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Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal four novel species of Distoseptispora (Distoseptisporaceae, Distoseptisporales) from southern China

Summary

Scientists discovered four new species of fungi in the forests of southern China that live on dead plant material. These fungi, called Distoseptispora species, were identified using both microscopy and DNA analysis to confirm they are distinct from known species. The study adds to our understanding of fungal diversity in China and provides tools for identifying similar fungi in the future.

Background

Distoseptispora is a genus of saprobic hyphomycetes characterized by distoseptate conidia. The genus was established in 2016 and currently contains 83 valid taxa. Fungal diversity in southern China remains largely unexplored despite high species richness.

Objective

To identify and describe novel Distoseptispora species isolated from dead plant material in forest ecosystems of Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, China. To enhance knowledge of species diversity and establish molecular markers for accurate phylogenetic placement of Sporidesmium-like taxa.

Results

Four novel species were identified and described: D. fujianensis, D. ganzhouensis, D. nanpingensis, and D. subtropica. Additionally, two known species, D. clematidis and D. yunjushanensis, were reported from the study region. Phylogenetic analyses clearly delineated the new species with high bootstrap support values.

Conclusion

This study brings the total number of recognized Distoseptispora species to 87 taxa. The utilization of multilocus molecular phylogenetics combined with morphological analysis provides reliable species identification and taxonomic placement. These findings significantly enhance understanding of Distoseptispora diversity in southern China.
  • Published in:MycoKeys,
  • Study Type:Taxonomic Description,
  • Source: 10.3897/mycokeys.113.137082
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