Taxonomic circumscription and phylogenetics of novel didymellaceous taxa with brown muriform spores

Sexual morph of didymellaceous taxa are characterized by their ascomata with relatively thin peridium,cylindric-clavate to clavate,short-pedicellate or apedicellate asci,hyaline to brown,1-septate to muriform ascospores.Its asexual morphs are coelomycetous and comprising pycnidial or acervulus conidiomata,phialidic,hyaline conidiogenous cells and hyaline or pale brown,septate or aseptate conidia.The majority of these cosmopolitan species are plant associated fungi which can be pathogens on a wide range of hosts and some species are of particular relevance for quarantine measures.Recent studies have significantly improved the taxonomy and systematics of didymellaceous taxa based on molecular phylogenetics.In contrast to the accurate and detailed studies on the asexual morphs which are common obligate pathogens,information on their usually saprobic sexual morphs is still limited.Among these phenotypically diverse species,spore characteristics are quite unique as most have hyaline spores with 0-1 septum,while only Neomicrosphaeropsis and Didymellocamarosporium are reported as producing pigmented,muriform spores.These dematiaceous muriform spores are characteristic of a considerable number of species that may be quite divergent in other characters.During taxonomic investigations on the diversity of didymellaceous taxa,we have isolated species from Alhagi pseudalhagi,Coronilla emerus,Cytisus sp.,Elaeagnus angustifolia and Spartium junceum in Italy,Russia and Uzbekistan.A comprehensive phylogeny,based on four loci(ITS,LSU,rpb2 and tub2)is used to infer species relationships.Comprehensive morphological descriptions and in-depth phylogenetic investigations of five new species viz.Ascochyta coronillae-emeri,Microsphaeropsis spartii-juncei,Neomicrosphaeropsis alhagi-pseudalhagi,N.cytisicola and N.elaeagni are presented.

Contributions to the family Ascobolaceae of India

The present paper provides a checklist of reported species from genera Ascobolus Pers.and Saccobolus Boud.in India with one additional first record from India,Saccobolus depauperatus.In addition,A.brassicae,A.furfuraceus,A.foliicola,A.saccharifereus,Saccobolus depauperatus and S.glaber are reported for the first time from Kashmir,India and descriptions and photomicroplates of all said species are provided for their easy identification.

Natarajania thailandica sp.nov.(Stilbosporaceae,Diaporthales)from Thailand

A fungus similar to the monotypic genus Natarajania,isolated from dead wood and collected in Thailand,is reported.Analysis of partial ribosomal LSU and a protein coding gene(RPB2)demonstrated that the new isolate belonged to Stilbosporaceae,Diaporthales and genetically different from N.indica.It is unique in producing synnematous conidiophores,smooth-walled conidiogenous cells and a flared collarette but lacks an elongated collar-canal which is distinct in the type species.Therefore,sequence data and morphological traits are used to introduce the new species,Natarajania thailandica.

Fungal diversity notes 840–928:micro-fungi associated with Pandanaceae

This paper provides illustrated descriptions of micro-fungi newly found on Pandanaceae in China and Thailand.The fungi are accommodated in 31 families.New taxa described include a new family,seven new genera,65 new species,16 previously known species.A new family:Malaysiascaceae(Glomerellales).New genera are Acremoniisimulans(Plec-tosphaerellaceae),Pandanaceomyces,Pseudoachroiostachy(Nectriaceae),Pseudohyaloseta(Niessliaceae),Pseudoor-natispora(Stachybotriaceae)and Yunnanomyces(Sympoventuriaceae).New species are Acremoniisimulans thailandensis,Beltrania krabiensis,Beltraniella pandanicola,B.thailandicus,Canalisporium krabiense,C.thailandensis,Clonostachys krabiensis,Curvularia chonburiensis,C.pandanicola,C.thailandicum,C.xishuangbannaensis,Cylindrocladiella xishuangbannaensis,Dictyochaeta pandanicola,Dictyocheirospora nabanheensis,D.pandanicola,D.xishuangbannaen-sis,Dictyosporium appendiculatum,Di.guttulatum,Di.hongkongensis,Di.krabiense,Di.pandanicola,Distoseptispora thailandica,D.xishuangbannaensis,Helicoma freycinetiae,Hermatomyces biconisporus,Lasiodiplodia chonburiensis,L.pandanicola,Lasionectria krabiense,Menisporopsis pandanicola,Montagnula krabiensis,Musicillium pandanicola,Neofusicoccum pandanicola,Neohelicomyces pandanicola,Neooccultibambusa thailandensis,Neopestalotiopsis chiang-maiensis,N.pandanicola,N.phangngaensis,Pandanaceomyces krabiensis,Paracylindrocarpon nabanheensis,P.pan-danicola,P.xishuangbannaensis,Parasarcopodium hongkongensis,Pestalotiopsis krabiensis,P.pandanicola,Polyplosphaeria nabanheensis,P.pandanicola,P.xishuangbannaensis,Pseudoachroiostachys krabiense,Pseu-doberkleasmium pandanicola,Pseudochaetosphaeronema pandanicola,Pseudohyaloseta pandanicola,Pseudoornatispora krabiense,Pseudopithomyces pandanicola,Rostriconidium pandanicola,Sirastachys phangngaensis,Stictis pandanicola,Terriera pandanicola,Thozetella pandanicola,Tubeufia freycinetiae,T.parvispora,T.pandanicola,Vermiculariopsiella hongkongensis,Volutella krabiense,V.thailandensis and Yunnanomyces pandanicola.Previous studies of micro-fungi on Pandanaceae have not included phylogenetic support.Inspiration for this study came from the book Fungi Associated with Pandanaceae by Whitton,McKenzie and Hyde in 2012.Both studies reveal that the micro-fungi on Pandanaceae is particularly rich in hyphomycetes.All data presented herein are based on morphological examination of specimens,coupled with phylogenetic sequence data to better integrate taxa into appropriate taxonomic ranks and infer their evolu-tionary relationships.

A multi-locus backbone tree for Pestalotiopsis, with a polyphasic characterization of 14 new species

Pestalotiopsis is a taxonomically confused,pathogenic and chemically creative genus requiring a critical reexamination using a multi-gene phylogeny based on ex-type and ex-epitype cultures.In this study 40 isolates of Pestalotiopsis,comprised of 28 strains collected from living and dead plant material of various host plants from China were studied by means of morphology and analysis of ITS,β–tubulin and tef1 gene sequence data.Based on molecular and morphological data we describe 14 new species(Pestalotiopsis asiatica,P.chinensis,P.chrysea,P.clavata,P.diversiseta,P.ellipsospora,P.inflexa,P.intermedia,P.linearis,P.rosea,P.saprophyta,P.umberspora,P.unicolor and P.verruculosa)and three species are epitypified(P.adusta,P.clavispora and P.foedans).Of the 10 gene regions(ACT,β-tubulin,CAL,GPDH,GS,ITS,LSU,RPB 1,SSU and tef1)utilized to resolve cryptic Pestalotiopsis species,ITS,β–tubulin and tef1 proved to be the better markers.The other gene regions were less useful due to poor success in PCR amplification and/or in their ability to resolve species boundaries.As a single gene tef1 met the requirements for an ideal candidate and functions well for species delimitation due to its better species resolution and PCR success.Althoughβ-tubulin showed fairly good differences among species,a combination of ITS,β-tubulin and tef1 gene data gave the best resolution as compared to single gene analysis.This work provides a backbone tree for 22 ex-type/epitypified species of Pestalotiopsis and can be used in future studies of the genus.

Evolution of non‑lichenized,saprotrophic species of Arthonia(Ascomycota,Arthoniales)and resurrection of Naevia,with notes on Mycoporum

Fungi that are barely lichenized or non-lichenized and closely related to lichenized taxa,the so-called borderline fungi,are an important element in reconstructing the evolutionary history of lichenized lineages.Arthoniaceae is a prime example including non-lichenized,saprotrophic lineages which potentially were precursors to lichenized taxa.In this study,we focused on saprotrophic species of Arthonia sensu lato,including new sequence data for Arthonia pinastri.We obtained fresh material of this taxon from a living branch of Fraxinus ornus in Italy to assess its taxonomic status and to elucidate its phylogenetic relationships within Arthonia.Thin sections of the thallus and ascomata of A.pinastri confirmed the absence of a photobiont.Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of combined mtSSU,nuLSU and RPB2 sequence data placed the species close to A.dispersa(barely lichenized or non-lichenized)and A.punctiformis(non-lichenized)in a clade closely related to Arthonia sensu stricto,and the A.pinastri clade is here resurrected under the name Naevia.Ancestral character state analysis within a broader context of Arthoniales does not support the saprotrophic lifestyle to be a plesiomorphic feature,but suggests loss of lichenization in Naevia,as well as loss and possible regain in a second clade containing saprotrophic species and including taxa resembling Mycoporum,underlining the evolutionary plasticity of Arthoniales.These two clades constitute model taxa to further investigate the evolution of alternative biological lifestyles within the context of chiefly lichenized taxa.

Uncovering the hidden taxonomic diversity of fungi in Oman

Hot desert regions are undoubtedly challenging to fungal survival on the Arabian Peninsula.Fungi are,however,recognized as the most stress-resistant organisms among all eukaryotes,which could be a result of the rapid evolution of distinct species.Our current understanding of these microorganisms is derived from studies examining only a fraction of the overall fungal diversity.Therefore,further studies are needed to understand the diversity of fungi in desert regions.This paper highlights the taxonomy of several unusual fungal genera collected in a range of aquatic and terrestrial environments in Oman.These taxa were identified based on phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal DNA(rDNA)(LSU,SSU and ITS)and protein-coding genes(TEF,RPB2 and TUB),plus morphological comparisons.Phylogenetic analyses,including the presently recognized genera in Patellariales resulted in splitting the order into four clades in Dothideomycetes.The new family Holmiellaceae and new order Holmiellales are introduced to include Holmiella.Species of Homortomycetaceae form a well-supported and distinct clade and raise it to Homortomycetales ordo novus.Omania(Halojulellaceae),Desertiserpentica(Lophiostomata-ceae)and Montanitestudina(Testudinaceae)are described as novel genera in Dothideomycetes.A synnematous hyphomycete with basidiomycetous affinity(Corticiales)was also identified and described as Basidiodesertica.Additionally,an asexual morph was observed for Holmiella junipericola;Patellaria quercus is synonymized under P.atrata,and seven new species are described.

The genus Thelonectria(Nectriaceae,Hypocreales,Ascomycota)and closely related species with cylindrocarpon-like asexual states

The genus Thelonectria and closely related species with cylindrocarpon-like asexual states are a group of perithecial ascomycetes in the family Nectriaceae that occur as saprobes and in few cases as pathogens of hardwood trees,shrubs or other plants.Although a key component of forest ecosystems around the world,species relationships and distributions of these fungi are largely unknown.The objectives of this study were to:1)infer species rank phylogenetic relationships of the genus Thelonectria and closely related species with cylindrocarpon-like asexual states and test the monophyly of each of the groups studied;2)delimit taxa establishing taxon circumscriptions;3)resolve nomenclatural issues by identifying redundantly used names and synonyms;and 4)provide an updated outline to the genus,geographical distributions data and identification tools,specifically diagnostic keys and molecular data that can be used as molecular barcodes.The recovered consensus phylogeny resulted in a narrow circumscription of the genus Thelonectria,based on the type T.discophora,excluding one of the common species T.jungneri.According to the phylogenetic analyses,T.jungneri belongs in a segregate clade that should be recognized as a different genus.In the genus Thelonectria,a total of four new species and three new combinations are recognized.Additionally,three new genera,closely related to Thelonectria,are described to accommodate species displaying a morphological resemblance to those of Thelonectria:Cinnamomeonectria gen.nov.with C.cinnamomea as type species,Macronectria gen.nov.with M.jungneri as type species and including four additional newly described species,and Tumenectria gen.nov.with T.laetidisca as type species.

Towards a natural classification and backbone tree for Pleosporaceae

The family Pleosporaceae includes numerous saprobic,opportunistic human,and plant pathogenic taxa.The classification of genera and species Pleosporaceae has been a major challenge due to the lack of a clear understanding of the importance of the morphological characters used to distinguish taxa as well as the lack of reference strains.Recent treatments concluded that Pleospora and some other genera in Pleosporaceae are likely polyphyletic.In order to establish the evolutionary relationships and to resolve the polyphyletic nature of Pleospora and allied genera,we sequenced the 18S nrDNA,28S nrDNA,ITS,GAPDH,RPB2 and TEF1-alpha gene regions of Pleosporaceae species and phylogenetically analysed this data.Multigene phylogenies strongly support the monophyletic nature of Pleosporaceae among the other families in Pleosporales,and the acceptance of the genera Alternaria,Bipolaris,Clathrospora,Comoclathris,Curvularia,Dactuliophora,Decorospora,Diademosa,Exserohilum,Extrawettsteinina,Gibbago,Neocamarosporium,Paradendryphiella,Platysporoides,Pleospora,Porocercospora,Pseudoyuconia and Pyrenophora.Austropleospora,Dendryphion,Edenia and Macrospora are excluded from the family based on morphology coupled with molecular data.Two novel species,Alternaria murispora in this paper and Comoclathris sedi are introduced.The sexual morph of Alternaria alternata is re-described and illustrated using modern concepts from fresh collections.The paraphyletic nature of Pleospora is resolved based on the available morpho-molecular data,but further sampling with fresh collections,reference or ex-type strains and molecular data are needed to obtain a natural classification of genera and the family.