Hong-Zhi Du

During a saprobic fungi survey in China, five hyphomycetous fungi of Torula (Torulaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) were discovered. These taxa were characterized and identified based on morphology, culture characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis of the combined ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1-α, and rpb2 sequence dataset. Consequently, two novel species, Torula dispora and T. strychnicola, are introduced based on the distinct spinulose characteristics on the conidial substrate and the size of conidia. Phylogenetic results indicated that our isolates of T. dispora and T. strychnicola each represent a distinct lineage. Additionally, three new host records of T. chinensis, T. fici, and T. masonii are reported. Based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence, we formally propose the synonymization of T. phytolaccae under T. chinensis. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and informative notes are provided for all species.

During a survey of saprobic fungi on medicinal plants in Southwestern China, thirty-nine hyphomycetous collections belonging to Dictyosporiaceae, Melanommataceae, and Stachybotryaceae were identified, representing nineteen distinct species. These taxa were characterised and identified based on morphological and culture characteristics, coupled with phylogenetic analyses of combined sequences of calmodulin (cmdA), the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA (ITS), nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU), RNA polymerase second-largest subunit (rpb2), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α), and β-tubulin (tub2). Twelve novel species are described, including Camposporium alangii, C. polygoni, Dendryphiella verrucosispora, Jalapriya cheirospora, Memnoniella cnidiicola, M. guttulatispora, M. reniformis, M. reynoutriae, M. verrucosispora, Sirastachys aspidistrae, Sir. ellipsoidispora, and Striatibotrys biguttulatispora. Additionally, three new host records, M. alishanensis, Sir. castanedae, and Stachybotrys chartarum, and four new hosts and geographical records of M. ellipsoidea, M. pseudonilagirica, Str. rhabdospora, and Virgatospora echinofibrosa are reported. Memnoniella nilagirica is revised and synonymised under M. pseudonilagirica. Key morphological characteristics, hosts specificity, and distributional data of Memnoniella, Sirastachys, and Striatibotrys were summarised. This study provides comprehensive illustrations, descriptions, and notes for each new taxon and record, marking the first report of these species from medicinal plants.

Medicinal plants serve as vital resources for preventing and treating diseases, with their flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, or entire plants being utilized in the pharmaceutical industry or as direct therapeutic agents. During our investigation of microfungi associated with medicinal plants in Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces, China, several asexual and sexual fungal morphs were collected. Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis based on combined ITS, LSU, SSU and TEF1-α datasets revealed that these taxa are related to the family Dictyosporiaceae. Morphological characteristics, along with multi-locus phylogenetic analysis, supported the establishment of Dictyocheirospora alangii sp. nov. and Pseudocoleophoma rosae sp. nov., as well as the introduction of a novel genus Neoxylochrysis, which accommodates Neoxylochrysis typhicola comb. nov. (≡Pseudocoleophoma typhicola). In addition, four new host records are introduced for Aquadictyospora lignicola from Periploca forrestii, Dendryphiella eucalyptorum from Leonurus japonicus, Ophiopogon japonicus and Sambucus javanica, D. vinosa from Phytolacca americana, and Dictyocheirospora rotunda from Euonymus japonicus and Prinsepia utilis. Detailed descriptions, micrographs of the new taxa and a phylogenetic tree are provided.

During a survey of saprobic fungal niches in Southwestern China, eighteen ascomycetous collections ofNigrograna(Nigrogranaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) were found on dead branches of medicinal plants. These taxa were characterized and identified based on morphological and culture characteristics, and phylogenetic analyses of a combined the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA (ITS), nuclear large subunit rDNA (28S, LSU), RNA polymerase second-largest subunit (rpb2), nuclear small subunit rDNA (18S, SSU), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α) sequence dataset also confirmed their placement. As a result, four novel species, namelyNigrograna camelliae,N. guttulata,N. longiorostiolataandN. neriicolawere described. Additionally, four new host records ofN. acericola,N. magnoliae,N. oleaeandN. thymiwere introduced. Furthermore, this study addresses the taxonomic status ofN. trachycarpi, proposing its synonymy underN. oleae. Detailed illustrations, descriptions and informative notes for each newly identified taxon and novel host record are provided in this study.

During investigations of hyphomycetous fungi from medicinal plants in Yunnan Province, China, a novel species of Hermatomyces was discovered. Hermatomyces pyriformis is introduced based on morphology and phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, ITS, tef1-α and rpb2 sequence data. This fungus is characterized by having sporodochial conidiomata and determinate, hyaline, pyriform conidiogenous cells bearing brown, globose to subglobose or ellipsoidal, muriform lenticular conidia with dark brown center and brown peripheral cells. Phylogenetic results indicated that two isolates of H. pyriformis represent a distinct lineage and can be recognized as a new species. A detailed description and illustration are provided for the new species.

During an investigation of ascomycetous fungi from decaying wood in southwest China, seven taxa with sexual morphs were found to be saprobic from terrestrial habitats. These taxa were identified based on morphology, phylogeny, and cultural characteristics. The morphology and phylogenetic evidence placed these new fungal collections in Neohendersoniaceae, distributing in the genera Crassiparies and Neobrevicollum. The phylogenetic analyses of a combined ITS, LSU, SSU, RPB2, and TEF1-α sequence dataset also confirmed their taxonomic placement. A new species, Neobrevicollum biancaeae is introduced to accommodate the two taxa, which have thin-walled ascomata without ostiole, and smaller asci and ascospores compared to the type species, N. oleae. The other five samples were identified as Crassiparies quadrisporus and N. oleae representing three and two taxa, respectively. The identification and establishment of these species are justified based on morpho-molecular analyses. In addition, the new host records of C. quadrisporus and N. oleae were reported. Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided for collected taxa. This study contributed to the microfungal diversity in Southwest China.

Freshwater fungi are highly diverse in China and frequently reported from submerged wood, freshwater insects, herbaceous substrates, sediments, leaves, foams, and living plants. In this study, we investigated two freshwater species that were collected from Yunnan and Guizhou provinces in China. Detailed morphological analysis complemented by multi-gene phylogenetic analyses based on LSU, SSU, ITS, RPB2 and TEF1-α sequences data revealed them to be two new saprobic species, namely Acrogenospora alangiisp. nov. and Conioscypha yunnanensissp. nov. in their asexual morphs. Additionally, Acrogenospora alangiisp. nov. is reported for the first time as a freshwater ascomycete associated with the medicinal plant Alangium chinense (Alangiaceae). Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations and updated phylogenetic relationships of the new taxa are provided herein.

Species in the Botryosphaeriaceae are common plant pathogens, endophytes, and saprobes found on a variety of mainly woody hosts. Botryosphaeriaceae is a high-profile fungal family whose genera have been subjected to continuous revisions in recent years. Surveys conducted during 2019 and 2020 on several decaying woody hosts (from dead arial twigs, branches, stems, bark, and seed pods) in China and Thailand revealed a high diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae fungi. Identification of 16 Botryosphaeriaceae isolates was carried out based on both morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, tef1-α, and tub2 sequence data. Four novel species (Dothiorella ovata, Do. rosacearum, Do. septata, and Lasiodiplodia delonicis) and seven previously known species (Botryosphaeria fujianensis, Diplodia mutila, Di. seriata, L. crassispora, L. mahajangana, Macrophomina euphorbiicola and Sphaeropsis eucalypticola) were identified while new hosts and geographical records were reported. This study indicates that the fungal family Botryosphaeriaceae seems to be common and widespread on a broad range of hosts in China and Thailand.

During a survey of freshwater fungi in Guizhou Province, China, six hyphomycetous collections were founded on decaying wood from freshwater habitats. These taxa were characterized and identified based on morphology, phylogeny, and culture characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis of combined LSU, SSU, ITS, RPB2 and TEF1α sequence data indicated that our six isolates formed three distinct lineages and were distributed within Fuscosporellaceae and Savoryellaceae. They can be organized as three new species: Fuscosporella guizhouensis, Mucisporaaquatica and Neoascotaiwaniaguizhouensis. Fuscosporella guizhouensis and Neoascotaiwania guizhouensis have sporodochial conidiomata, micronematous conidiophores and dark brown conidia. The former possesses irregularly ellipsoidal conidia with apical appendages, while the latter has fusiform to obovoid conidia. Mucispora aquatica is characterized by macronematous conidiophores, elongating percurrently and dark brown, narrowly obovoid conidia. The detailed, illustrated descriptions and notes for each new taxon are provided, and the species of Fuscosporella is reported for the first time in China.