Colletotrichum nanjingense sp. nov. and C. gloeosporioides s.s. Causing Leaf Tip Blight on Jasminum mesnyi in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Jasminum mesnyi Hance is an important medicinal and ornamental plant. This species is native to South Central China and Vietnam and grows primarily in the subtropical biomes. In June 2022, 17 Colletotrichum strains were isolated from leaf tip blight on foliage of J. mesnyi in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Based on morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analyses of six genomic loci (ITS, CAL , ACT , TUB2 , CHS-1 , and GAPDH ), a new species, namely, C. nanjingense , and a known species, namely, C. gloeosporioides s.s., were described and reported. Pathogenicity tests revealed that both species were pathogens causing leaf tip blight on J. mesnyi . The results provided necessary information for disease control and enhanced our understanding of the diversity of Colletotrichum species in China.
Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.