Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Ecological Assessment of the Truffle Genus Genea in Central Europe with a New Species and a New Record

Hypogeous ascomycetous fungi (truffles) are challenging to study because they produce underground sporocarps that may not be encountered during traditional fungal surveys. Genea is one such genus that has garnered considerable attention over the past decades due to its role as an ectomycorrhizal partner and contribution to nutrient cycling and ecosystem stability. Yet, very limited information is available about its taxonomy, phylogeny and ecology worldwide. The current study aims to expand the known distribution of Genea species in Central Europe by integrating morphological, molecular and ecological analyses of new collections as well as the assessment of herbarium materials. Light microscopy and SEM were used to determine morphological characteristics along with FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy measurements, which proved to be a powerful tool for species differentiation. Molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) and D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (28S) of nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences to confirm species identity. In this study, a new species, Genea szemereiensis, along with the first report of Genea pinicola from Hungary, was made. In addition, the ecological parameters of the species, including habitat, altitude, soil nutrients and pH, were revised, which has not been reported previously in detail for this genus.