Abstract

None of Cordyceps (Clavicitaceae, Sphaeriales, Pyrenomycetes, Ascomycotina) has been recorded from Taiwan up to date. Therefore, it is suspected that two distribution centers of Cordyceps in Asia, one in the equatorial tropic and the other in temperate Japan, may not be linked at Taiwan. To answer this question, the flora of genus Cordyceps in Taiwan has been studied through the wide range field survey since 1976. Up to this time, in total 16 species including 9 species of world new record have been discovered. The rest of 7 species are all new record to Taiwan flora, therefore, they are briefly described and their geographic distribution in Taiwan and Asia are discussed. The seven species of entomogenous Cordyceps are C. dipterigena Berk & Br., C. gryllotalpae Lloyd, C. militaris (Fr.) Link, C. myrmecophila Ces., C. nutans Pat., C. takaomontana Yakusiji & Kumazawa, and C. tuberculata (Leb.) Marine. Among them, C. tuberculata is cosmopolitan. C. dipterigena is a tropical species and Taiwan is the northern extremity of distribution in Asia. C. militaris is a subarctic-temperate species and was discovered from the high mountain zone of altitude about 2,000 m of the northern Taiwan, Thus, Taiwan is the southern extremity of its distribution. Both C. gryllotalpae and C. myrmecophila are endemic of the temperate Japan and Korea. They were discovered from the forest of about 1,250 m altitude of the central Taiwan and their southern extremity are also in Taiwan. Both C nutans and C. myrmecophila are the tropic-temperate species and their populated presence in Taiwan suggested the close affinity between Taiwan flora and the tropic-temperate Asia continent. The hypothesis is proposed to announce the key stone value of Taiwan in the biogeographic distribution of Cordyceps in Asia. 'Both temperate and tropical species of Cordyceps may be joined at the central part of Taiwan approximately between the Tropic of Cancer and the 24 degree of the nothern hemisphere. In other words, two distribution centers of Cordyceps in Asia are linked at Taiwan.'