Abstract:
Peniophora proxima Bres. is corticioid fungus belonging to family Peniophoraceae (Basidiomycota). It is easily distinguished by the numerous encrusted cystidia, gloeocystidia and ellipsoid spores. The species is considered a common white rot saprobe restricted only to the Buxus representatives. One of the most popular species of the Old world is Buxus sempervirens L. (European boxwood), native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia. Although the species does not belong to the native flora of Bulgaria, for many years, the European boxwoods have been one of the most popular and widely used landscaping plants, in the form of ornamental shrubs or dense, evergreen hedges in shady places. P. proxima has been reported from different parts of Europe, but it has not been previously reported for Bulgaria. This article reports this new find from three localities in Bulgaria, while providing information about the morphological and ecological features of the species and commenting on the pattern of its distribution.