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A survey of monocotyledon plant-inhabiting fungi in Guangdong Province, China, revealed a leptosillia-like taxon from living leaves of Cordyline fruticosa in the Shenzhen University garden. Phylogenetic relationships were investigated based on morphology and combined analysis of the ITS, LSU, RPB2, β-tubulin and tef 1–α gene sequence data. Based on ecological, morphological and phylogenetic data, we introduce Leptosillia cordylinea sp. nov. with a description and illustrations. The morphology of other Leptosillia species is reviewed and a taxonomic key is provided.

Acremonium arthrinii sp. nov. was collected from Phyllostachys heteroclada in the forest of Sichuan Province, China. This mycopathogenic fungus was frequently found on the top of the ascomata of Arthrinium yunnanum, and presumably causes its death. In this study, the new species was examined morphologically and maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of a combined LSU, SSU, ITS and TEF 1-α were performed to clarify the taxonomic affinity of the species. Acremonium arthrinii can be distinguished from other Acremonium species based on conidiogenesis, size differences in conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidia, and its DNA sequence differences and phylogeny. Detailed descriptions, micrographs and phylogenetic relationships of the new taxon were provided.

A new species, Colletotrichum artocarpicola, on Artocarpus heterophyllus from Chiang Rai, Thailand, is introduced using both morphological and molecular approaches. Combined phylogenetic analysis of ITS, GAPDH, CHS-1, ACT and TUB2 sequence data demonstrate that Colletotrichum artocarpicola is a distinct species within the gloeosporioides species complex. The new species is illustrated and compared with related taxa, and evidence of its pathogenicity is provided.

Thyrostroma ephedricola, isolated from Ephedra equisetina from Uzbekistan is introduced as a new species and a new combination, Thyrostroma jaczewskii (B. Sutton) is proposed. Both species are characterised by sporodochial, punctiform conidiomata, and brown cylindrical to subcylindrical, 1–3-septate conidiophores, cylindrical, clavate, or ellipsoid to pyriform brown conidia. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on analyses of ribosomal DNA (ITS, LSU and SSU regions) of Thyrostroma species, strongly supports the recognized taxa as a monophyletic group. The introduction of the new species is supported by both morphological and molecular data.

In an investigation of related pleosporalean taxa collected from Italy and Russia, a novel species, Stemphylium dianthi and new host and geographical records ofS. beticola, S. gracilariae, S. simmonsii and S. vesicarium are reported. Stemphylium is a genus of filamentous ascomycetes comprising plant pathogens and saprobes in the family Pleosporaceae. Our new species, S. dianthi is a dematiaceous hyphomycete, which can be distinguished from other hyphomycetes as it forms phaeodictyospores based on the percurrent rejuvenation of its conidiophores, and apically swollen conidiogenous cells. The sexual morphs ofS. gracilariaeand S. vesicarium are new host records from Italy and Russia respectively. Stemphylium beticola from dead stem of Dianthus capitatus and S. simmonsii from Acer campestre are herein described from a natural host substrate for the first time. An updated phylogenetic tree for Stemphylium is constructed using multi-genes (ITS, gapdh and cmdA) to confirm the phylogenetic relationships of Stemphylium species presented in this study. This paper provides morphological descriptions, illustrations and molecular data for each taxon.

Phaeosphaeria ampeli is a new species collected from dead leaves of Ficus ampelas in Fanlu Township area, Dahu forest, Chiayi, Taiwan. Phaeosphaeria musae is a new record from dead leaves of Roystonea regia. Both species are described, illustrated and compared with similar species. Phaeosphaeria ampeli is distinguished from other Phaeosphaeria species based on distinct size differences of the ascomata, asci, ascospores and analyses of DNA sequence data. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of combined ITS, LSU, SSU and tef1-α sequence data are used to clarify the phylogenetic affinities of the species.

During an investigation of micro-fungi inhabiting mangrove forests, a new species of Rhytidhysteron was collected and isolated from dead twigs of a mangrove tree. Rhytidhysteron mangrovei sp. nov. is introduced, described, illustrated and compared with accepted species in the genus. Morphological comparison based on the size of exciple, the appearance of ascomata and ascospore septations and size as well as the multi-gene phylogenetic analyses based on LSU, ITS and TEF DNA sequences support its establishment in Rhytidhysteron. Placement of the genus in Hysteriaceae is also well-supported. In addition, phylogenetic analysis and DNA sequence data indicate that Rhytidhysteron mangrovei is closely related to Rhytidhysteron thailandicum. However, R. mangrovei is morphologically distinct from R. thailandicum, by having a relatively smaller size of exciple and perpendicularly rough-striate ascomata.

Neoastrosphaeriella aquatica (Aigialaceae, Dothideomycetes) is a new species isolated from submerged wood in freshwater habitats in southern Thailand. The species is characterized by black, carbonaceous, semi-immersed ascomata, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindric-clavate or obclavate, short pedicellate asci and fusiform, hyaline to grayish brown, ascospores tapering to pointed apices, and surrounded by thin, distinct sheaths. Neoastrosphaeriella aquatica can be distinguished from other species of Neoastrosphaeriella by its large, hyaline to grayish brown, guttulate ascospores. Phylogenetic analysis of a combined sequence dataset of the ITS, LSU, SSU and TEF1-α indicates that it is closely related to N. krabiensis and N. sribooniensis, but N. aquatica has sufficient nucleotide differences to be recognized as a new species.

A novel yeast-like species was isolated from the rhizosphere of tobacco root collected in Guizhou province, China. Sequence analysis of the large subunit (LSU) rDNA gene indicates that the isolate represents a novel species and most closely related to Meira siamensis. The phylogenetic analysis based on the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) rDNA gene also confirmed the placement of the novel species within Meira. However, the novel species differs from M. siamensis by 9.1% bp difference in the LSU rDNA sequence region and also in terms of physiological characteristics as compared to other species. This species is proposed as M. nicotianae sp. nov. Co-incubation of M. nicotianae strain CY-1 and tobacco plantlets demonstrates that this fungal strain can promote growth of tobacco plant. Scanning electron micrographs and other morphological illustrations along with phylogenies are presented in this paper.

Byssosphaeria species were collected from Macaranga tanarius (Euphorbiaceae) in Shihnong forest area in Chiayi, Taiwan and subjected to morphological examination and DNA sequence analyses. Two new taxa, Byssosphaeria macarangae sp. nov and B. taiwanense sp. nov are herein described. Both species can be distinguished from other Byssosphaeria species based on distinct size differences in asci, ascospores and DNA sequence data. Detailed descriptions, micrographs and phylogenetic data of the new species are provided.

Pseudolophiostoma mangiferae, isolated from a dead stem of Mangifera indica, collected in Fanlu Township area, Dahu village in Chiayi, Taiwan (Elevation 634 m) and is introduced as a new species based on morphological data and DNA sequence analyses. Maximum parsimony, Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of combined ITS, LSU, SSU and tef1-α sequence data were performed to clarify the phylogenetic affinities of the species. Pseudolophiostoma mangiferae is distinguished from the other Pseudolophiostoma species based on distinct size differences in ascomata, asci, ascospores and DNA sequence data. In addition, Neovaginatispora fuckelii is described as a new record from Taiwan. Both species are compared with other similar species and comprehensive descriptions and micrographs are provided.

Three species of Peroneutypa were collected from dead wood in Thailand. Two new taxa P. diminutiasca and P. rubiformis are herein described, illustrated and compared with related taxa, based on the evidence from morphology and phylogenetic analyses. Details for the holomorphs of P. rubiformis and the third species P. scoparia are provided. Phylogenetic analyses of a combined ITS and TUB2 DNA sequence dataset support their placement in the genus Peroneutypa (Diatrypaceae, Xylariales). An updated key to Peroneutypa species is also provided.

In this paper, we report a new asexual-morph taxon belonging to the family Cordycipitaceae (Hypocreales), which is associated with a sexual morph of an ophioceras-like taxon on submerged wood collected from Baoshan, Yunnan, China. Morphologically, this new taxon is similar to known asexual morphs of Lecanicillium and characterized by conidiophores arising from hyaline hyphae, with gregarious, ellipsoid to ovoid, aseptate conidia. Phylogenetic analyses of a combined LSU, SSU, tef1-α and ITS sequence dataset positions our taxon in Cordycipitaceae and close to Lecanicillium sp. (CBS 639.85) and L. primulinum. Lecanicillium subprimulinum is introduced as a new species with support from molecular data.

Fissuroma taiwanense sp. nov. was collected from Shihnong Forest Area in Chiayi, Taiwan (Elevation 350m) and is the first report of a Fissuroma species from Hedychium (Zingiberaceae). The species is markedly different from extant species of Fissuroma in having broad cylindric-clavate asci with long, club-shaped apical and basal appendages and distinct thick mucilaginous sheath in ascospores. Combined analyses of LSU, SSU and tef1-α sequence data indicate a close relationship with F. maculans, the type species, but isolates of the new taxon are phylogenetically distinct. The new species is compared with other Fissuroma species and a comprehensive description and micrographs are provided.

A new species of Atrocalyx (Lophiotremataceae) was collected from dead branches of Acer species in Yunnan Province, China. This is the first record of Atrocalyx on Acer. Lophiotrema bambusae and Lophiotrema guttulata is transferred to Atrocalyx based on combined SSU, ITS, LSU and tef1 sequences analyses. A detailed description and illustration of the new species is provided, and two new combinations are proposed.

Dematiopleospora fusiformis sp. nov., isolated from a decaying upright stem of Achillea millefolium ( Asteraceae ) in the Rostov Region of Russia is described herein based on morphology and ITS, LSU and SSU rRNA sequence based analyses. The new taxon is similar to D. mariae , the type species of Dematiopleospora , and shares similar features such as unilocular ascomata with brown setae in the ostiole, cylindrical asci and fusiform, muriform ascospores. However, D. fusiformis differs from the type and other species in Dematiopleospora in having light brown and larger ascospores. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses reveal that our new taxon belongs to the family Phaeosphaeriaceae and is nested in between Dematiopleospora mariae and D . cirsii with high support. A comparison with other similar species also points out to other morphological differences that segregates D. fusiformis . Phylogenies also indicate that the affinities of two other Dematiopleospora species (viz. D. luzulae and D. alliariae ) are rather ambiguous. Although the latter clearly fits within the Phaeosphaeriaceae , they are phylogenetically distant from all other Dematiopleospora strains that belong to this genus and in addition their relationships to other taxa are not supported. Further taxonomic studies are warranted to clarify their morpho-phylo taxonomy. Dematiopleospora mariae, D . cirsii and D. fusiformis could be treated as Dematiopleospora sensu stricto.

Fusiconidium mackenziei sp. nov. and Fusiconidium aquaticum sp. nov., isolated from a dead branch of Clematis vitalba in Italy and a submerged decaying wood in China respectively, are described and illustrated. The new taxa are characterized by having rhexolytic conidial secession, percurrently proliferating conidiophores, with enteroblastic conidiogenous cells and acrogenous, pale brown to dark brown, verruculose, fusiform, euseptate conidia. Fusiconidium is introduced as a novel genus to accommodate these novel species base on morphologically distinct from related asexual genera within the Dothideomycetes and multigene phylogenetic analyses. Based on multigene phylogenetic analyses, Fusiconidium is referred to the family Melanommataceae (Pleosporales).