Three new Penicillium species (section Lanata-Divaricata, Aspergillaceae, Eurotiales) from agricultural soil in Yunnan, China

Eight fungal strains isolated from agricultural soils in mountainous regions of Yunnan Province, China, were identified as three novel species of Penicillium section Lanata-Divaricata based on morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic inference using four gene regions, including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, β-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM), and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB 2), supported the recognition of these isolates as distinct species.

The new taxa are described here as P. longyangense (series Janthinella), P. longlingense (series Dalearum), and P. zhenyuanense (series Rolfsiorum). Morphological comparisons with closely related species further confirmed their taxonomic placement. The discovery of these species expands the known diversity of Penicillium section Lanata-Divaricata and improves our understanding of the species distribution of soilborne Penicillium in mountainous agricultural ecosystems of Yunnan, China.