Pleocatenata Y.R. Sun, Yong Wang bis & K.D. Hyde, gen. nov.
MycoBank number: MB 559457; Index Fungorum number: IF 559457; Facesoffungi number: FoF 10630;
Etymology. “Pleo-” an abbreviation of Pleosporales, the order in which this fungus is classified; “-catenata” refers to the catenate conidia of this fungus.
Description. Parasitic on medicinal plants twigs in terrestrial habitats. Asexual morph: Hyphomycetous. Colonies on natural substrate effuse, dark, velvety. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, straight or slightly curved, cylindrical, unbranched, septate, brown or dark brown. Conidiogenous cells monotretic, integrated, terminal, cylindrical, brown to dark brown. Conidia catenate, formed in acropetal chains, straight or bent, obclavate, olivaceous to dark brown, multi-euseptate, slightly constricted at septa, tip conidia rounded at apex, truncate at base, intercalary conidia truncate at both ends, with thickened and darkened scars at base or both ends. Sexual morph: Undetermined.
Type species. Pleocatenata chiangraiensis Y.R. Sun, Yong Wang bis & K.D. Hyde
Notes. Pleocatenata is distinguishable from members in other families in Pleosporales by its tretic conidiogenous cells and catenate, euseptate conidia, and phylogenic analyses indicated it does not belong to any existing families. To avoid establishing a monotypic new family with only one species, Pleocatenata is introduced as a new genus and assigned to Pleosporales, genera incertae sedis. Pleocatenata was a monotypic genus reported from terrestrial habitats but without a known sexual morph. Further discovery of other species in Pleocatenata or phylogenetic related genera with supported monophyly will determine the familial level of Pleocatenata.