Two new species of Meliola (Meliolales, Sordariomycetes) from Guizhou Province, China

Meliola is a genus of specialized parasites that grow on the surface of living plant leaves and fruits, potentially impairing host growth, reducing fruit quality and crop yield, and ultimately causing economic losses. In this study, two new species of Meliola from Guizhou Province, China, were identified based on morphological characteristics and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses (nrITS, nrLSU, and nrSSU) using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) to clarify their taxonomic placement.

The new species, Meliola liboense and M. lindericola, were both found colonizing leaves of Lindera. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and a phylogenetic tree showing the phylogenetic positions of the two new species are provided. These findings enrich the taxonomic diversity of Meliola and contribute valuable morphological and molecular data to improve species delimitation and classification within Meliolaceae.