Two new hyaline-ascospored species of Trichoderma and their phylogenetic positions

Abstract

Collections of hypocrealean fungi found on decaying wood in subtropical regions of China were examined. Two new species, Trichoderma confluens and T. hubeiense, were discovered and are described. Trichoderma confluens is characterized by its widely effuse to rarely pulvinate, yellow stromata with densely disposed yellowish brown ostioles, simple acremonium- to verticillium-like conidiophores, hyaline conidia and multiform chlamydospores. Trichoderma hubeiense has pulvinate, grayish yellow stromata with brownish ostioles, trichoderma- to verticillium-like conidiophores and hyaline conidia. The phylogenetic positions of the two fungi were investigated based on sequence analyses of RNA polymerase II subunit b and translation elongation factor 1-α genes. The results indicate that T. confluens belongs to the Hypocreanum clade and is associated with but clearly separated from T. applanatum and T. decipiens. Trichoderma hubeiense belongs to the Polysporum clade and related to T. bavaricum but obviously differs from other members of the clade in sequence data. Morphological distinctions between the new species and their close relatives are noted and discussed.

• Hypocreaceae
• morphology
• phylogeny
• taxonomy

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr Zhao-Qing Zeng, Dr Huan-Di Zheng and Mr Kai Chen for collecting specimens jointly for this study and their technique assistance.

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31270073) and Ministry of Science and Technology of China for Fundamental Research (No. 2013FY110400).