A new study of Nagrajomyces: with two new species proposed and taxonomic status inferred by phylogenetic methods

Abstract

Nagrajomyces (incertae sedis, Ascomycota) is a monotypic genus with a previously unknown systematic position. In this report, two new species are proposed, Nagrajomyces fusiformis and Nagrajomyces laojunshanensis. These new taxa are proposed based on morphological characteristics evident via light microscopy and molecular data. Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses (ITS rDNA, nrLSU rDNA, RPB2, and TEF1-α) show that specimens recently collected in Yunnan Province, China are closely related to Gnomoniaceae. Both new species and known species were discovered repeatedly in their asexual developmental form exclusively on twigs of Rhododendron spp. (Ericaceae). This indicates a host specificity of Nagrajomyces spp. for species of Rhododendron.