Morphology and multi-gene phylogeny reveal a novel Torula (Pleosporales, Torulaceae) species from the plateau lakes in Yunnan, China Author Luan, Sha College of Agriculture and Biological Science, Dali University, Dali, China Author Shen, Hong-Wei College of Agriculture and Biological Science, Dali University, Dali, China & Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand & School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand Author Bao, Dan-Feng College of Agriculture and Biological Science, Dali University, Dali, China & Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand Author Luo, Zong-Long https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7307-4885 College of Agriculture and Biological Science, Dali University, Dali, China Author Li, Yun-Xia College of Agriculture and Biological Science, Dali University, Dali, China 342788514@qq.com text Biodiversity Data Journal 2023 2023-08-30 11 109477 109477 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e109477 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e109477 1314-2828-11-e109477 2312607758785E3994CD3C91CA4AD4F3 Torula luguhuensis S. Luan, H.W. Shen & Z.L. Luo sp. nov. Materials Type status: Holotype . Occurrence : recordedBy: Sha Luan ; occurrenceID: B75E1EC7-0546-585A-A29A-1577106D0D0B ; Taxon : scientificName: Torula luguhuensis; kingdom: fungi; phylum: Ascomycota ; class: Dothideomycetes ; order: Pleosporales ; family: Torulaceae ; genus: Torula ; Location : waterBody: Luguhu Lake ; locationRemarks: China , Yunnan Province , submerged decaying wood in Luguhu Lake ; verbatimLatitude: 27°44′13.59″N ; verbatimLongitude: 100°49′04.72″E ; Identification: identifiedBy: Sha Luan ; Event: habitat: freshwater, submerged decaying wood; Record Level: collectionID: LGH H 6-43-1; collectionCode: L335 Description Saprobic on submerged decaying wood (Fig. 1 a). Sexual morph : Undetermined. Asexual morph : Colonies effuse on nature substrate, scattered, velutinous, dark brown to black. Mycelium immersed to superficial, composed of hyaline, becoming brown closer to fertile region, septate, branched hyphae. Conidiophores semi-macronematous mononematous, erect, septate, smooth, slightly flexuous, pale brown (Fig. 1 b and c). Conidiogenous cells holoblastic, mono- to polyblastic, integrated, terminal, terminal or intercalary in conidial chains, doliiform, pale brown. Conidia in branched chains, dry, acrogenous, straight or slightly curved, more or less cylindrical, dark brown to blackish, pale brown or subhyaline at apex, 1-3 septate, strongly constricted at the septa, verruculose or finely echinulate, rounded at both ends, easily separating, 12-18 μm (= 15 μm , SD = 3, n = 60) long, 6-8 μm (= 7 μm , SD = 1, n = 60) wide (Fig. 1 d-m). Culture characteristics Conidia germinating on PDA within 12 hours and germ tubes produced from the apex. Colonies growing on PDA, reaching 10 cm in 15 days at 24℃, mycelium partly superficial, partly immersed, hairy, with regular edge, maroon to yellowish-brown (Fig. 1 o and p). Material examined China, Yunnan Province, submerged decaying wood in Luguhu Lake, 100°49′04.72″E, 27°44′13.59″N, March 2021, Sha Luan, Torula luguhuensis (KUN-HKAS 124588, holotype), ex-type culture, CGMCC 3.24256 = KUNCC 22-12427. Etymology Referring to Luguhu Lake, China, where the fungus was collected. Notes In the multigene phylogenetic analysis, Torula luguhuensis clustered with T. aquatica (MFLUCC 16-1115, DLUCC 0550) with 100% ML and 1.00 PP support. Torula luguhuensis resembles T. aquatica in having macronematous or semi-macronematous, erect conidiophores and verruculose conidia ( Su et al. 2018 ). However, Torula luguhuensis differs from T. aquatica in having larger conidia (12-18 x 6-8 vs. 9-14 x 5-6 μm ). A comparison of RPB2, ITS and LSU nucleotides between T. luguhuensis and T. aquatica showed 48/775 bp (6.2%), 5/433 bp (1.2%) and 3/796 bp (0.3%) differences with no gaps, respectively. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analysis, we introduce T. luguhuensis as a new species.