This issue of Mycological Research News features: Sudden oak death: Phytophthora ramorum exhibits transatlantic differences; and Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum amongst top ‘herbal’ medicines. An obituary of John Calhoun (1913–2002) is also included.

Papers in this part report on fungicide-resistant genes in Beaveria bassiana, and the transformation of Coniothyrium minitans. Molecular phlylogenetic studies reveal additional species in the Phytophthora gonapodyides–P. megasperma complex, establish the identities of Armillaria species in Zimbabwe, and analyze Didymella bryoniae isolates worldwide. Conditions affecting indole-3-acetic acid production in Lentinus sojar-caju have also been explored.

Endophytes reduce the density of rust pustules of Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici in wheat. Thinning of Scots pine stands is shown to have little effect on the ectomycorrhizal species fruiting over 16 yr, and the strategies adopted by two Armillaria species in Norway spruce stump colonization have been compared.

Molecular data justifies the recognition of a new family and previously little-known generic name in Mucorales for the Mortierella isabellina group. Several new species of Mycosphaerella are reported on from Eucalyptus in Australia, and of Anthostomella on fynbos vegetation in South Africa. A new Lewia with an Alternaria anamorph on wheat in Norway has also been found.

The following new scientific names are introduced in this part: Umbelopsidaceae fam. nov.; Anthostomella brabeji, A. cynaroides, A. leucosperma, A. proteae, Lewia avenicola, Mycosphaerella ambiphylla, and M. aurantia spp. nov.; Umbelopsis autotrophica (syn. Mortierella ramanniana var. autotrophica), U. isabellina (syn. Mortierella isabellina), and U. ramanniana (syn. Mucor ramannianus) combs. nov.