Three new species of Neopestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis (Sporocadaceae, Amphisphaeriales) associated with shrub leaf diseases from Fujian, China

Abstract

Neopestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis are classified as pestalotioid fungi, include a diverse range of plant pathogenic, endophytic and saprobic species and are widely distributed in tropical and temperate climates. These fungi are associated with a wide variety of plants worldwide and are exemplified by multi-septate conidia with appendages at both ends. Phytopathogenic members cause various plant diseases, for example, leaf spot, fruit rot, canker, blight and various infections affecting palm, mango, blueberry, tea and other important crops. In this study, six isolates were collected from diseased leaves of Litseaverticillata, Ixorachinensis and an unidentified shrub in Fujian Province, China. Based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analyses of combined nucleotide sequences of internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA (ITS), the partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (tef1) and partial beta-tubulin gene (tub2), three new species Neopestalotiopsislitseae sp. nov., Neo.longqishanensis sp. nov. and Pseudopestalotiopsiszhangzhouensis sp. nov. are described and illustrated herein.

Keywords: Morphology; multigene phylogeny; new taxa; pestalotioid fungi.

Figure 1.

Phylogenetic relationship of Neopestalotiopsis, based on concatenated sequences of ITS, tub2 and tef1 sequence data. Branch support values are indicated above the nodes as ML bootstrap supports (≥ 95%) and BI posterior probabilities (≥ 0.90). The tree is rooted to Pestalotiopsisdiversiseta (MFLUCC 12-0287) and Pestalotiopsiscolombiensis (CBS 118553). Novel species are in red and “T” indicates the type specimen. Some branches are shortened according to the indicated multipliers to fit the page size and these are indicated by the symbol (//).

Figure 2.

Phylogenetic relationship of Pseudopestalotiopsis, based on concatenated sequences of ITS, tub2 and tef1 sequence data. Branch support values are indicated above the nodes as ML bootstrap supports (≥ 95%) and BI posterior probabilities (≥ 0.90). The tree is rooted to Pestalotiopsistrachycarpicola (OP068). Novel species are in red and “T” indicates the type specimen. Some branches are shortened according to the indicated multipliers to fit the page size and these are indicated by the symbol (//).

Figure 3.

Neopestalotiopsislitseae (holotype HMAS 353367) a leaves of host shrub b, c colony on PDA after 7 days (surface and reverse) d, e conidiomata on PDA f–g conidiogenous cells and conidia h–m conidia. Scale bars: 10 µm (f–m).

Figure 4.

Neopestalotiopsislongqishanensis (holotype HMAS 353369) a leaves of host shrub b, c surface and reverse sides of colony after 7 and 14 d on PDA d, e conidiomata on PDA f–g conidiogenous cells and conidia h–m conidia. Scale bars: 10 µm (f–m).

Figure 5.

Pseudopestalotiopsiszhangzhouensis (holotype HMAS 353371) a leaf of host shrub b, c colony on PDA after 7 days (above and reverse) d, e conidiomata on PDA f-g conidiogenous cells and conidia h–m conidia. Scale bars: 10 µm (f–m).