AUTHOR=Zhang Ying , Zhou Yupei , Sun Wei , Zhao Lili , Pavlic-Zupanc D. , Crous Pedro W. , Slippers Bernard , Dai Yucheng 

TITLE=Toward a Natural Classification of Botryosphaeriaceae: A Study of the Type Specimens of Botryosphaeria sensu lato

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.737541

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.737541

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The genus <italic>Botryosphaeria</italic> includes more than 200 epithets, but only the type species, <italic>Botryosphaeria dothidea</italic> and a dozen or more other species have been identified based on DNA sequence data. The taxonomic status of the other species remains unconfirmed because they lack either morphological information or DNA sequence data. In this study, types or authentic specimens of 16 “<italic>Botryosphaeria</italic>” species are reassessed to clarify their identity and phylogenetic position. <italic>nu</italic>DNA sequences of four regions, ITS, LSU, <italic>tef1-α</italic> and <italic>tub2</italic>, are analyzed and considered in combination with morphological characteristics. Based on the multigene phylogeny and morphological characters, <italic>Botryosphaeria cruenta</italic> and <italic>Botryosphaeria hamamelidis</italic> are transferred to <italic>Neofusicoccum</italic>. The generic status of <italic>Botryosphaeria aterrima</italic> and <italic>Botryosphaeria mirabile</italic> is confirmed in <italic>Botryosphaeria</italic>. <italic>Botryosphaeria berengeriana</italic> var. <italic>weigeliae</italic> and <italic>B</italic>. <italic>berengeriana</italic> var. <italic>acerina</italic> are treated synonyms of <italic>B. dothidea</italic>. <italic>Botryosphaeria mucosa</italic> is transferred to <italic>Neodeightonia</italic> as <italic>Neodeightonia mucosa</italic>, and <italic>Botryosphaeria ferruginea</italic> to <italic>Nothophoma</italic> as <italic>Nothophoma ferruginea</italic>. <italic>Botryosphaeria foliicola</italic> is reduced to synonymy with <italic>Phyllachorella micheliae</italic>. <italic>Botryosphaeria abuensis</italic>, <italic>Botryosphaeria aesculi</italic>, <italic>Botryosphaeria dasylirii</italic>, and <italic>Botryosphaeria wisteriae</italic> are tentatively kept in <italic>Botryosphaeria sensu stricto</italic> until further phylogenetic analysis is carried out on verified specimens. The ordinal status of <italic>Botryosphaeria apocyni</italic>, <italic>Botryosphaeria gaubae</italic>, and <italic>Botryosphaeria smilacinina</italic> cannot be determined, and tentatively accommodate these species in <italic>Dothideomycetes incertae sedis</italic>. The study demonstrates the significance of a polyphasic approach in characterizing type specimens, including the importance of using of DNA sequence data.</p>