Stemphylium platycodontis sp nov., isolated from Platycodon grandiflorus in Korea

A new species of Stemphylium causing leaf and flower blight of Platycodon grandiflorus in Korea was determined on the basis of phylogenetic analysis and morphology. Phylogenetic analyses of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd), translation elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1 alpha) and a combined dataset revealed that the fungus placed in a subclade distinct from the closely related Stemphylium species (S. lycopersici, S. xanthosomatis and S. subglobuliferum). The fungus morphologically differs from them by producing larger conidia and no brown pigment secreted on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Hence, the pathogenic fungus is proposed as Stemphylium platycodontis sp. nov.