Cryptoporus densiflorus, sp. nov. (Polyporaceae), from East Asia and a reassessment of species distributions in Cryptoporus.

Cryptoporus densiflorus is a newly identified East Asian species, distinct from C. volvatus, with a confirmed presence in Korea and Japan, and specific to Pinus densiflora.

• Why it matters: Understanding species boundaries and distributions in Cryptoporus is crucial for accurate taxonomy and ecological studies, especially given the historical confusion and limited molecular data from East Asia.
• What they did: Researchers used multilocus phylogenetic analyses of ITS, 28S, 18S, RPB2, and TEF1 sequences, along with species delimitation methods, to clarify the genus's diversity and range.
• The result: The study revealed strong geographic and host-specific structuring among Cryptoporus species, leading to the description of C. densiflorus and a reevaluation of Asian species distributions, improving taxonomic clarity.