Species Diversity Within The Helvella Lacunosa Group In China

The Helvella lacunosa is one most common species of the saddle-fungi, and has some certain economic value, but few researchers study its biodiversity, morphology and anatomy, molecular phylogeny, chemical constituents, biogeography and other aspects, and has no relevant reports in China. The research object of this study is the Helvella lacunosa species-complex from China, mainly studies the biodiversity of Helvella lacunosa species-complex in China, and at the same time the new species of the genus Helvella are described and reported. Until late 2015,43 specimens and the corresponding 151 DNA sequences of Helvella lacunosa species-complex were gathered, then the phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the maximum likelihood method and bayesian analysis method to analysis the molecular phylogenetic of these specimens rigorously. On the basis of molecular phylogenetic studies, morphology and anatomy were studied deeply based on field investigation, habitat and ecological data, macroscopic characteristics, and combined with the anatomical lens and microscope, to find the valuable traits of each species within the Helvella lacunosa species-complex and compare with the characteristics in the existing literature and each species within the group, and finally get a preliminary evaluation of biodiversity of Helvella lacunosa species-complex in China. This study had the following conclusions:11 species were gathered based on results of morphological and molecular analysis of these samples, and among them at least nine Chinese species of the Helvella lacunosa species-complex were made clear, and named the new species in Latin: H.confusa, H. lacunose, H. thklacunosa, H. trigona, H. kunmingensis, H. massilacunosa, H. germanlacunosa, H. sublactea and H. sinolacunosa; Determined the H. lacunosa. (L2) as type species in the Helvella lacunosa; Based on results of morphological andmolecular analysis of these samples, four new species were published. They are H. jiuzaigouenesis, H. sublactea, H. pseudolacunosa and H. rugosa, meanwhile, discovered that the 11 species in Helvella lacunosa species-complex were also new species; 9 species’descriptions of morphological characteristics in the group were generated, the two new species of H, trigona. (L4) and H. velikia. (L7) needed further research because of having no morphological and anatomical characteristics; the species H. confusa. (L1) in the group needed to be further studied according to the complicated topology in the phylogenetic analyses. This study will have important practical significance for understanding the biodiversity of Helvella lacunosa species-complex in China, and guiding China’s resources utilization and protection of Helvella lacunosa.