Abstract
Coprinopsis is a genus of fungi characterised by their deliquescent appearance and segregation from other ink-cap genera (e.g., Coprinus and Coprinellus) on molecular phylogenetic grounds. In New Zealand, the last extensive contribution to the genus was in 1983 by Bell prior to the split from the genus Coprinus and prior to the application of molecular phylogenetics to taxonomy and systematics. This demonstrates a significant knowledge gap surrounding the diversity of the Coprinopsis in New Zealand that the current study aims to fill. To achieve that, DNA was sequenced from fruiting bodies collected around New Zealand growing on different substrates such as soil, wood, and dung. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit (LSU), ß-tubulin (TUB), and translation elongation factor (TEF) sequences were concatenated, aligned, and assembled to create the most current and extensive phylogeny of the genus. This analysis contained ninety-nine formally described species and thirty-four phylogenetically distinct clades, including twenty-one species with sequences from New Zealand collections. Of those twenty-one species, six have previously been documented in New Zealand (C. atramentaria (Bull.) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo, C. austrophlyctidospora (Fukiharu), C. lagopus (Fr.) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo, C. nivea (Pers.), C. radiata (Bolton) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo, and C. stercorea (Fr.) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo), nine have not previously been documented (C. candidolanata (Doveri & Uljé) Keirle, Hemmes & Desjardin, C. laanii (Kits. van Wav.), C. mitraespora (Bohus) L. Nagy, Vágvölgyi & Papp, C. ochraceolanata (Bas) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo, C. picacea (Bull.) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo, C. pseudofriesii, C. pseudomarcescibilis (Heykoop, G. Moreno & P. Alvarado), C. sclerotiger (Watling) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo, and C. trispora (Kemp & Watling) Redhead, Vilgalys & Moncalvo.), and six are proposed phylogenetic species (C. lagopus H, C. sp. 13, C. sp. 18, C. sp. 28, C. sp. 30, C. sp. 31). Taxonomic descriptions of all twenty-one species are included.