Five New <i>Phyllachora</i> Species from Tar Spot Fungi on Poaceae in Sichuan China

Tar spot is a prevalent fungal disease characterized by shiny black spots on the leaves, stems, and fruits of various plants. It is typically caused by members of the family Phyllachoraceae, which consists of biotrophic and obligate plant parasitic fungi. During field investigations of tar spot fung...

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Main Authors: Pengwei Su, Yuechi Liao, Yan Jin, Yanpeng Chen, Asanka Madhushan, Jian-Kui Liu, Sajeewa S. N. Maharachchikumbura
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Fungi
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/3/208
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author Pengwei Su
Yuechi Liao
Yan Jin
Yanpeng Chen
Asanka Madhushan
Jian-Kui Liu
Sajeewa S. N. Maharachchikumbura
author_facet Pengwei Su
Yuechi Liao
Yan Jin
Yanpeng Chen
Asanka Madhushan
Jian-Kui Liu
Sajeewa S. N. Maharachchikumbura
author_sort Pengwei Su
collection DOAJ
description Tar spot is a prevalent fungal disease characterized by shiny black spots on the leaves, stems, and fruits of various plants. It is typically caused by members of the family Phyllachoraceae, which consists of biotrophic and obligate plant parasitic fungi. During field investigations of tar spot fungi in Sichuan Province, China, 70 fungal samples associated with tar spots belonging to the family Poaceae were collected from 13 different locations. Through morphological studies and multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, SSU, and LSU datasets, the collected samples were classified into eight <i>Phyllachora</i> species. Among these, five were identified as new species (<i>Phyllachora cylindricae</i>, <i>P. festucae</i>, <i>P. luzhouensis</i>, <i>P. palmifoliae</i>, and <i>P. wenchuanensis</i>), and two represented new host records (<i>P. chongzhouensis</i>, <i>P. panicicola</i>). The new species are accompanied by descriptions and illustrations, while their characteristics are discussed in relation to comparable taxa. Additionally, <i>P. yuanjiangensis</i> is synonymized under <i>P. xinpingensis</i>. These findings enhance our understanding of tar spot fungi in Sichuan and, given that <i>Phyllachora</i> species are important pathogens of plants in the Poaceae family, establish a foundation for further research to better understand their potential impacts on agriculture and the local ecology.
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series Journal of Fungi
spelling doaj-art-17a4a39c018440f59234adda3b23efaa2025-08-20T02:11:03ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2025-03-0111320810.3390/jof11030208Five New <i>Phyllachora</i> Species from Tar Spot Fungi on Poaceae in Sichuan ChinaPengwei Su0Yuechi Liao1Yan Jin2Yanpeng Chen3Asanka Madhushan4Jian-Kui Liu5Sajeewa S. N. Maharachchikumbura6School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, ChinaSchool of Life Science and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, ChinaTar spot is a prevalent fungal disease characterized by shiny black spots on the leaves, stems, and fruits of various plants. It is typically caused by members of the family Phyllachoraceae, which consists of biotrophic and obligate plant parasitic fungi. During field investigations of tar spot fungi in Sichuan Province, China, 70 fungal samples associated with tar spots belonging to the family Poaceae were collected from 13 different locations. Through morphological studies and multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, SSU, and LSU datasets, the collected samples were classified into eight <i>Phyllachora</i> species. Among these, five were identified as new species (<i>Phyllachora cylindricae</i>, <i>P. festucae</i>, <i>P. luzhouensis</i>, <i>P. palmifoliae</i>, and <i>P. wenchuanensis</i>), and two represented new host records (<i>P. chongzhouensis</i>, <i>P. panicicola</i>). The new species are accompanied by descriptions and illustrations, while their characteristics are discussed in relation to comparable taxa. Additionally, <i>P. yuanjiangensis</i> is synonymized under <i>P. xinpingensis</i>. These findings enhance our understanding of tar spot fungi in Sichuan and, given that <i>Phyllachora</i> species are important pathogens of plants in the Poaceae family, establish a foundation for further research to better understand their potential impacts on agriculture and the local ecology.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/3/208five new speciesbiotrophsfungal taxonomymulti-locus phylogenyPoaceae pathogens<i>Sordariomycetes</i>
spellingShingle Pengwei Su
Yuechi Liao
Yan Jin
Yanpeng Chen
Asanka Madhushan
Jian-Kui Liu
Sajeewa S. N. Maharachchikumbura
Five New <i>Phyllachora</i> Species from Tar Spot Fungi on Poaceae in Sichuan China
Journal of Fungi
five new species
biotrophs
fungal taxonomy
multi-locus phylogeny
Poaceae pathogens
<i>Sordariomycetes</i>
title Five New <i>Phyllachora</i> Species from Tar Spot Fungi on Poaceae in Sichuan China
title_full Five New <i>Phyllachora</i> Species from Tar Spot Fungi on Poaceae in Sichuan China
title_fullStr Five New <i>Phyllachora</i> Species from Tar Spot Fungi on Poaceae in Sichuan China
title_full_unstemmed Five New <i>Phyllachora</i> Species from Tar Spot Fungi on Poaceae in Sichuan China
title_short Five New <i>Phyllachora</i> Species from Tar Spot Fungi on Poaceae in Sichuan China
title_sort five new i phyllachora i species from tar spot fungi on poaceae in sichuan china
topic five new species
biotrophs
fungal taxonomy
multi-locus phylogeny
Poaceae pathogens
<i>Sordariomycetes</i>
url https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/3/208
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