This month Mycological Research News features recent work on the advance of the daisy rust Puccinia distincta in the UK, questions whether hyphae should be viewed as eusocial, draws attention to work showing that fertilization with AM-fungi may promote desirable grass species, and introduces a freely accessible index of 340 K names of fungi now available on-line. The untimely death of one of Mycological Research's editors, David A. Wood, is also reported.

Amongst topics covered by the 16 research papers in this issue are PCR-based techniques for the detection of Fusarium oxysporum and Gremmeniella abietina. Tuber dryophilum shares a specific protein with T. borchii. Toxic ephrapectins occur in Tolypocladium species; the extracellular enzymes of Trichoderma strains able to grow at 5 °C are examined; nutrients favouring oxalic acid production in Aspergillus niger have been studied; and the branching of Neurospora crassa hyphae is predictive on rapid falls in temperature. Elegant colour and ultrastructural studies on the extracellular matrix of Bipolaris sorokiniana are presented. In addition to documentation of the daisy rust spread, the life-history of Chrysomyxa woroninii is elucidated and the success of Lophodermium pinastri along an altitudinal gradient discussed.

The growth of fungal partners from different lichens is compared, and cell wall polysaccharides are shown to be of taxonomic value in Fusarium and Gibberella.

Systematic papers include ones on Pyrenopezia betulicola, and microfungi on Proteaceae. New scientific names introduced are: Kabatiella proteae, Lembosia proteae, Mycosphaerella stromatosa, Perennipora najenshana, Phloeosporella protearum, Pseudocercospora stromatosa, Septoria grandicipis, Stilbospora proteae, Teratosphaeria microsporum, Trimmatostroma microsporum, and T. elginense spp. nov.; and Diplotomma rivasmartinezii (syn. Buellia rivasmartinezii) comb. nov.