Molecular phylogeny of Leptosphaeria and Phaeosphaeria

The objectives of this study were to determine the phylogenetic relationships of species of Leptosphaeria, and Phaeosphaeria and evaluate the phylogenetic significance of morphological characters of the teleomorph, anamorph, and host. Sequences of the entire ITS region, including the 5.8S rDNA, of 59 isolates representing 54 species were analyzed and tire phylogeny inferred Using parsimony and distance analyses. Isolates grouped into three well-supported clades. The results of this study support the separation of Phaeosphaeria from Lepiosphaeria sensu, stricto. Leptosphaeria bicolor and the morphologically similar Leptosphaeria. laiwanensis formed a separate, well-supported clade. We conclude that peridial wall morphology anamorph characteristics, and to a lesser extent host, are phylogenetically significant at the generic level. Ascospore and conidial morphology are taxonomically useful at the species level.