Diversity

Fritillaria mardinensis Balos, C. Çeçen, Köse & Sonay sp. nov. (Liliaceae) is described as a new species from Mardin Province, southeastern Türkiye. It is morphologically similar to F. armena and F. zagrica but differs from the related species F. armena and F. zagrica by its longer stem structure, yellowish hairy/striped mosaic pattern at the tepal tips, linear nectary structure, and capsule morphology containing longitudinally dark green striped, winged seeds. Diagnostic characters, description, detailed illustration, geographical distribution, conservation assessment, observations and taxonomic comments regarding the new species are given. ITS sequence data are compatible with the placement of the species in Fritillaria but are uninformative at the species level, as F. mardinensis falls in an unresolved polytomy with F. armena and other congeners; its delimitation therefore rests on morphology.

The long-eared hedgehog, Hemiechinus auritus, has the broadest distribution among Erinaceidae, yet its intraspecific taxonomy remains contentious, with three to six subspecies recognized. We examined the phylogeographic structure of the species across nearly its entire distribution range using two mitochondrial genes (cytb, COI) for 153 specimens from 103 localities, complemented by complete mitogenomes for seven individuals. Phylogenetic reconstructions recovered five deeply divergent, well-supported mitochondrial lineages (p-distances 2–4%): Northern, Eastern, Transcaucasian, South-western and Southern. The Southern lineage, which includes specimens from the type locality of H. a. megalotis, was recovered as the basal branch, whereas the Northern and Eastern lineages formed a derived clade. Demographic analyses indicated recent postglacial expansion in the Northern and Eastern lineages, but not in the Southern and South-western lineages. Species distribution modelling reconstructed Pleistocene range fragmentation during glacial maxima, with divergence among lineages dated to the late Middle and Late Pleistocene. The mitochondrial lineages are partly congruent with the main morphological subspecies, although the status of H. a. megalotis and H. collaris requires further scrutiny. Our results indicate that H. auritus may represent a complex of several divergent lineages, whose evolutionary independence and taxonomic status should be tested with nuclear genomic data.

The truffle genus Genea plays an important role as an ectomycorrhizal fungus, yet its taxonomy, evolutionary relationships, and ecological behaviour remain poorly understood globally. This study describes Genea budensis sp. nov. and reports G. arenaria and G. zamorana for the first time from Hungary, based on morphological examination and phylogenetic analyses of ITS and LSU sequences. The new species Genea budensis sp. nov., found in the Buda Mountains in Hungary, is characterized by a warty, scale-covered surface peridium; spores ornamented with dense, cone-shaped projections, with some of them being blunt-tipped or bud-like in form. This discovery also marks the first documented occurrence of both Genea zamorana and G. arenaria within Hungary. These findings expand the documented diversity and geographic distribution of Genea in Hungary and provide additional morphological and molecular data for future taxonomic studies of the genus.