Phyllostictaceae revisited

Species within the genus Phyllosticta ( Phyllostictaceae , Botryosphaeriales ) occur as pathogens, endophytes, and saprobes across a diverse range of host plants. Phyllosticta has been shown to represent a distinct family, Phyllostictaceae , which is closely related to Botryosphaeriaceae . In this study, we investigated 77 phyllosticta-like isolates from South Africa (39 isolates), the USA (27), Canada (4), China (3), Japan (3) and Brazil (1). Through multi-locus phylogenetic analyses using ITS, LSU, tef1 , act , and gpdh sequences, a distinct new lineage sister to Phyllosticta was recognized, which was introduced as a novel genus, namely Neophyllosticta , with two new species and one new combination. Consequently, three genera are now recognized within Phyllostictaceae ; Neophyllosticta , Phyllosticta , and Pseudofusicoccum . Both phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimation for the Botryosphaeriales confirmed the placement of Neophyllosticta within Phyllostictaceae . Furthermore, an epitype of P. podocarpi was designated and 11 new species in Phyllosticta were introduced based on the combination of phylogenetic analyses and morphological characters.