Unveiling a new species of Periconia Tode (Periconiaceae) and its newly identified host in China

A new species Periconia neroscuroinea M.B. Khan & T.C. Wen, sp. nov., is described from Gaoligong Mountains of Yunnan province, China, based on morphological features and DNA sequence data. It was isolated from dead leaves of Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton, and is characterized by black dark hairy surface colonies on natural substrate, along with large conidiophores and conidia. Multigene phylogenetic analysis of concatenated from LSU, SSU, ITS, and TEF-1α sequences identified P. neroscuroinea M.B. Khan & T.C. Wen, sp. nov. as a phylogenetically distinct lineage. The combination of morphological and molecular evidences strongly supports the recognition of P. neroscuroinea M.B. Khan & T.C. Wen, sp. nov. as a new species.