This issue of Mycological Research News features a 21 year study of the occurrence, abundance and timing of macromycete fruit body production in a Swiss forest plot reported on this month.

This part of Mycological Research includes 15 other papers. These examine fruiting times in different genets of two Laccaria species, and report on differences in Microbotryum violaceum from North America and Europe, and also variation in Athelia rolfsii (Sclerotium rolfsii) and S. delphinii found by incompatibility and RAPD analyses. The EAN and NAN races of Ophiostoma novo-ulmi are named as subspecies, and molecular studies suggest that an unnamed Rhizoctonia attacking conifers is an anamorph of Ceratobasidium bicorne.

The effectiveness of surface sterilization methods for plant material is compared, an ELISA method for the quantification of Ulocladium atrum in plant tissues developed, and the efficacy of different storage regimes for Beauveria bassiana assessed. The fungicide oxycarboxin differentially suppresses Hebeloma sinapizans and not Tuber borchii.

A major study of the macrofungi and slime moulds on decaying beech logs uses gradient analysis to discern the effects of different parameters on species found. Different types of oidium formation in Coprinus cinereus strains are also described.

Taxonomic papers in this issue focus on novel marine and freshwater ascomycetes from the tropics, and describe a new gall-forming lichenicolous ascomycete.

The following new scientific names are introduced: Aqualignicola, Brunneosporella and Lichenopyrenis gens. nov.; A. hyalina, B. aquatica, Jobellisia viridifusca, L. galligena, Porosphaerellopsis bipolaris, and Trematosphaeria malaysiana spp. nov.; Ophiostoma novo-ulmi subsp. americana subsp. nov.