Fungi are unique; they straddle the macroscopic and microscopic worlds, span different ecological guilds, and connect nutrient flows from production to decomposition. Interacting with the food chain at most levels, their importance should not be underestimated. I am mainly interested in ectomycorrhizal fungi; in most ecosystems worldwide, they are central in ecosystem functioning and essential to maintain a healthy balance. Their hyphae are entangled in a tight mutualism with tree roots, facilitating plant water and nutrient uptake. My favourite genus: Russula!
Research interests:
My research delves into the fascinating world of fungi, focusing on their incredible diversity, ecology, and conservation. I am deeply passionate about fungal taxonomy, uncovering and describing new species while advancing our understanding of their evolutionary relationships. Recognizing their ecological importance, I am committed to conserving fungi and safeguarding their critical roles in ecosystems amid growing environmental challenges.
My primary focus is on ectomycorrhizal fungi, particularly the Russulaceae family, with a specialization in the genus Russula. One of the most abundant and species-rich ectomycorrhizal lineages. My research employs an integrative approach—combining molecular techniques, phylogenetic reconstruction, morphological analyses, and ecological data—to investigate the taxonomy of these groups. Through my work, I aim to enhance our knowledge of fungi and contribute to the broader appreciation and conservation of fungal diversity.
Research projects:
Flora Agaricina Neerlandica – Volume 9: Russula
I am currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Netherlands), within the Understanding Evolution group, contributing to the next volume of the Flora Agaricina Neerlandica. This project focuses on the taxonomy of the genus Russula, one of the most diverse and ecologically important groups of ectomycorrhizal fungi.
The Flora Agaricina Neerlandica is a leading critical reference series for agaric fungi in Northwestern Europe, integrating classical taxonomy with modern molecular insights. My work aims to refine species concepts and provide an authoritative treatment of Russula.
This research is carried out in close collaboration with an international network of Russula specialists, including both academic and non-academic experts, and is supported by the Stichting dr. E. Kits van Waveren Fonds.
FunDive: Monitoring and Mapping Fungal Diversity for Conservation
From November 2024 to October 2025, I was involved in the FunDive project at the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart (Germany), a European initiative (Biodiversa+ funded) aimed at improving the monitoring and conservation of fungal biodiversity. By combining taxonomy, molecular tools, and citizen science, FunDive works to better integrate fungi into biodiversity research and conservation frameworks.
Within the project, I contributed to three main work packages:
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WP1: Fungal taxonomy and DNA barcoding
My primary focus was on sequencing type specimens from German fungaria, linking species names to DNA barcodes and to Species Hypotheses in the UNITE database. This work helps to resolve taxonomic inconsistencies and provides a robust framework for fungal identification and biodiversity research.
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WP3: Citizen science
I was involved in coordinating the contributions of German citizen scientists and supporting European collaboration efforts. This includes organizing targeted sampling campaigns, contributing to epitypification efforts, and integrating DNA barcoding into citizen science workflows.
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WP4: Environmental DNA (eDNA)
I contributed to fieldwork in Germany within a large European sampling scheme using eDNA metabarcoding to characterize fungal communities. This work compares molecular and traditional approaches to improve methods for fungal monitoring and conservation.
Through my work in FunDive, I contributed to integrating taxonomy, molecular ecology, and citizen science into a unified framework for fungal biodiversity research. This interdisciplinary approach is essential for improving our understanding of fungal diversity and for ensuring that fungi are effectively included in future conservation strategies.
From species delimitation to hypothesis testing: a revision of the European black and white russulas
Russula is among most abundant and species rich ectomycorrhizal fungal lineages, consisting mainly of agaric mushrooms, recognisable by their often brightly coloured cap contrasted with a pale stipe and lamellae, brittle flesh and absence of milk. Outsiders in this colourful genus are found in Russula subgenus Compactae and R. subg. Brevipedum, once grouped together in the same subgenus based on similar morphological features such as their often dull colours, large compact basidiomata, and abundance of lamellulae. The species in R. subg. Compactae are further characterised by their brown colours, blackening flesh (sometimes with intermediate red discolouration), spores without amyloid suprahilar spot and low reticulate ornamentation. The species in R. subg. Brevipedum, on the other hand, have whitish colours and show remarkably little macromorphological variability.
For both subgenera, morphological species delimitations were often simple and mainly based on lamellae spacing and spore ornamentation. Preliminary sequencing results from RG Mycology (Ghent University) showed that the genetic variation in these subgenera is larger than expected, suggesting higher diversity than known today. Our aim is to investigate the taxonomic status of the species within these subgenera, using molecular techniques, phylogenetic reconstruction, morphological analyses and ecological data.
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Other:
I developed a double staining protocol that allows both rapid spore detection at low magnification (×100) and spore ornamentation observation at high magnification (×1000).
Recorded presentation:
Autumn Open Meeting 2021: The World of Fungi (British Mycological Society)
Publications:
Marxmüller H., Hampe F., Temmerman I., De Lange R., Verbeken A. & Kleine J. (2025). Russula subpallidospora sp. nov. – an uncommon, cream-spored milk-white brittlegill species. ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR MYKOLOGIE, 91(2): 295–318.
Cao B., Phurbu D., Ralaiveloarisoa A., Liimatainen K., Niskanen T., Ramírez-Cruz V., Bradshaw A.J., Dentinger B.T.M., Ramírez-Guillén F., Cortés-Pérez A., et al. (2025). Fungal diversity notes 1919–2016: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal taxa. FUNGAL DIVERSITY, 132: 425–651. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-025-00556-z
Hyde K.D., Noorabadi M.T., Thiyagaraja V., He M.Q., Johnston P.R., Wijesinghe S.N., Armand A., Biketova A.Y., Chethana K.W.T., Erdoğdu M., et al. (2024). The 2024 Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa. MYCOSPHERE, 15(1): 5146–6239. http://dx.doi.org/10.5943/mycosphere/15/1/25
He M.Q., Cao B., Liu F., Boekhout T., Denchev T.T., Schoutteten N., Denchev C.M., Kemler M., Gorjón S.P., Begerow D., et al. (2024). Phylogenomics, divergence times and notes of orders in Basidiomycota. FUNGAL DIVERSITY, 126(1): 127–406. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-024-00535-w
Haelewaters D., Quandt A.C., Bartrop L., Cazabonne J., Crockatt M.E., Cunha S.P., De Lange R., Dominici L., Douglas B., Drechsler-Santos E.R., et al. (2024).The power of citizen science to advance fungal conservation. CONSERVATION LETTERS, e13013. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13013
Mortier L., Haelewaters D., Asselman P., De Lange R., Kuyper T.W. & Verbeken A. (2024). Simocybe ramosa, a new species from the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. NORTHEASTERN NATURALIST, 31(1): 92–109. https://doi.org/10.1656/045.031.0108
Hyde K.D., Abdel-Wahab M.A., Abdollahzadeh J., Abeywickrama P.D., Absalan S., Afshari N., Ainsworth A.M., Akulov O.Y., Aleoshin V.V., Al-Sadi A.M., et al. (2023). Global consortium for the classification of fungi and fungus-like taxa. MYCOSPHERE, 14(1): 1960–2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.5943/mycosphere/14/1/23
De Lange R., Kleine J., Hampe F., Asselman P., Manz C., De Crop E., Delgat L., Adamčík S. & Verbeken A. (2023). Stop black and white thinking: Russula subgenus Compactae (Russulaceae, Russulales) in Europe revised. PERSOONIA, 51: 152–193. https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.04
Boeraeve M., Leroux O., De lange R., Verbeken A., & Jacquemyn H. (2021). The effect of surrounding vegetation on the mycorrhizal fungal communities of the temperate tree Crataegus monogyna Jacq. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffunb.2021.741813
De Lange R., Adamčík S., Adamčíkova K., Asselman P., Borovička J., Delgat L., Hampe F. & Verbeken A. (2021). Enlightening the black and white: species delimitation and UNITE species hypothesis testing in the Russula albonigra species complex. IMA FUNGUS, 12, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43008-021-00064-0
Malysheva V., Spirin V., Schoutteten N., De Lange R., Pennanen J. & Larsson K.-H. (2020). New and noteworthy species of Helicogloea (Atractiellomycetes, Basidiomycota) from Europe. ANNALES BOTANICI FENNICI, 57(1–3): 1–7. https://doi.org/10.5735/085.057.0101
De Crop E., Lescroart J., Njouonkou A.-L., De Lange R., Van de Putte K. & Verbeken A. (2019). Lactifluus bicapillus (Russulales, Russulaceae), a new species from the Guineo-Congolian rainforest. MYCOKEYS, (45): 25–39. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.45.29964
Delgat L., Dierickx G., De Wilde S., Angelini C., De Crop E., De Lange R., Halling R., Manz C., Nuytinck J. & Verbeken A. (2019). Looks can be deceiving : the deceptive milkcaps (Lactifluus, Russulaceae) exhibit low morphological variance but harbour high genetic diversity. IMA FUNGUS, 10, 14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s43008-019-0017-3
Adamčík S., Looney B., Cabon M., Jancovicova S., Adamčíkova K., Avis P.G., Barajas M., Bhatt R.P., Corrales A., Das K., et al. (2019). The quest for a globally comprehensible Russula language. FUNGAL DIVERSITY, 99(1): 369–449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13225-019-00437-2
Zamora J.C., Svensson M., Kirschner R., Olariaga I., Ryman S., Alberto Parra L., Geml J., Rosling A., Adamčík S., Ahti T., et al. (2018). Considerations and consequences of allowing DNA sequence data as types of fungal taxa. IMA FUNGUS, 9(1): 167–175. http://dx.doi.org/10.5598/imafungus.2018.09.01.10
De Lange R., De Crop E., Delgat L., Tibuhwa D., Baribwegure D. & Verbeken A. (2018). Lactifluus kigomaensis and L. subkigomaensis : two look-alikes in Tanzania. MYCOSCIENCE, 59(5): 371–378. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.myc.2018.02.004