Three New Species of Nagrajchalara in Yunnan Province, China

Abstract

During an investigation of Leotiomycetes in a tropical area of Yunnan Province, China, eight saprobic samples were collected from decayed wood and fallen leaves. Based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence from the dataset of partial nuclear 28S rDNA D1‐D2 regions (nLSU) and the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1‐5.8S‐ITS2 (ITS), three new species of Nagrajchalara (Pezizellaceae, Helotiales) were identified. Nagrajchalara sinensis and N. stipitata form a sister branch in the phylogeny, but they are phylogenetically distant from N. ailaoensis . Morphologically, N . sinensis is characterized by sessile apothecia, lacking the medullary excipulum, basally branched paraphyses, asci with a J+, hemispherical to subconical apex, 3‐septate ascospores, some of which have brown phialides and hyaline phialoconidia. Nagrajchalara ailaoensis is characterized by sessile apothecia, hyaline to dark brown intricate hyphae of the medullary excipulum, paraphyses filled with brown refractive contents, asci with a J+, rounded to subconical apex, and fusoid‐navicular, 1‐septate ascospores. Nagrajchalara stipitata is characterized by stipitate apothecia, hyaline to reddish‐brown intricate hyphae of the medullary excipulum, unbranched paraphyses, asci with a hemispherical to subconical apex, 3‐septate ascospores, some of which form brown phialides and hyaline phialoconidia. Comprehensive descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic analyses support the establishment of all the species described above.

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