Four novel species of Distoseptispora (Distoseptisporaceae, Distoseptisporales) revealed by morphology and phylogenetic analyses from southern China.

During investigations of saprobic fungi on decaying wood in terrestrial habitats of southern China, several sporidesmium-like isolates were collected from dead branches of unidentified plants in Fujian, Jiangxi, and Yunnan provinces. Based on morphological comparisons and multilocus phylogenetic analyses of ITS, LSU, RPB2, and TEF1 sequence data, four new species of Distoseptispora, namely D. acropleurogena, D. distoseptata, D. ellipsoidea, and D. jiulianshanensis, are proposed. Detailed descriptions and comparisons with allied taxa are provided. This study enriches the species diversity of Distoseptispora in southern China and highlights the importance of integrating morphological and molecular data for species delimitation.