Ascodesmisrosicola sp. nov. and Talaromycesrosarhiza sp. nov., two endophytes from Rosaroxburghii in China

Abstract

Background: Rosaroxburghii Tratt., a deciduous shrub of the family Rosaceae, is usually used as food and medicinal materials and also cultivated as an ornamental. Plant endophytic fungi are a large class of microbial resources not fully researched, with great potential applications. Two strains of Ascodesmis and Talaromyces were isolated during a survey of biodiversity on endophytic fungi of R.roxburghii in China. Multigene phylogenetic analyses showed that each of the two fungi formed a distinct lineage and separated from known congeneric species and they are proposed as two novel taxa.

New information: Ascodesmisrosicola sp. nov. usually has one or two conspicuous simple or branched ridges extending to the majority of the ascospore surface and remarkably small asci, distinguishing it from the previously-described species in the genus Ascodesmis. Talaromycesrosarhiza sp. nov., of the section Talaromyces, is closely related to T.francoae. It differs from the latter by having both monoverticillate and biverticillate conidiophores, while those of T.francoae are biverticillate. Both novel endophytes are illustrated and described.

Keywords: endophytic fungi; morphology; multigene phylogenetics; new taxa; taxonomy.