Members of Venturiales (Dothideomycetes) are widely distributed, and comprise saprobes, as well as plant, human and animal pathogens. In spite of their economic importance, the general lack of cultures and DNA data has resulted in taxa being poorly resolved. In the present study five loci, ITS, LSU rDNA, tef1, tub2 and rpb2 are used for analysing 115 venturialean taxa representing 30 genera in three families in the current classification of Venturiales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, morphological and ecological characteristics, one new family, Cylindrosympodiaceae, and eight new genera are described, namely Bellamyces, Fagicola, Fraxinicola, Fuscohilum,Neofusicladium, Parafusicladium, Pinaceicola and Sterila. In addition, 12 species are described as new to science, and 41 new combinations are proposed. The taxonomic status of 153 species have been re-evaluated with 20 species excluded from Venturiales. Based on this revision of Venturiales, morphological characteristics such as conidial arrangement (solitary or in chains) or conidiogenesis (blastic-solitary, sympodial or annellidic), proved to be significant at generic level. Venturia as currently defined represents a generic complex. Furthermore, plant pathogens appear more terminal in phylogenetic analyses within Venturiaceae and Sympoventuriaceae, suggesting that the ancestral state of Venturiales is most likely saprobic.

Colletotrichumspecies are plant pathogens, saprobes and endophytes on various plant hosts. It is regarded as one of the 10 most important genera of plant pathogens in the world. Walnut anthracnose is one of the most severe diseases affecting walnut productivity and quality in China. In this study, 162 isolates were obtained from 30 fruits and 65 leaf samples of walnut collected in Beijing, China. Based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequence analyses of the concatenated loci, namely internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT), chitin synthase 1 (CHS-1) and beta-tubulin (TUB2), these isolates were identified as two novel species ofColletotrichum, i.e.C. juglandicolaandC. peakense. Koch’s postulates indicated that bothC. juglandicolaandC. peakensecould cause anthracnose in walnut.

Colletotrichum species can function as plant pathogens, saprobes or endophytes on a wide variety of plant hosts and are considered amongst the ten most significant genera of plant pathogens globally. China contributes almost half the walnut production in the world. However, Colletotrichum species occurring on walnut remain largely unresolved in China. To explore the Colletotrichum species found on walnut in China, 470 walnut fruit or leaf samples with anthracnose were collected from 14 main walnut-producing regions across seven provinces. A total of 165 Colletotrichum strains were isolated from these samples. The Colletotrichum isolates were identified, based on morphological characteristics and sequence analyses of ACT, CHS-1, GAPDH, ITS and TUB2. Twelve species, including 11 known Colletotrichum species (C. boninense, C. citrulli, C. fioriniae, C. fructicola, C. godetiae, C. juglandicola, C. karsti, C. mengyinense, C. pandanicola, C. peakense and C. siamense) and a novel species (C. chinensissp. nov.) were identified. The species distribution revealed regional prevalence as follows: C. mengyinense was the most dominant species in Gansu, C. mengyinense and C. siamense in Shandong, C. chinensis in Beijing, C. pandanicola in Shaanxi and C. godetiae in Yunnan. Colletotrichum siamense was the sole species isolated in Sichuan and Xinjiang Provinces. Koch’s postulates were fulfilled, demonstrating that all 12 species cause anthracnose on walnut. This is the first report of C. boninense, C. citrulli and C. karsti as pathogens of walnut anthracnose worldwide.

Blueberries (Vacciniumspp.) have been widely cultivated in China because of their nutritional benefits and economic value. Blueberry stem blight has become one of the most severe diseases influencing blueberry productivity and quality in China. In this study, eight fungal isolates were obtained from twenty stem blight lesions of blueberry collected in Nanping, Fujian province, China. Asexual stage was observed after inducing sporulation, the morphology of which agrees withMacrophominain the black, smooth, hard sclerotia and ellipsoid to obovoid, smooth hyaline conidia with apical sheath. Furthermore, DNA sequences of concatenated ITS,tef1-α,TUB, andACTloci indicated that these isolates belong to a novel fungal species. The distinguishing morphological characteristics, such as the wider conidia and larger conidiomata pycnidial, also support its new status. Thus a novel fungus,Macrophominavaccinii, was described in this study. Pathogenicity tests indicated thatM.vacciniicould cause stem blight of blueberry.

(2013). Halotthiaceae fam. nov. (Pleosporales) accommodates the new genus Phaeoseptum and several other aquatic genera. Mycologia: Vol. 105, No. 3, pp. 603-609.