Phylogenetic relationships of Phaeochorellaparinarii and recognition of a new family, Phaeochorellaceae (Diaporthales)

ABSTRACT

Species of Phaeochorella are biotrophic leaf parasites with a tropical distribution, traditionally accepted in the family Phyllachoraceae, Phyllachorales in classifications based on morphological characters. Phylogenetic evidence presented here resolves the relationship of Phaeochorella within the Sordariomycetes, based on a multilocus analysis of partial nuc rDNA large subunit (28S) and internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS), the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), and the translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1-α) gene. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that Phaeochorella belongs to the Diaporthales rather than the Phyllachorales. Phaeochorella parinarii, the type species of the genus, present on native hosts from the Brazilian Cerrado, forms a unique clade with a species of Phaeoappendicospora with high support. Thus, a new family, Phaeochorellaceae, Diaporthales, including both genera, is herein proposed. With the exception of P. parinarii and P. zonata, all other species in Phaeochorella (P. artocarpi, P. ciliata, P. machaerii) were excluded from the genus.

KEYWORDS:

• Cerrado
• Diaporthaceae
• fungal taxonomy
• multilocus phylogeny
• Neotropical microfungi
• Phyllachora-like species
• Phyllachoraceae
• 1 new epitypification
• 1 new taxon

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Leonor Costa Maia, curator of the Herbarium Pe. Camille Torrend (URM) at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. We also thank Dr. Teresa Iturriaga (curator, Herbarium CUP) and Dr. Robert Lücking (curator, Herbarium B) for lending such precious material as the reliquiae petrakianae of Cocconia parinarii and Phaeochorella parinarii, respectively. To Prof. Mariza Sanchez (in memoriam) our thanks for the excellence of her fungarium assistance.

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Funding

The authors thank CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) for a Ph.D. fellowship given to D.C.G.; CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/Ministry of Education) for a Ph.D. fellowship to S.G.-E.; CNPq for research grants to R.N.G.M. and J.C.D. This work received financial support from the Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal (FAP-DF) and CNPq (PPBIO-Cerrado-MCTIC-CNPq).