Abstract
Baipadisphaeria spathulospora gen. et sp. nov., a freshwater ascomycete is characterized by black immersed ascomata, unbranched, septate paraphyses, unitunicate, clavate to ovoid asci, lacking an apical structure, and fusiform to almost cylindrical, straight or curved, hyaline to pale brown, unicellular, and smooth-walled ascospores. No anamorph was observed. The species is described from submerged decaying leaves of the peat swamp palm Licuala longicalycata. Phylogenetic analyses based on combined small and large subunit ribosomal DNA sequences showed that it belongs in Nectriaceae (Hypocreales, Hypocreomycetidae, Ascomycota). Baipadisphaeria spathulospora constitutes a sister taxon with weak support to Leuconectria clusiae in all analyses. Based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence, a new genus is proposed.