Leucaenicola osmanthi sp. nov. (Bambusicolaceae, Pleosporales), causing leaf spot of Osmanthus fragrans in Taiwan Author Ariyawansa, Hiran A. Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Author Tsai, Ichen Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Author Hozzein, Wael N. Bioproducts Research Chair, Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt Author Thambugala, Kasun M. Genetics and Molecular Biology Unit, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Gangodawila, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka. text Phytotaxa 2020 2020-03-23 437 1 23 31 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.437.1.3 journal article 303961 10.11646/phytotaxa.437.1.3 c2669503-0b4d-4950-b291-cdd558e0ab4c 1179-3163 13875078 Leucaenicola osmanthi Ariyawansa, I. Tsai & Thambugala sp. nov. FIGURE 2 . MycoBank number: MB833892 Type: — TAIWAN . Taipei City, Nangang District, Nangang Tea Processing Demonstration Center ( N : 25°07′10′′, E : 121°61′21′′), on leaves of Osmanthus fragrans ( Oleaceae ), 24 March 2018 , Tsai Ichen, holotype NTUH 18-101-1, ex-holotype NTUCC 18-101-1. Associated with leaf lesions of Osmanthus fragrans . Leaf lesions expanded, developing from apex to middle of leaves. Sexual morph : undetermined. Asexual morph : Conidiomata 125–215 × 280–390 μm (x̅ = 172.7 × 331.3 μm), pycnidial, solitary, scattered, immersed to slightly erumpent through the host tissues, uni-loculate, globose to subglobose. Conidiomatal wall comprising few layers of brown to lightly-pigmented, thick-walled, cells of textura angularis . Conidiophores reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells 5–11 × 2–4 μm (x̅ ± SD = 8.5 ± 1.6 × 3.4 ± 0.5 μm), holoblastic, hyaline, smooth, ampulliform to doliiform or cylindrical, lining the conidiomatal cavity. Conidia 3–4 × 2–3 μm (x̅ ± SD = 3.5 ± 0.2 × 2.3 ± 0.1 μm), ellipsoidal to cylindrical, initially hyaline, becoming pale brown, thinwalled, smooth, aseptate, with 1–2 guttules. Etymology: —The species epithet “osmanthi ” refers to the host genus on which the fungus was collected. Additional material examined: — TAIWAN . Taipei City, Nangang District, Nangang Tea Processing Demonstration Center (N: 25°07′10′′, E: 121°61′21′′), on leaves of Osmanthus fragrans ( Oleaceae ), 24 March 2018 , Ariyawansa H. A., NG14-2 (NTUH 18-101-2), ex-type culture (NTUCC 18-101-2); ibid . 25 April 2018 , Ariyawansa H. A., NG14-3 (NTUH 18-101-3), ex-type culture (NTUCC 18-101-3). Notes : Morphologically and phylogenically, Leucaenicola osmanthi is a unique taxon ( FIGURES 1 and 2 ). Leucaenicola osmanthi varies from the generic type ; Leucaenicola aseptata by relatively larger conidiomata (125–215 × 280–390 μm versus 80–100 × 100–125 μm), larger conidiogenous cells (5–11 × 2–4 μm versus 2.5–3 × 1.5–2 μm), larger conidia (3–4 × 2–3 μm versus 3–4 × 1.5–2 μm), host ( Osmanthus versus Leucaena ), pathogenicity (pathogenic versus saprobic) and distribution ( Taiwan versus Thailand ). Our new species diverges from its phylogenetically closely related species, Leucaenicola phraeana by larger conidiomata (125–215 × 280–390 μm versus 90–115 × 130–150 μm), larger conidiogenous cells (5–11 × 2–4 μm versus 3–4 × 1.5–2 μm), relatively larger conidia (3–4 × 2–3 μm versus 3–4 × 1.5–2 μm), host ( Osmanthus versus Leucaena ), pathogenicity (pathogenic versus saprobic) and distribution ( Taiwan versus Thailand ).