Expanding the diversity of<i> Genea</i> Vittad. (Ascomycota, Pezizales) in Türkiye: Morphological and molecular insights into newly recorded species

Despite their ecological significance, the diversity of Genea Vittad. species in T & uuml;rkiye remains underexplored, highlighting the need for further research. The current study aims to expand the known distribution of Genea species in T & uuml;rkiye by integrating morphological and molecular analyses of new collections. Fungal specimens were collected from Edirne and K & imath;rklareli provinces between October and December 2022. Morphological characteristics were documented using light and scanning electron microscopy, and molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted using nrITS (rDNA) sequences to confirm species identity. The studies identified the new Turkish collections as Genea fragrans (Wallroth) Saccardo, Genea pseudobalsleyi Agnello, Bratek & Cabero, Genea pseudoverrucosa Bratek, Konstant. & Van Vooren, and Genea vagans Mattir., each exhibiting over 99% sequence similarity. This study provides the first records of these species in T & uuml;rkiye, offering detailed descriptions of their morphological features, habitats, and phylogenetic placement.