New contributions to Diatrypaceae from karst areas in China

In this study, fungal specimens of the family Diatrypaceae were collected from karst areas in Guizhou, Hainan and Yunnan Provinces, China. Morpho-molecular analyses confirmed that these new collections comprise a new genusPseudodiatrype, three new species (Diatrype lancangensis,Diatrypella pseudooregonensisandEutypa cerasi), a new combination (Diatrypella oregonensis), two new records (Allodiatrype thailandicaandDiatrypella vulgaris) from China and two other known species (Neoeutypella baoshanensisandParaeutypella citricola). The new taxa are introduced, based on multi-gene phylogenetic analyses (ITS, β-tubulin), as well as morphological analyses. The new genusPseudodiatrypeis characterised by its wart-like stromata with 5–20 ascomata immersed in one stroma and the endostroma composed of thin black outer and inner layers of large white cells with thin, powdery, yellowish cells. These characteristics separate this genus from two similar generaAllodiatrypeandDiatrype. Based on morphological as well as phylogenetic analyses,Diatrype lancangensisis introduced as a new species ofDiatrype. The stromata ofDiatrype lancangensisare similar to those ofD. subundulataandD. undulate, but the ascospores are larger. Based on phylogenetic analyses,Diatrype oregonensisis transferred to the genusDiatrypellaasDiatrypella oregonensiswhileDiatrypella pseudooregonensisis introduced as a new species ofDiatrypellawith 8 spores in an ascus. In addition, multi-gene phylogenetic analyses show thatEutypa cerasiis closely related toE. lata, but the ascomata and asci ofEutypa cerasiare smaller. The polyphyletic nature of some genera of Diatrypaceae has led to confusion in the classification of the family, thus we discuss whether the number of ascospores per asci can still be used as a basis for classification.