Multigene phylogenetic support for novel Rhytidhysteron Speg. species (Hysteriaceae) from Sichuan Province, China

We have been studying Rhytidhysteron Speg. species on different native trees of economic or landscape importance from different geographical regions in China. In this study, we describe three new species, Rhytidhysteron ligustrum X.-L. Xu & C.-L. Yang, sp. nov., R. sichuanensis X.-L. Xu & C.-L. Yang, sp. nov., R. subrufulum X.-L. Xu & C.-L. Yang, sp. nov. and a new host record for R. hongheense Wanas based on combined ITS, LSU, SSU and tef-1α phylogenetic analysis and morphological characters. The new species are distinct from the closely related species in tef-1α and ITS sequence data, and distinguished from other species of the genus by exciple, ascus and ascospore characters. Descriptions, photographs and notes are provided for the new taxa.