Phyllachora (Phyllachoraceae, Phyllachorales) species are parasitic fungi with a wide global distribution, causing tar spots on plants. In this study, we describe three newly discovered species: Phyllachora chongzhouensis, Phyllachora neidongensis, and Phyllachora huiliensis from Poaceae in China. These species were characterized using morphological traits and multi-locus phylogeny based on the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) with the intervening 5.8S rRNA gene, the large subunit of the rRNA gene (LSU), and the 18S ribosomal RNA gene (SSU). Three known species of P. chloridis, P. graminis, and P. miscanthi have also been redescribed, because, in reviewing the original references of P. chloridis, P. graminis, and P. miscanthi, these were found to be relatively old and in Chinese or abbreviated. In addition, the illustrations were simple. In molecular identification, the ITS sequence is short, while the ITS, LSU, and SSU are incomplete. Therefore, this study provides new important references for the redescription of three known species and provides further evidence for the identification of new taxa.

Sclerotinia rot is a serious disease that occurs on Zephyranthes candida. A thorough understanding of the pathogenic fungal species and understanding the biological characteristics are important for controlling sclerotinia. Fungal strains were isolated from the diseased leaves of Z. candida through tissue isolation. Koch\'s hypothesis screened pathogenic strains by pathogenicity of healthy leaves, including re-isolation and identification. A multigene phylogenetic tree was constructed by extracting genomic DNA from pathogenic strains and measuring the nucleotide sequences at four sites, including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), and heat shock protein 60 (HSP60). Morphological characteristics of the fungal structures were evaluated through microscopic analysis. The growth of pathogens was observed and recorded under different pH, different temperatures, different carbon sources and different nitrogen sources to clarify their biological characteristics. Representative strains D7, D13, X4, and X15 infected Z. candida and caused sclerotinia rot. At the beginning of the culture, white flocculent fungal hyphae appeared on the potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, and black spherical to irregular-shaped sclerotia appeared at the edge of the colony after 7 days. The diameter of the sclerotia was 2.4-8.6 mm and 0.4-0.9 mm, respectively. One sclerotium was able to germinate from 1 to 5 apothecia. Ascus were cylindrical or spindle-shaped, with a size of 110.0-120.0 × 9.2-11.6 μm. One ascus contained eight colorless, oval ascospores, with a size of 8.4-12.0 × 4.5-5.5 μm. Based on the phylogenetic tree constructed with the gene sequences for ITS, G3PDH, HSP60, and RPB2, D7 and D13 shared 99% homology with sclerotinia sclerotiorum, whereas X4 and X15 shared 99% homology with sclerotinia minor. S. sclerotiorum growth was more suitable when the culture temperature was 15°C-25°C, pH 5.0, carbon source was maltose and nitrogen source was yeast powder. S. minor growth was more suitable when the culture temperature was 15°C, pH 5.0, the carbon source was glucose, and the nitrogen source was yeast powder. The results identified the pathogens as S. sclerotiorum and S. minor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. sclerotiorum and S. minor causing sclerotinia rot on Z. candida. We herein aimed to identify the causal agent of sclerotinia rot of Z. candida in China based on morphological characteristics, molecular identification, and pathogenicity tests. Performed the experiments on the biological characteristics, to understand the law of disease occurrence. We also evaluated methods for the effective control of this disease. Our findings provide support for further studies on the pathogenesis mechanism of sclerotinia rot.

Species of the family Microdochiaceae (Xylariales, Sordariomycetes) have been reported from worldwide, and collected from different plant hosts. The proposed new genus and two new species, viz., Macroidriella gen. nov., M.bambusae sp. nov. and Microdochiumaustrale sp. nov., are based on multi-locus phylogenies from a combined dataset of ITS rDNA, LSU, RPB2 and TUB2 with morphological characteristics. Microdochiumsinense has been collected from diseased leaves of Phragmitesaustralis and this is the first report of the fungus on this host plant. Simultaneously, we annotated 10,372 to 11,863 genes, identified 4,909 single-copy orthologous genes, and conducted phylogenomic analysis based on genomic data. A gene family analysis was performed and it will expand the understanding of the evolutionary history and biodiversity of the Microdochiaceae. The detailed descriptions and illustrations of species are provided.

Pinibarrenia chlamydospora, sp. nov. isolated from the roots of highbush blueberry in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, is described and illustrated. Based on multigene phylogenetic analysis, as well as morphological and ecological characteristics, Pinibarreniales and Pinibarreniaceae are established to accommodate this novel lineage in Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes. Pinibarreniales, Tracyllalales, and Vermiculariopsiellales are proposed to be included in the subclass Sordariomycetidae. Pinibarreniales likely have a wide distribution and forms association with Ericaceae plants that live in acidic and oligotrophic environments because its DNA barcode matches with environmental sequences from other independent ecological studies. The plant-fungal interaction experiment revealed negative impacts on Arabidopsis, indicating its pathogenicity. This uncovered new fungal lineage will contribute to a better understanding of the diversity and systematics of Sordariomycetes.

Members of the fungal order Diaporthales are sac fungi that include plant pathogens (the notorious chestnut blight fungus), as well as saprobes and endophytes, and are capable of colonizing a wide variety of substrates in different ecosystems, habitats, and hosts worldwide. However, many Diaporthales species remain unidentified, and various inconsistencies within its taxonomic category remain to be resolved. Here, we aimed to identify and classify new species of Diaporthales by using combined morphological and molecular characterization and coupling this information to expand our current phylogenetic understanding of this order. Fungal samples were obtained from dead branches and diseasedleaves of Camellia (Theaceae) and Castanopsis (Fagaceae) in Fujian Province, China. Based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analyses derived from the combined nucleotide sequences of loci of the internal transcribed spacer regions with the intervening 5.8S nrRNA gene (ITS), the 28S large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (LSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (tef1), the partial beta-tubulin gene (tub2), and partial RNA polymerase II second-largest subunit gene (rpb2), three new species of Diaporthales were identified and characterized. They are as follows: Chrysofolia camelliae sp. nov., Dendrostoma castanopsidis sp. nov., and Pseudoplagiostoma wuyishanense sp. nov. They are described and illustrated. This study extends our understanding of species diversity within the Diaporthales.

Agaricales, Russulales and Boletales are dominant orders among the wild mushrooms in Basidiomycota. Boletaceae, one of the major functional elements in terrestrial ecosystem and mostly represented by ectomycorrhizal symbionts of trees in Indian Himalaya and adjoining hills, are extraordinarily diverse and represented by numerous genera and species which are unexplored or poorly known. Therefore, their hidden diversity is yet to be revealed. Extensive macrofungal exploration by the authors to different parts of Himalaya and surroundings, followed by through morphological studies and multigene molecular phylogeny lead to the discovery of five new species of wild mushrooms: Leccinellum bothii sp. nov., Phylloporus himalayanus sp. nov., Phylloporus smithii sp. nov., Porphyrellus uttarakhandae sp. nov., and Retiboletus pseudoater sp. nov. Present communication deals with morphological details coupled with illustrations and phylogenetic inferences. Besides, Leccinellum sinoaurantiacum and Xerocomus rugosellus are also reported for the first time from this country.

A new genus, Rostrupomyces is established to accommodate Xerocomussisongkhramensis based on multiple protein-coding genes (atp6, cox3, tef1, and rpb2) analyses of a wide taxon sampling of Boletaceae. In our phylogeny, the new genus was sister to Rubinosporus in subfamily Xerocomoideae, phylogenetically distant from Xerocomus, which was highly supported as sister to Phylloporus in the same subfamily Xerocomoideae. Rostrupomyces is different from other genera in Boletaceae by the following combination of characters: rugulose to subrugulose pileus surface, white pores when young becoming pale yellow in age, subscabrous stipe surface scattered with granulose squamules, white basal mycelium, unchanging color in any parts, yellowish brown spore print, and broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid, smooth basidiospores. In addition, Hemileccinuminferius, also from subfamily Xerocomoideae, is newly described. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new genus and new species are presented.

The tropical areas in southern and south-western Yunnan are rich in fungal diversity. Additionally, the diversity of seed flora in Yunnan Province is higher than in other regions in China and the abundant endemic species of woody plants provide favourable substrates for fungi. Rubber plantations in Yunnan Province are distributed over a large area, especially in Xishuangbanna. During a survey of rubber-associated fungi in Yunnan Province, China, dead rubber branches with fungal fruiting bodies were collected. Morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2 and tef1-α) revealed four distinct new species, described herein as Melomastiapuerensis, Nigrogranalincangensis, Pseudochaetosphaeronemalincangensis and Pseudochaetosphaeronemaxishuangbannaensis. Detailed descriptions, illustrations and phylogenetic trees are provided to show the taxonomic placements of these new species.

Cankers leading to branch, stem and plant death were observed on the South African endemic Rafnia amplexicaulis (Fabaceae) in the Cederberg Wilderness Area, South Africa, during September 2021. Conidiomatal pycnidia were found developing on the cankers, and isolations consistently yielded a Microsphaeropsis species. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS), the nuclear large subunit (LSU) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) regions showed that the fungus represented an undescribed species. Based on the multigene phylogeny and morphological characteristics, we describe the species here as M. rafniae sp. nov. Pathogenicity tests and the fulfilment of Koch\'s postulates confirmed that M. rafniae sp. nov. is the cause of the cankers of R. amplexicaulis. Presently, this disease is known from a single location in South Africa, and further surveys are required to determine its distribution and relative importance. Citation: Paap T, Marincowitz S, Pham NQ, Roets F, Basson RJ, Wingfield BD, Oberlander K, Wingfield MJ (2023). A novel species of Microsphaeropsis causing cankers on Rafnia amplexicaulis in South Africa. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 12: 73-80. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2023.12.05.

Ophiopogon japonicus (Asparagaceae) is a perennial grass species which can be cultivated as an ornamental and medicinal plant. From April 2021 to September 2022, a serious leaf blight disease of O. japonicus was discovered in Rizhao City, Shandong Province, China. The initial disease symptoms were small yellow spots, finally developing as tip blight, often associated with many small, black, semi-immersed pycnidial conidiomata formed in lesions. To obtain isolates of the causal agent for this disease, samples were randomly collected from O. japonicus diseased leaves in Rizhao City. In total 97 Phyllosticta isolates were obtained from samples, and studied using morphological features and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of a combined dataset using the internal transcribed spacers (ITS), the 28S large subunit of ribosomal RNA (LSU), and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef), actin (act) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh) loci. Phylogenetically, these Phyllosticta isolates formed a clade in the P. concentrica species complex, and clustered with P. pilospora and P. spinarum. Morphologically, isolates in this clade differed from P. pilospora and P. spinarum by the size of conidiogenous cells and conidia, and the absence of an apical conidial appendage. As a result, these isolates were described as a novel species Phyllosticta rizhaoensis. Pathogenicity was confirmed using Koch\'s postulates, which showed that P. rizhaoensis could induce leaf blight symptoms on O. japonicus in China. Citation: Wang C-B, Wang T-T, Ma C-Y, Xue H, Li Y, Piao C-G, Jiang N (2023). Phyllosticta rizhaoensis sp. nov. causing leaf blight of Ophiopogon japonicus in China. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 11: 43-50. doi: 10.3114/fuse.2023.11.03.