Arecophila sichuanensis L. S. Dissan. & Maharachch. 2026, sp. nov.

Arecophila sichuanensis L. S. Dissan. & Maharachch. sp. nov. Fig. 5 Etymology. The epithet is derived from Sichuan Province, where the holotype was collected. Holotype. HKAS 130468 Description. Saprobic on dead culm of Poaceae host. Sexual morph. Ascomata 210–280 μm × 300–380 μm (x ̄ = 265 × 335 μm, n = 5), immersed under a black clypeus, slightly raised, blackened, scattered or gregarious, globose to subglobose, erumpent, papillate. Ostioles with hyaline periphyses, black peridium. Peridium 100–120 μm wide (x ̄ = 110 μm, n = 5), comprising several layers, outer layer brown, composed of thick-walled cells of textura angularis and inner layer hyaline, arranged with textura angularis. Paraphyses 4–6 μm wide (x ̄ = 5 μm, n = 10), hyaline, unbranched, cellular, rarely septate. Asci 150–180 × 15–20 μm (x ̄ = 165 × 18 μm, n = 20), 8 - spored, long-cylindrical, short-pedicellate, apically rounded, with trapezoidal, J +, apical ring. Ascospores 20–25 × 6–10 μm (x ̄ = 23 × 8 μm, n = 5), overlapping, uniseriate, ellipsoidal, 2 - celled, guttulate, hyaline to brown, constricted at the septum, sulcate striations along the entire length of mature spore, surrounded by a thin mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph. Undetermined. Material examined. • China, Sichuan province, Sichuan Province, Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Longchi National Forest Park (31.075°N, 103.564167°E, 1065.01 m a. s. l.), on dead culm of Poaceae host, 5 January 2023, L. S. Dissanayake, SCCFP 23-12 (HKAS 130468, holotype). ibid. SCCFP 23-12 (HKAS 130469, isotype). Additional GenBank accession numbers. btub = PX 716852, PX 716853; rpb 2 = PX 733924, PX 733925. Note. Arecophila sichuanensis (HKAS 130468) is similar to Ar. australis (GZUCC 0124 and GZUCC 0112), Ar. clypeata (KUNCC 23-15549, KUNCC 23-15550, GZUCC 0110, GZUCC 0127), Ar. maolanensis (GUCC 24-0116), Ar. menglaensis (HKAS 130461), Ar. miscanthi (MFLU 19-2333) and Ar. muroiana (GZUCC 0122) having ascomata with ellipsoidal, 2 - celled, guttulate, hyaline to brown, constricted at the septum, sulcate striations along the entire mature spore length, surrounded by a thin mucilaginous sheath (Wang et al. 2004; Hyde et al. 2020; Li et al. 2022; Sun et al. 2025 and this study). Phylogenetically, Ar. sichuanensis (HKAS 130468) clustered in a distinct clade basal to the taxa mentioned above with 71 % ML and 0.97 BYPP support values. The combination of diagnostic morphology and a distinct phylogenetic placement indicates that Ar. sichuanensis represents an independent lineage within Arecophila, justifying its recognition as a separate species closely related to Ar. australis, Ar. clypeata and allied taxa.