Synopsis of Phyllosticta in China.

The generic concept ofPhyllostictahas undergone substantial changes since its establishment in 1818. The existence of conidia with a mucilaginous sheath and an apical appendage is synapomorphic forPhyllostictaspecies, which has been shown in recent molecular phylogenetic studies. Thus a natural classification ofPhyllostictaspecies should emphasize above morphological characters. Many names inPhyllosticta, both published in the scientific literatures and in publically accessible databases, need updating. In China, more than 200 species names inPhyllostictahave been recorded, of which, 158 species names are reviewed here based on their morphological descriptions and molecular data. Only 20 species ofPhyllostictaare accepted from China. Other records ofPhyllostictarefer toPhoma(89 records),Asteromella(14 records),Boeremia(9 records),Phomopsis(7 records) andMicrosphaeropsis(1 record), with 19 names of uncertain generic classification. This work demonstrates an urgent need for the re-assessment of records ofPhyllostictaworldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]