Sexual morph of Allophoma tropica and Didymella coffeae-arabicae (Didymellaceae, Pleosporales, Dothidiomycetes), including novel host records from leaf litter in Thailand.

Studying the taxonomy, diversity and host preference of leaf litter inhabiting microfungi contributes towards elucidating hidden taxa, their host affinities and recovering novel life modes dwelling inside forest ecosystems. Leaf litter-inhabiting microfungi also play a crucial role in forest ecosystems through decomposition and nutrient recycling. This study resulted in the introduction of saprobic Didymellaceae microfungi from Doi Tung Forest Reserve, Chiang Rai, northern Thailand. Fungal isolates were characterised based on morphology and molecular phylogeny of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS, LSU) and protein-coding genes (tub2, rpb2). Allophoma tropica and Remotididymella ageratinae are recorded from dead leaves of Nayariophyton zizyphifolium (Malvaceae), and Didymella coffeae-arabicae from Dalbergia cultrata and Afzelia xylocarpa (Fabaceae). This study also reports the sexual morph of Allophoma tropica and Didymella coffeae-arabicae and provides molecular evidence for the first reports of sexual morphs from Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]