Dematiopleospora mariae, isolated from Ononis spinosa collected in Forlí-Cesena Province in Italy, is introduced as a new ascomycete genus and species based on morphology and combined LSU and SSU sequence analyses. Phylogenetic analysis based on maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML) and Mr Bayes all support Dematiopleospora as being a distinct genus within the Phaeosphaeriaceae. Dematiopleospora is distinguished from other genera in this family in having ascospores whose central cells have longitudinal septa with light end cells, ascomata with a thick peridium and necks comprising short, light brown setae. Phylogenetic analysis also separates Dematiopleospora from other genera in the Phaeosphaeriaceae. Dematiopleospora forms a sister group with Entodesmium and Chaetosphaeronema, but these three genera are clearly separated in the molecular analysis with relatively high bootstrap support (89% and 99% respectively). The new genus is compared with similar genera of Phaeosphaeriaceae and a comprehensive description, and micrographs are provided.

The taxonomic position of the marine fungi referred to the TBM clade is re-evaluated along with the marine species Chaetosphaeria chaetosa, and the terrestrial asexual genus Falcocladium. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences of two ribosomal nuclear loci of the above taxa and those previous recognized as the TBM clade suggest that they form a distinct clade amongst the Hypocreales, Microascales, Savoryellales, Coronophorales and Melanosporales in the Hypocreomycetidae. Four well-supported subclades in the “TBM clade” are discerned including: 1) the Juncigena subclade, 2) the Etheirophora and Swampomyces s. s. subclade, 3) the Falcocladium subclade and 4) the Torpedospora subclade. Chaetosphaeria chaetosa does not group in the Chaetosphaeriales but together with Swampomyces aegyptiacus and S. clavatispora they group in the Juncigena subclade, while Falcocladium forms a sister group to the Etheirophora and Swampomycess. s. subclade. Swampomyces aegyptiacus and S. clavatispora share some morphological and ecological characteristics with Juncigena, but they are not monophyletic, and a new genus is introduced to accommodate them (Fulvocentrum). Chaetosphaeria chaetosa however, differs significantly from other Chaetosphaeria and Juncigena species and a new genus Marinokulati is proposed to accommodate it. The taxonomic significance of the phylogenetic data is discussed and new families are proposed for the four clades highlighted in this paper: Juncigenaceae, Etheirophoraceae, Falcocladiaceae and Torpedosporaceae, which differ from all other families in the Hypocreomycetidae.

Two novel species, Pestalotiopsis shorea from Shorea obtusa and P. simitheae from Pandanus sp. were isolated in Thailand. They are introduced in this paper on the basis of morphological and molecular characteristics. P. shorea differs in morphology from its closely related species, P. adusta, by its shorter, tubular apical appendages and brown median cells; P. simitheae can be separated from its sister species, P. theae, by its shorter apical appendages, larger length/width ratio and colony with irregular edge and being orange on reverse of PDA plates. Phylogenetic analysis based on a combined sequence dataset from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), partial β-tubulin and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef??1) gene loci, confirms their distinct phylogenetic positions in the genus with strong support.

New species of Passalora on Aphelandra scabra (Acanthaceae) and of Periconiella on Persea americana (Lauraceae) are described from tropical lowland vegetation in Panama. The new Passalora species differs from congeneric species on members of Acanthaceae by its external hyphae giving rise to conidiophores. The new Periconiella species can be distinguished from other species of the genus by its conidiogenous cells being conspicuously oriented outwards from the conidiophore head and by its sizes being intermediate between those of P. machilicola on the one hand and of P. longispora and P. rapaneae on the other.

The following new lichen species are described: Astrothelium coccineum, with ascomata immersed in groups in pseudostromata that are red outside and yellow pigmented inside, ostioles black, and ascospores 3-septate, 25-30 × 10-12.5 µm. Micarea viridicapitata, with olive green thallus with many pale green globose soredia and brown ascomata that are often in botryose groups, and ascospores bacillar with rounded ends, (l-)3-septate, ( 11-) 15-17 × 3-3.5 µm. Protoparmelia microspore, a corticolous Protoparmelia with sessile brown ascomata and ascospores 8/ascus, (6-)7.5-10 × 3.5-5 µm. These species were all found in cloud forest in La Cortadura, Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico. Protoparmelia dadiola is reported from the same area; it is new to the northern hemisphere.

A global survey of the spread of the Platanus powdery mildew, Erysiphe platani, has been carried out. E. platani teleomorph formation was recorded in countries where the fungus anamorph has been present for several years. The first findings of chasmothecia were recorded in Austria, Czech Republic, France, Italy and Slovakia. New records of E. platani (including the teleomorph) were found in Belgium, Croatia and Denmark. The occurrence of this fungus in Sweden and in two countries of North Africa (Algeria and Morocco) was confirmed. Descriptions of morphological features, illustrations, and worldwide distribution of E. platani are provided. Herbarium collections of powdery mildews on Platanus spp. were re-examined and revised. The occurrence of Phyllactinia guttata on Platanus is discussed and questioned.

Camarosporium is a large coelomycetous genus which was formerly recognised as an asexual state in Botryosphaeriales and Cucurbitariaceae. In the present study, we collected several Camarosporium-like taxa in Europe (Germany and Italy) and carried out morpho-molecular analyses. Molecular analyses (maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and MrBayes) of combined LSU and SSU gene datasets show that the Camarosporium-like taxa are polyphyletic in Pleosporales. Camarosporium quaternatum, the type species of Camarosporium clusters in the suborder Pleosporinae with five other Camarosporium species. This clade is supported by high bootstrap and PP values and is distinct from other well-established families in Pleosporinae. Other Camarosporium-like taxa grouped in Montagnulaceae (Massarineae) as two phylogenetically distinct clades and are introduced as two new genera, viz. Paracamarosporium and Pseudocamarosporium. Paracamarosporium is morphologically distinct as it has paraphyses and microconidia, while Pseudocamarosporium lacks both of these characters. Since Camarosporium comprises a large number of species epithets, re-collection and morpho-molecular studies of other Camarosporium-like taxa is essential.

A new polypore, Postia hirsuta sp. nov., collected in Shaanxi Province, central China, is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological characters and molecular data. This fungus is characterized by an annual growth, pileate basidiocarps with a mousegrey and hirsute pileal surface, a white to straw-colored pore surface, a monomitic hyphal system with thick-walled generative hyphae, and allantoid to cylindrical basidiospores (4-4.8 × 1-1.2 µm). Phylogenetic inferences based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and nuclear large subunit (nLSU) ribosomal RNA gene regions supported Postia hirsuta as a distinct species in Postia.