Unveiling Species Diversity within Early-Diverging Fungi from China IX: Four New Species of <em>Mucor</em> (Mucoromycota)

Mucor species are fast-growing filamentous fungi, widespread in natural ecosystems. As opportunistic pathogens, some species can cause mucormycoses in humans and animals, while others hold significant economic value in food fermentation and bioengineering. In this study, four novel species were identified from soil samples collected in Xizang and Yunnan, China, based on molecular data, morphological characteristics, and maximum growth temperatures. These novel species are characterized as M. globosporus sp. nov. producing globose chlamydospores, M. inflatus sp. nov. distinguished by swelling in the sporangiophores, M. polymorphus sp. nov. differentiated by polymorphic chlamydospores, and M. xizangensis sp. nov. featuring its collection in Xizang Autonomous Region. Comprehensive descriptions of each novel taxon are presented herein, encompassing fungal nomenclature registration codes, morphological characterization, micrographic illustrations, designated type specimens, etymological elucidation, maximum growth temperature parameters, and taxonomic comparative analyses. This study constitutes the ninth installment in an ongoing series elucidating early-diverging fungal diversity in China, expanding the understanding of the phylogeny of Mucor fungi and extending the worldwide number of known Mucor species to 137.