Abstract
Fungi play a vital role as decomposers in mangrove ecosystems. A new ascomycete species,
Acuminatispora palmarum
, inhabiting decayed petioles and rachides of palms in mangrove habitats, is introduced in this paper based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence. Phylogenetic relationships of related taxa were inferred from combined LSU, SSU,
TEF1α
, and
RPB2
sequence data, and the analyses indicate that
A. palmarum
could be recognized as a distinct group in Pleosporales, but its familial placement needs to be further resolved. The morphological characters of this new taxon are also different from other members in Pleosporales by its deeply immersed ascomata, long pedicellate asci, and biseriate to triseriate, 1-(rarely 3) septate, brown, fusiform ascospores with acute or narrowly pointed ending cells.
Acuminatispora
gen. nov. (Pleosporales,
incertae sedis
) is therefore established to accommodate the new taxon
A. palmarum
. Furthermore, phylogenetic relationships of
Acrocordiopsis
and
Caryospora
are discussed with a consideration of morphological observations.