidia from strains differed in dimensions and shapes. The “longissima” strain produced exclusively thin, cylindrical-fusoid, “longissima” conidia exactly fitting those described by Ingold. In one of the “rostrate” strains mostly “rostrate” conidia developed. The other “rostrate” strain produced somewhat longer and thinner conidia. However, all of the conidia in both “rostrate” strains, even if some of them overlapped with conidia in the “longissima” strain, could be distinguished by their different degrees in taper. The spatial and temporal distributions of the two types of conidia in Hungary are also discussed.

In the Herbarium of the W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences is housed a significant number of lichen specimens collected in Bulgaria by Janusz Nowak. Among them 22 species of Verrucaria are represented. Seven species are reported here for the first time from this country: V. dolosa, V. funckii, V. halizoa, V. hydrela, V. obfuscans, V. parmigerella, and V. procopii. In addition 15 species are reported with new records for Bulgaria.

A revision of Haradaea alsineae on Stellaria nitens was carried out. A description and illustrations of this species are presented.

Seventeen species of non-lichenized ascomycetes, anamorphic fungi, and rust fungi are reported for the first time from Mt. Strandzha in Bulgaria. Eight species among them are new records for the fungi in Bulgaria.

Five species of strictly nivicolous myxomycetes are reported from two mountain areas in Bulgaria (the Pirin Mts) and Slovenia (the Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe): Diderma alpinum, Diderma niveum, Diderma peyerimhoffii, Lamproderma cribrarioides and Physarum albescens. The records from the South-Eastern Alps provide first data concerning the nivicolous slime moulds in Slovenia. Two of the reported taxa are new for the Bulgarian mountains.

A new smut fungus, Macalpinomyces viridans on Sporobolus actinocladus is described from Australia. It is compared with related species, and a key to the four Macalpinomyces species known on Sporobolus is given.

This paper attempts to compile available data on Turkish myxomycetes published between 1957 and June 2007, and obtained from 51 publications. In the list, all taxa of myxomycetes are given in alphabetical order. The total number of correct species names established for Turkey is 202 and references for each taxon are cited.

Twenty species of non-lichenized ascomycetes are reported from Mt. Strandzha in Turkey. Fifteen of these species are recorded from the Turkish part of this mountain area for the first time.

The “cabbage-head fungus”, Peziza proteana f. sparassoides, is a rare species and yet has been found in northern Israel. Morphological and habitat descriptions, general distribution, illustrations, and taxonomic discussion of P. proteana f. sparassoides are presented in this paper.

A new combination of Ustilago primulae on Primula clusiana in Bauhinus is proposed.