Brunneosporopsis yunnanensis Maharachch. & Wanas., sp. nov. (Figure 6)
MycoBank number: MB 843436; Index Fungorum number: IF 843436; Facesoffungi number: FoF;
Etymology: The species was named after the province where the fungus was collected, Yunnan.
Saprobic on dead branches of Pinus yunnanensis. Sexual morph: not observed. Asexual morph: colonies on natural substrate superficial, effuse, dark brown to black. Conidiophores micronematous, mononematous, erect, hyaline, smooth-walled, often reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells enteroblastic. Conidia solitary, 13 − 19 µm long, 10 − 17 µm wide (M = 15.5 ± 1.9 × 13.4 ± 2.1 µm, n = 25), globose to subglobose, or ovoid,
dry, guttulate, dark brown to black when mature, smooth- to verruculose-walled.
Material examined: China, Yunnan Province, Qujing, Xuanwei, 26.182706 N, 104.149958 E, on dead branches of Pinus yunnanensis Franch. (Pinaceae), 15 May 2019, Li Huili, DW1799- 02 (HKAS122928, holotype). ibid. 26.182805 N, 104.149957 E, DW1799-05 (HKAS122929), DW1799-06 (HKAS122930).
GenBank Numbers LSU: ON041113, ON041114, ON041115; SSU: ON041123, ON041124, ON041125; tef 1-α: ON125559.
Notes: The new genus Brunneosporopsis forms a sister clade neighboring the families
Junewangiaceae, Pseudoproboscisporaceae and Atractosporaceae, but support remains low (Figure 2). However, a significant difference in branch length suggests that Brunneosporopsis is distinct. Brunneosporopsis has arthrinium-like asexual morphs, which could not be seen in Junewangiaceae, Pseudoproboscisporaceae and Atractosporaceae. Due to phylogenetic and morphological distinctness, Brunneosporopsis could be raised to the level of family. However, we prefer to maintain this at the genus level until more cultures and collections become available. Furthermore, arthrinium-like morphology is common in other orders in Sordariomycetes, such as in Conioscyphales, Savoryellales and Xylariales, which are also phylogenetically distinct.