sp. nov., a Symbiotic Species from China Associated with the Seed Germination of .

, a new taxon in sect. that can strongly enhance the germination efficiency of seeds, was discovered in subtropical areas of China. As revealed by a morphological comparison with related species as well as maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the large subunit (LSU) regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA, the new taxon can be distinguished from phenotypically similar and phylogenetically related species. Optimal cultural conditions for . basidiomata are reported, and the germination rate of the new species is compared with that of . .