Pseudophaeocytostroma bambusicola gen. et sp. nov. (Diaporthaceae) from bamboo in Yunnan, P.R. China

Phaeocytostroma species (Diaporthaceae, Diaporthales, Sordariomycetes) are mainly associated with grasses (Poaceae) and are considered important pathogens of maize and sugarcane. In the present study, a phaeocytostroma-like taxon was collected from bamboo culms in Yunnan, China and characterized using morphological and multigene phylogenetic analyses. The fungus was characterized by uni- to bi-locular conidiomata, papillate ostioles, septate, filiform paraphyses and brown, oblong to ellipsoid, aseptate, conidia, with obtuse ends. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from the combined dataset of ITS, LSU, and TEF1-α regions showed that the phaeocytostroma-like taxon constituted an independent lineage clustered with P. sacchari distant from Phaeocytostroma sensu stricto. Hence, the novel genus Pseudophaeocytostroma is introduced to accommodate the new species Ps. bambusicola. Pseudophaeocytostroma bambusicola clustered with P. sacchari strains CBS 275.34, km-1, UMICH-1, 135 in the present phylogenetic analyses. However, these strains are not the ex-type strains of P. sacchari and some of them lack morphological descriptions and remain unpublished. Therefore, we treat these strains as Ps. “sacchari” herein until the type strain of P. sacchari is verified. The pairwise nucleotide comparison of ITS and TEF1-α sequence data and a pairwise homoplasy index test between Ps. bambusicola and Ps. “sacchari” provided further evidence to support Ps. bambusicola as a distinct species. The morphological characteristics and phylogenetic relationship of Ps. bambusicola and other related Phaeocytostroma species are also compared and discussed.

Taxonomic Novelties of Woody Litter Fungi (Didymosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales) from the Greater Mekong Subregion

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is known as a diverse geographic landscape and one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world with a high fungal diversity. Collections were carried out in terrestrial habitats to determine the diversity of woody litter fungi in the GMS, with an emphasis on northern Thailand and the Yunnan Province of China. Morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses of combined SSU, LSU, ITS, and tef1-α supported the placement of the new isolates in the family Didymosphaeriaceae. The phylogenetic affinities of our isolates are illustrated through maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses. Seven species of woody litter fungi were identified, comprising a new monotypic genus, Septofusispora; five novel species (Chromolaenicola sapindi, Dictyoarthrinium thailandicum, Karstenula lancangensis, Septofusispora thailandica, and Spegazzinia jinghaensis); and new host records of two species (Austropleospora archidendri, and Montagnula donacina). Furthermore, this study provides a synopsis of the Montagnula aff. donacina species based on their morphological characteristics, which can be useful in the species-level identifications in this genus.

Honghemyces pterolobii, gen. et sp. nov. (Bezerromycetaceae, Tubeufiales), a new ascomycetous fungus from Pterolobium macropterum in Honghe, China

This study introduces the new genus Honghemyces in the family Bezerromycetaceae (Tubeufiales) based on morphological features and multi-locus (ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1-α and rpb2) phylogenetic analyses. This fungus was found on dead twigs of Pterolobium macropterum (Fabaceae) during an expedition to Honghe County in China. Phylogenetically, Honghemyces and Bezerromyces are related genera in Bezerromycetaceae. Honghemyces pterolobii is morphologically characterised by the production of semi-immersed to superficial, subglobose and glabrous ascomata, clavate, short pedicellate asci with a minute ocular chamber, ellipsoidal, hyaline and three-septate ascospores and globose to subglobose chlamydospores forming a chain of a torulose-like structure.

New host and geographical records of Rhytidhysteron in northern Thailand, and species synonymization

During a survey of micro-fungi in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, fruiting bodies of Rhytidhysteron growing on dead twigs of several host plants were collected. Phylogenetic analyses of a combined LSU, ITS, SSU, and TEF1 sequence data along with morphological characteristics, were used to identify the new collections as R. bruguierae, R. neorufulum and R. subrufulum which were collected from Murraya paniculata, Rosa × damascena, and Prunus sp., respectively. These Rhytidhysteron species are reported herein from these hosts for the first time. Interestingly, R. subrufulum is the first geographical record of this species from Thailand, which extends knowledge of the geographic range of this species. In addition, we synonymize R. erioi under R. bruguierae and R. mengziense under R. ligustrum based on phylogenetic analyses and morphology.

Additions to the Inventory of the Genus Alternaria Section Alternaria (Pleosporaceae, Pleosporales) in Italy

The genus Alternaria is comprised of well-known plant pathogens causing various important diseases in plants, as well as being common allergens in animals and humans. Species of Alternaria can be found as saprobes associated with various dead plant materials. This research aims to enhance the taxonomy of saprobic species in the genus Alternaria found on grasses and herbaceous plants from Italy, based on multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of a concatenated ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1-α, rpb2, gapdh and Alt-a1 DNA sequence dataset combined with morphological characteristics. Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses demonstrated six novel species belonging to the genus Alternaria sect. Alternaria as: A. muriformispora sp. nov., A. obpyriconidia sp. nov., A. ovoidea sp. nov., A. pseudoinfectoria sp. nov., A. rostroconidia sp. nov. and A. torilis sp. nov. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations and an updated phylogenetic relationship of taxa in the genus Alternaria sect. Alternaria are provided herein.

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