European Journal of Plant Pathology ( IF 1.7 ) Pub Date : 2020-06-27 , DOI: 10.1007/s10658-020-02060-3 Qian Zhang , Nalin N. Wijayawardene , Kevin D. Hyde , Yong Wang , Xue-Jun Pan
Eleven coelomycetous fungi were isolated from diseased leaves of Lasia spinosa (Araceae) in Guangxi Province, China. These isolates produced sporodochial and myrothecium-like conidiomata. Multi-gene analyses (ITS, LSU, cmdA, rpb2, tub2 and tef1) showed that these isolates belonged to Xepicula group with a close relationship to X. leucotricha, but formed an independent branch with high bootstrap support. These isolates represent a new species of Xepicula that can be distinguished mainly by setae that are longer than the three other known species. Based on both morphological and molecular analyses, the new species, X. yifeii sp. nov., is described. Further, pathogenicity tests of in vitro and in vivo inoculation experiments showed that X. yifeii is pathogenic to Lasia spinosa leaves.