Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Characterizations Reveal Four New Species, Two New Asexual Morph Reports, and Six New Country Records of Bambusicolous Roussoella from China

During the ongoing investigation of bambusicolous ascomycetous fungi in Yunnan, China, 24 specimens belonging to the family Roussoellaceae were collected and identified based on morphological features and phylogenetic support. Maximum-likelihood (ML) analyses and Bayesian analyses were generated based on the combined data set of ITS, LSU, tef1, and rpb2 loci. The phylogenetic analyses revealed four novel lineages in Roussoella s. str.; thus, we introduced four new species viz., Roussoella multiloculate sp. nov., R. papillate sp. nov., R. sinensis sp. nov., and R. uniloculata sp. nov. Their morphological characters were compared with the known Roussoella taxa, which lack sequence data in the GenBank. Asexual morphs of R. kunmingensis and R. padinae were recorded from dead bamboo culms in China (from the natural substrates) for the first time. Neoroussoella bambusae, Roussoella japanensis, R. nitidula, R. padinae, R. scabrispora, and R. tuberculate were also reported as the first records from China. All new taxa are described and illustrated in detail. Plates are provided for new reports.

Automated summary

Four new species of bambusicolous ascomycetous fungi in the family Roussoellaceae were identified in Yunnan, China. Two species were found to have asexual morphs for the first time, and six known species were reported for the first time in China. Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided for all new species.