Phyllosticta illicii S. Lin, Y. Zhang ter, sp. nov. , MycoBank: MB821785

Etymology : Named after the host genus from which it was collected, Illicium verum.

Conidiomata pycnidial, mostly aggregated in clusters, black, erumpent, globose to clavate or elongated with necks up to 500 μm long, exuding colourless to opaque conidial masses. Pycnidia up to 200 μm diam. Pycnidial wall of several layers of textura angularis, up to 40 μm thick, inner wall of hyaline textura angularis. Ostiole central, up to 25 μm diam. Conidiophores reduced to conidiogenous cells, Conidiogenous cells terminal, subcylindrical, hyaline, smooth, 7–13 × 3–5 μm; proliferating several times percurrently near apex. Conidia (12–)13–15(–17) × 7(–9) μm, solitary, hyaline, aseptate, thin and smooth walled, coarsely guttulate, or with a single large central guttule, ovoid to irregularly ellipsoid, enclosed in a thin mucoid sheath, 1 μm thick, and bearing a hyaline apical mucoid appendage, (6–)18–35(–36) × 1 (–2) μm, flexible, unbranched, tapering towards an acutely rounded tip. After 2 months, mucoid sheath and apical mucoid appendage disappear. Spermatia occurring in the same conidioma with conidia, hyaline, smooth, guttulate to granular, bacilliform, 7–13 × 2–3 μm.

Culture characteristics : Colonies erumpent, spreading, with sparse aerial mycelium and feathery margins, diameter up to 33 mm after 1 week and 76 mm after 2 weeks at 28℃. On MEA surface olivaceous-grey, reverse iron-grey.

Specimen examined : CHINA, Guangxi Province, associated from Illicium verum, 9 October 2014, leg. X. Sun (HMAS 255230, holotype), CGMCC 3.18670 (ex-type), CGMCC3.18668, CGMCC3.18669, CGMCC3.18671, CGMCC3.18672, CGMCC3.18673, CGMCC3.18674, CGMCC3.18675, CGMCC3.18676.

Notes : Phylogenetically, the sub clade comprised of P. illicii is well supported, and sibling to other species of Phyllosticta (Fig 1). Morphologically, the long apical mucoid appendage is distinguishable from most other species of Phyllosticta (mostly shorter than 15 μm, van der Aa 1973, van der Aa & Vanev 2002). Phyllosticta illicii is the first Phyllosticta species reported from Illicium.

FIG 3. Phyllosticta illicii (HMAS 255230, holotype). A, B Conidiomata on MEA; C Conidia developing on conidiogenous cells; D Conidia; E Spermatia. – Scale bars: C–E = 10 μm.