Sarocladium graminicola, a new endophytic species from tropical grasses

Sarocladium species are common endophytes of tropical forage grasses and may offer benefits to host plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. We investigated a collection of 88 Sarocladium isolates previously obtained as endophytes from Panicum maximum, Pennisetum purpureum, Cynodon nlemfuensis, and Brachiaria spp. in Brazil. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses and morphological characterization were used for species delimitation. Sixty-eight isolates were identified as S. spinificis, and five as S. terricola; S. bactrocephalum, S. kiliense, S. spirale, and S. strictum were represented by one to three isolates. A well-supported clade containing eight endophytic isolates occupied a sister position to the clade containing S. bactrocephalum, S. mali, and S. strictum, and is described as a new taxon, Sarocladium graminicola. This work provides new insights on the distribution and diversity of endophytic Sarocladium species in the tropics.