Taxonomic and phylogenetic characterizations reveal three new species of Mendogia (Myriangiaceae, Myriangiales)

Abstract

Three new Mendogia species are introduced, two from bamboo and one from a palm, with descriptions and illustrations. These three new taxa were placed in the genus Mendogia based on superficial, flattened, centrally raised, multi-loculate, round to elliptical, black ascostromata, (6–)8(–10)-spored, subglobose to cylindric-clavate asci and muriform ascospores. The three Mendogia species are similar in morphology, but can be distinguished by the size and number of septa of their ascospores and presence or lack of mucilaginous sheath. The new species, Mendogia calami, is introduced as it differs in having ellipsoidal to obovoid or clavate ascospores with 7 transverse septa and 1 longitudinal septum. Morphological comparisons, maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian inference analyses of ITS, LSU, SSU, TEF1-α sequence data support M. chiangraiensis and M. yunnanensis as distinct new species.