Morpho-phylogenetic evidence reveals five novel species of Pestalotiopsis (Sporocadaceae, Amphisphaeriales) from southern China

Pestalotioid fungi occurring as plant pathogens, endophytes, or saprophytes exhibit a wide range of plant hosts. During our ongoing mycological surveys in southern China, 21 strains of Pestalotiopsis were isolated from diseased leaves of terrestrial plants. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS, tef 1-α, and tub 2 sequence data were performed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference to reveal their taxonomic placement within Pestalotiopsis . Both molecular phylogenetic analyses and morphological comparisons supported them as five new species of Pestalotiopsis , namely P. acericola , P. corchorifolii , P. fraseri , P. goeppertiae , and P. koelreuteriae , and one known species, P. machiliana . This study supplements the species diversity of Pestalotiopsis associated with multiple hosts in southern China.