Morpho-phylogenetic evidence reveals novel species (Ascomycota) and new records from the Kunming World Horticultural Expo Garden in Yunnan, China

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Abstract
Fungi represent a kingdom of life with vast, undiscovered diversity. In the unique man-made ecosystem of the Kunming World Horticultural Expo Garden, a site with remarkable plant diversity, four fungal strains were isolated from diseased branches of two widely cultivated plants, Olea europaea (olive) and Nandina domestica. Through a comprehensive analysis integrating morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogenetic data (including LSU, SSU, ITS, rpb2 , tef1-α , and tub2 sequences), we identified two new species: Oedohysterium oleae and Melomastia kunmingensis , both of which are phylogenetically and morphologically distinct from known species. Furthermore, we report M. kevinhydei as a new host record on O. europaea , suggesting a broader host range for this species, and, for the first time, document the sexual morph of the type species Parapyrenochaeta protearum , providing crucial morphological insights for this genus, previously known only in its asexual state. These findings underscore the immense value of unique horticultural environments as reservoirs of fungal diversity.

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