Polyphasic characterization of four new plant pathogenic Phyllosticta species from China, Japan, and the United States

Morphological and Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal Three New Species of Phyllosticta (Botryosphaeriales, Phyllostictaceae) in China

The genus Phyllosticta has been reported worldwide and contains many pathogenic and endophytic species isolated from a wide range of plant hosts. A multipoint phylogeny based on gene coding combinatorial data sets for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit of ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA), translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1α), actin (ACT), and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), combined with morphological characteristics, was performed. We describe three new species, P. fujianensis sp. nov., P. saprophytica sp. nov., and P. turpiniae sp. nov., and annotate and discusse their similarities and differences in morphological relationships and phylogenetic phases with closely related species.

Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal two new species and a new record of Phyllosticta (Botryosphaeriales, Phyllostictaceae) from Hainan, China

The fungal genus Phyllosticta has been reported from all around the world and accommodates numerous pathogenic and endophytic species isolated from a wide range of plant hosts. Based on multilocus phylogenies from a combined dataset of genes encoding internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit of ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA), translation elongation factor 1 alpha (TEF1α), actin (ACT) and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), in conjunction with morphological characteristics, we describe two new species P.oblongifoliae sp. nov. and P.pterospermi sp. nov., as well as a new Chinese record P.capitalensis. Their similarity and dissimilarity to morphologically-allied and phylogenetically-related species are also annotated and discussed.

New and Interesting Fungi. 2

One order, seven families, 28 new genera, 72 new species, 13 new combinations, four epitypes, and interesting new host and / or geographical records are introduced in this study. Pseudorobillardaceae is introduced for Pseudorobillarda (based on P. phragmitis). New genera include: Jeremyomyces (based on J. labinae) on twigs of Salix alba (Germany); Neodothidotthia (based on N. negundinicola) on Acer negundo (Ukraine); Neomedicopsis (based on N. prunicola) on fallen twigs of Prunus padus (Ukraine); Neophaeoappendicospora (based on N. leucaenae) on Leucaena leucocephala (France) (incl. Phaeoappendicosporaceae); Paradevriesia (incl. Paradevriesiaceae) (based on P. americana) from air (USA); Phaeoseptoriella (based on P. zeae) on leaves of Zea mays (South Africa); Piniphoma (based on P. wesendahlina) on wood debris of Pinus sylvestris (Germany); Pseudoconiothyrium (based on P. broussonetiae) on branch of Broussonetia papyrifera (Italy); Sodiomyces (based on S. alkalinus) from soil (Mongolia), and Turquoiseomyces (incl. Turquoiseomycetales and Turquoiseomycetaceae) (based on T. eucalypti) on leaves of Eucalyptus leptophylla (Australia); Typhicola (based on T. typharum) on leaves of Typha sp. (Germany); Xenodevriesia (incl. Xenodevriesiaceae) (based on X. strelitziicola) on leaves of Strelitzia sp. (South Africa). New species include: Bacillicladium clematidis on branch of Clematis vitalbae (Austria); Cercospora gomphrenigena on leaves of Gomphrena globosa (South Africa); Cyphellophora clematidis on Clematis vitalba (Austria); Exophiala abietophila on bark of Abies alba (Norway); Exophiala lignicola on fallen decorticated trunk of Quercus sp. (Ukraine); Fuscostagonospora banksiae on Banksia sp. (Australia); Gaeumannomycella caricicola on dead leaf of Carex remota (Germany); Hansfordia pruni on Prunus persica twig (Italy) (incl. Hansfordiaceae); Microdochium rhopalostylidis on Rhopalostylis sapida (New Zealand); Neocordana malayensis on leaves of Musa sp. (Malaysia); Neocucurbitaria prunicola on fallen twigs of Prunus padus (Ukraine); Neocucurbitaria salicis-albae on Salix alba twig (Ukraine); Neohelicomyces deschampsiae on culm base of dead leaf sheath of Deschampsia cespitosa (Germany); Pararoussoella juglandicola on twig of Juglans regia (Germany); Pezicula eucalyptigena on leaves of Eucalyptus sp. (South Africa); Phlogicylindrium dunnii on leaves of Eucalyptus dunnii (Australia); Phyllosticta hagahagaensis on leaf litter of Carissa bispinosa (South Africa); Phyllosticta austroafricana on leaf spots of unidentified deciduous tree host (South Africa); Pseudosigmoidea alnicola on Alnus glutinosa leaf litter (Germany); Pseudoteratosphaeria africana on leaf spot on unidentified host (Angola); Porodiplodia vitis on canes of Vitis vinifera (USA); Sodiomyces alkalinus from soil (Mongolia), Sodiomyces magadiensis and Sodiomyces tronii from soil (Kenya), Sympodiella quercina on fallen leaf of Quercus robur (Germany) and Zasmidium hakeicola on leaves of Hakea corymbosa (Australia). Epitypes are designated for: Cryptostictis falcata on leaves of E. alligatrix (Australia), Hendersonia phormii on leaves of Phormium tenax (New Zealand), Sympodiella acicola on needles of Pinus sylvestris (Netherlands), and Sphaeria scirpicola var. typharum on leaf of Typha sp. (Germany). Several taxa originally described from rocks are validated in this study. New taxa include: Extremaceae fam. nov., and new genera, Arthrocatena, Catenulomyces, Constantinomyces, Extremus, Hyphoconis, Incertomyces, Lapidomyces, Lithophila, Monticola, Meristemomyces, Oleoguttula, Perusta, Petrophila, Ramimonilia, Saxophila and Vermiconidia. New species include: Arthrocatena tenebrosa, Catenulomyces convolutus, Constantinomyces virgultus, C. macerans, C. minimus, C. nebulosus, C. virgultus, Exophiala bonariae, Extremus adstrictus, E. antarcticus, Hyphoconis sterilis, Incertomyces perditus, Knufia karalitana, K. marmoricola, K. mediterranea, Lapidomyces hispanicus, Lithophila guttulata, Monticola elongata, Meristemomyces frigidus, M. arctostaphyli, Neodevriesia bulbillosa, N. modesta, N. sardiniae, N. simplex, Oleoguttula mirabilis, Paradevriesia compacta, Perusta inaequalis, Petrophila incerta, Rachicladosporium alpinum, R. inconspicuum, R. mcmurdoi, R. monterosanum, R. paucitum, Ramimonilia apicalis, Saxophila tyrrhenica, Vermiconidia antarctica, V. calcicola, V. foris, and V. flagrans.

Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 2

This paper represents the second contribution in the Genera of Phytopathogenic Fungi (GOPHY) series. The series provides morphological descriptions and information regarding the pathology, distribution, hosts and disease symptoms for the treated genera. In addition, primary and secondary DNA barcodes for the currently accepted species are included. This second paper in the GOPHY series treats 20 genera of phytopathogenic fungi and their relatives including: Allantophomopsiella, Apoharknessia, Cylindrocladiella, Diaporthe, Dichotomophthora, Gaeumannomyces, Harknessia, Huntiella, Macgarvieomyces, Metulocladosporiella, Microdochium, Oculimacula, Paraphoma, Phaeoacremonium, Phyllosticta, Proxypiricularia, Pyricularia, Stenocarpella, Utrechtiana and Wojnowiciella. This study includes the new genus Pyriculariomyces, 20 new species, five new combinations, and six typifications for older names.

First report of Phyllosticta citricarpa and description of two new species, P. paracapitalensis and P. paracitricarpa, from citrus in Europe

The genus Phyllosticta occurs worldwide, and contains numerous plant pathogenic, endophytic and saprobic species. Phyllosticta citricarpa is the causal agent of Citrus Black Spot disease (CBS), affecting fruits and leaves of several citrus hosts (Rutaceae), and can also be isolated from asymptomatic citrus tissues. Citrus Black Spot occurs in citrus-growing regions with warm summer rainfall climates, but is absent in countries of the European Union (EU). Phyllosticta capitalensis is morphologically similar to P. citricarpa, but is a non-pathogenic endophyte, commonly isolated from citrus leaves and fruits and a wide range of other hosts, and is known to occur in Europe. To determine which Phyllosticta spp. occur within citrus growing regions of EU countries, several surveys were conducted (2015-2017) in the major citrus production areas of Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain to collect both living plant material and leaf litter in commercial nurseries, orchards, gardens, backyards and plant collections. A total of 64 Phyllosticta isolates were obtained from citrus in Europe, of which 52 were included in a multi-locus (ITS, actA, tef1, gapdh, LSU and rpb2 genes) DNA dataset. Two isolates from Florida (USA), three isolates from China, and several reference strains from Australia, South Africa and South America were included in the overall 99 isolate dataset. Based on the data obtained, two known species were identified, namely P. capitalensis (from asymptomatic living leaves of Citrus spp.) in Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain, and P. citricarpa (from leaf litter of C. sinensis and C. limon) in Italy, Malta and Portugal. Moreover, two new species were described, namely P. paracapitalensis (from asymptomatic living leaves of Citrus spp.) in Italy and Spain, and P. paracitricarpa (from leaf litter of C. limon) in Greece. On a genotypic level, isolates of P. citricarpa populations from Italy and Malta (MAT1-2-1) represented a single clone, and those from Portugal (MAT1-1-1) another. Isolates of P. citricarpa and P. paracitricarpa were able to induce atypical lesions (necrosis) in artificially inoculated mature sweet orange fruit, while P. capitalensis and P. paracapitalensis induced no lesions. The Phyllosticta species recovered were not found to be widespread, and were not associated with disease symptoms, indicating that the fungi persisted over time, but did not cause disease.

Synopsis of Phyllosticta in China

The generic concept of Phyllosticta has undergone substantial changes since its establishment in 1818. The existence of conidia with a mucilaginous sheath and an apical appendage is synapomorphic for Phyllosticta species, which has been shown in recent molecular phylogenetic studies. Thus a natural classification of Phyllosticta species should emphasize above morphological characters. Many names in Phyllosticta, both published in the scientific literatures and in publically accessible databases, need updating. In China, more than 200 species names in Phyllosticta have been recorded, of which, 158 species names are reviewed here based on their morphological descriptions and molecular data. Only 20 species of Phyllosticta are accepted from China. Other records of Phyllosticta refer to Phoma (89 records), Asteromella (14 records), Boeremia (9 records), Phomopsis (7 records) and Microsphaeropsis (1 record), with 19 names of uncertain generic classification. This work demonstrates an urgent need for the re-assessment of records of Phyllosticta worldwide.