Taxonomic Re-Evaluation of the Genus <i>Fuscoporia</i> in the Republic of Korea Including Three Unrecorded Species

The genus <i>Fuscoporia</i> (<i>Hymenochaetaceae</i>, <i>Basidiomycota</i>) comprises poroid white-rot fungi characterized by dark brown hymenial setae, a dimitic hyphal system, and encrusted generative hyphae. Despite the ecological and commercial significance of <i>Fuscoporia</i> species, their identification has been challenging owing to their morphological overlap with other genera of <i>Hymenochaetaceae</i> and to the limited resolution of nuclear ribosomal DNA markers. With the advances in molecular research, <i>Fuscoporia</i> has been revised to include species from <i>Inonotus</i> sensu lato and <i>Phellinus</i> sensu lato, and 71 new species have been reported over the past decade. In Korea, a comprehensive taxonomic study elucidating the true diversity of <i>Fuscoporia</i> is yet to be conducted. Among the 11 <i>Fuscoporia</i> species reported in Korea, two were identified solely based on morphological characteristics, and four were identified based on nuclear ribosomal DNA regions, which have limited resolution for species identification in <i>Fuscoporia</i>. To investigate the current status of <i>Fuscoporia</i> species native to Korea, we conducted a phylogenetic study using four genetic markers (ITS + nrLSU + <i>RPB2</i> + <i>TEF1</i>), along with morphological characteristics, and re-analyzed the GenBank records deposited from Korea. Ten <i>Fuscoporia</i> species were identified, including three previously unrecorded species. A detailed description of the unrecorded species and a list of proposed Korean names for all <i>Fuscoporia</i> species in Korea are provided. This study will guide further taxonomic and applied research of <i>Fuscoporia</i> by providing a species identification key and a verified multigenetic database, in addition to confirming the sequences in public database.