Punctularia atropurpurascens (Punctulariaceae, Basidiomycota): a new record to China

Abstract:

[Background] A fluffy fungal fruitbody (No. HMNWAFU-CF-HS002) was collected from the rotten stumps of Paulownia tomentosa in Shaanxi province, China. [Objective] Morphological description and molecular identification were carried out to determine its taxonomic status. [Methods] Macroscopic features were imaged, while microstructures were measured, counted, and drawn. Living culture was isolated and purified with PDA, and phylogenetic analysis of rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) was performed with maximum likelihood (ML), maximum parsimony (MP), and bayesian inference (BI) methods. [Results] The morphological characteristics of HMNWAFU-CF-HS002 were highly similar to those of Punctularia atropurpurascens. Phylogenetic analysis showed that HMNWAFU-CF-HS002 nested into the P. atropurpurascens clade. [Conclusion] Based on the morphological evidences and phylogenetic results, HMNWAFU-CF-HS002 was identified as P. atropurpurascens, a new record species in China. P. tomentosa is a new record host species for P. atropurpurascens. So far, all the three species of Punctularia have been recorded in China.