Wulingshen, the massive <i>Xylaria</i> sclerotia used as traditional Chinese medicine, is produced by multiple species

Wulingshen, massive <i>Xylaria</i> sclerotia, was originally reported from Chengdu Plain in western Sichuan of China for medicinal application. <i>Xylaria nigripes</i> is commonly connected to these massive sclerotia produced within abandoned underground macrotermitine termite nests. We sequenced 54 Wulingshen samples procured from traditional Chinese medicine markets in Chengdu Plain and connected them to six different <i>Xylaria</i> species: <i>X. nigripes, X. subescharoidea</i>, two species newly described herein—<i>X. neonigripes</i> and <i>X. rogersionigripes</i>, and two species that are known only as sclerotia thus far. Only teleomorphs of <i>X. subescharoidea</i> and <i>X. rogersionigripes</i> have been collected in Chengdu Plain thus far. In Taiwan, teleomorphs of four of the six species, except for the two only known in sclerotial form, have been collected, and their cultures were obtained; we thus designate the holotypes of <i>X. neonigripes</i> and <i>X. rogersionigripes</i> on the basis of Taiwan specimens. During the collecting activities carried out in Chengdu Plain, a <i>Xylaria</i> species, which is newly described as <i>X. mianyangensis</i> herein, was also collected from termite nests but lacks a known connection to Wulingshen.