Sphaerocreas pubescens is a member of the Mucoromycotina closely related to fungi associated with liverworts and hornworts

• The phylogenetic position of Sphaerocreas pubescens was investigated.
• The results indicated that this species is a member of Mucoromycotina.
• This species was most closely related to unknown Mucoromycotina detected from liverworts and hornworts.

The phylogenetic position of Sphaerocreas pubescens was investigated. Three isolates and ten sporocarps sampled in Japan were analyzed phylogenetically using 18S rRNA gene sequences. The results indicated that S. pubescens is a member of Mucoromycotina. It formed an independent clade separated from the other known orders of this subphylum and it is closely related to the uncultured and unidentified Mucoromycotinan fungi recently reported as environmental DNAs in liverworts and hornworts.