Microfungi associated with grassland ecosystems in Yunnan, Southwest China

Abstract

During a survey of microfungi associated with grassland vegetation in Yunnan Province, China, various fungal taxa belonging to Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes were isolated. This study presents detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and multigene phylogenetic analyses of those fungal species to understand their taxonomic placements. Based on 138 fungal collections, the present work introduces a new genus (Keisslerielloides), 31 new species, four new combinations, the first sexual morph record for two species, the first asexual morph record for four species, both morphs for three species, and new host or geographic records for 47 species. Among them, Apiospora poacearum, Camarosporioides kunmingensis, Dinemasporium poacearum, Epicoccum kunmingense, Heterosporicola qujingensis, Keissleriella graminicola, K. lolii, K. zhaotongensis, Leptosphaeria chinensis, Massarina yunnanensis, Neoascochyta zhaotongensis, Ne. dactylidis, Nigrospora dactylidis, Occultitheca yunnanensis, Ophiobolopsis dipsaci, O. poacearum, Paraophiobolus bidentis, Periconia poacearum, P. todei, Phaeosphaeria kunmingensis, Ph. lolii, Pseudocyclothyriella lolii, Ps. yunnanensis, Pseudolophiostoma kunmingense, Schizothecium dactylidis, Septoriella graminearum, S. longispora, S. yunnanensis, S. zhaotongensis, Setophoma dactylidis, and Stagonospora dactylidis are introduced as new Ascomycota species. The new combinations are Keisslerielloides bambusicola (= Keissleriella bambusicola), K. caraganae (= Keissleriella caraganae), K. yonaguniensis (= Keissleriella yonaguniensis), K. yunnanensis (= Keissleriella yunnanensis). We also introduce new host or geographical records for Apiospora arundinis, A. locuta-pollinis, A. rasikravindrae, Aplosporella javeedii, Astrocystis sublimbata, Catenuliconidia uniseptata, Comoclathris sedi, Cucurbitaria lijiangensis, Dinemasporium americanum, Discosia macrozamiae, Epicoccum dendrobii, E. mackenziei, E. viciae-villosae, Floricola sulcata, Keissleriella gloeospora, K. poagena, Keisslerielloides yunnanensis, Letendraea helminthicola, Lophiopoacea paramacrostoma, Montagnula shangrilana, Neoascochyta humicola, Neoleptosporella camporesiana, N. fusiformispora, Occultibambusa jonesii, Ophiosphaerella aquatica, Paraphaeosphaeria michotii, Periconia cortaderiae, P. wurfbainiae, Phaeosphaeria septata, Ph. tabebuiae, Phaeosphaeriopsis aloes, Pha. grevilleae, Plenodomus artemisiae, Pl. sinensis, Praeclarispora herbicola, Pseudopithomyces chartarum, Ps. rosae, Sclerostagonospora rosae, Septoriella paradactylidis, S. tridentina, S. vagans, Stagonospora poaceicola, Torula chromolaenae, T. fici, Tremateia arundicola, Truncatella angustata, and Xylaria xylarioides. The new sexual/asexual links are reported in Keissleriella gloeospora, Neoascochyta humicola, Paraphaeosphaeria michotii, Phaeosphaeriopsis grevilleae, Praeclarispora herbicola, Pseudocyclothyriella lolii, and Stagonospora poaceicola. This study enhances the understanding of microfungal diversity in grassland ecosystems and highlights the rich, yet understudied, fungal biodiversity of Yunnan Province.