Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal eight novel species of Pestalotiopsis (Sporocadaceae, Amphisphaeriales) from southern China Author Luo, Xing-Xing College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China Author Liao, Ming-Gen https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9537-1773 College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China Author Zhang, Kai College of Forestry Engineering, Shandong Agriculture and Engineering University, Jinan 250100, China Author Castañeda-Ruíz, Rafael F. 0000-0003-0063-3265 Instituto de Investigaciones de Sanidad Vegetal, Calle 110 No. 514 e / 5 ta B y 5 ta F, Playa, La Habana 11600, Cuba Author Ma, Jian 0000-0001-9783-1860 College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China Author Xu, Zhao-Huan https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2641-7783 College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, China text MycoKeys 2024 2024-10-09 109 207 238 journal article 304377 10.3897/mycokeys.109.131000 3773e949-54a6-46ae-96c5-b4fab8f2deda Pestalotiopsis camelliicola X. X. Luo & Jian Ma sp. nov. Fig. 3 Type. China • Jiangxi Province , Jingdezhen City , Changjiang District , Jingdezhen Botanical Garden , on diseased leaves of Camellia japonica , 3 November 2022 , X. X. Luo ( holotype HJAUP M 1804.221 ; ex-type living culture HJAUP C 1804.221 ) . Figure 3. Pestalotiopsis camelliicola ( HJAUP C 1804.221 , ex-type) a, b leaf of host plant (front and reverse) c, d culture on PDA (front and reverse) e – g conidiomata h, i conidiogenous cells and conidia j – o conidia. Scale bars: 200 µm ( f, g ); 10 µm ( h – o ). Etymology. Referring to the host genus from which it was collected, Camellia japonica . Description. Regular leaf spots, grey white in the center, and brown to dark brown at the margin. Asexual morph on PDA : Conidiomata acervular, 470–1320 μm diam., superficial, solitary or aggregated in clusters, dark brown. Conidiophores indistinct and reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells hyaline, smooth, cylindrical to ampulliform. Conidia fusiform, straight or slightly curved, 14.9–22.2 × 5.4–7.6 μm (x ̄ = 18.1 × 6.3 μm, n = 50), 4 - septate, mostly with one minute guttules in each cell, slightly constricted at the septa; basal cell conical, 1.8–4 μm (x ̄ = 2.8 μm), pale brown, smooth, thin-walled, with a single filiform appendage, unbranched, 1.7–5.2 μm (x ̄ = 2.9 μm) long; three median cells doliiform to cylindrical, smooth, 11–14.4 μm (x ̄ = 12.4 μm), concolorous, pale brown to brown, somewhat constricted at the septa, second cell from the base 3.8–5.3 µm (x ̄ = 4.3 μm) long, third cell 3.6–4.7 µm (x ̄ = 4.2 μm) long, fourth cell 3.2–5 µm (x ̄ = 4 μm) long); apical cell conical to acute, hyaline, smooth, thin-walled, 2.2–3.8 µm (x ̄ = 2.9 μm) long, with 2–4 (mostly 3) filiform appendages, arising from the apical crest, branched, 9.5–20.3 µm (x ̄ = 12.4 μm) long. Sexual morph: not observed. Culture characteristics. Colonies on PDA grow fast, filamentous, reaching 56–62 mm diam. after 5 days at 25 ° C in darkness, white, with flocculent mycelium and entire edge, forming black, brown conidiomata, and reverse pale orange. Additional specimen examined. China • Jiangxi Province , Jingdezhen City , Changjiang District , Jingdezhen Botanical Garden , 3 November 2022 , X. X. Luo . On diseased leaves of Camellia japonica , paratype HJAUP M 1804.222 , living culture HJAUP C 1804.222 . Note. Two strains ( HJAUP C 1804.221 and HJAUP C 1804.222 ) of Pestalotiopsis camelliicola isolated from leaf spots of Camellia japonica formed a distinct clade sister to P. portugalica ( CBS 393.48) with 100 % ML / 1.00 BI bootstrap support (Fig. 1 ). The ex-type strain HJAUP C 1804.221 is closely related to P. portugalica ( CBS 393.48) and comparisons of their nucleotides showed 20 bp differences (2 %, including four gaps) nucleotide differences in three loci. Moreover, P. camelliicola is morphologically distinguished from P. portugalica Maharachch., K. D. Hyde & Crous in its solitary or scattered conidiomata and conidia with more apical filiform appendages (2–4 vs. 1–3). In addition, the conidia of P. camelliicola usually have one minute guttule at each cell, which are not observed in P. portugalica ( Maharachchikumbura et al. 2014 ) .