Taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses reveal two new Comoclathris taxa (Dothideomycetes, Pleosporaceae) from Inner Mongolia, China

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, located in northern China, represents a temperate semi-arid ecosystem dominated by steppe vegetation and characterized by rich, yet understudied, fungal diversity. During an investigation of microfungi associated with decaying plant materials in the desert regions of Inner Mongolia, two novel species of Comoclathris were collected and isolated. Detailed morphological examinations and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses based on ITS, LSU, SSU, and rpb 2 sequence data support the establishment of these taxa as novel species: Comoclathris desertica and C. xiangshawanensis.

These two species are described and illustrated herein, with particular attention to their differences from similar species with respect to ascomatal structures and ascospore morphology. The discovery of these new taxa expands the known diversity and distribution of Comoclathris in China and provides new insights into the saprobic fungal communities of semi-arid regions. This study also highlights the ecological and taxonomic significance of continued surveys on saprobic fungi in grassland and desert ecosystems of northern China.