New species and records of ascomycetes on cypress in Beijing, China

Cypress, a collective term for plants belonging to the Cupressaceae family, is widely utilized in Chinese landscaping and holds considerable economic and medicinal importance. In recent years, dieback of branches and foliage in cypress has been widespread in the Ming Tombs area of Beijing, yet the associated ascomycetous fungi remain unidentified. During an investigation of the species of ascomycetes associated with three cypress species (Juniperus chinensis, J. procumbens, and Platycladus orientalis) in the Ming Tombs area of Beijing, 22 fungal strains were isolated from withered branches and diseased leaves to healthy strobili and mature cones.

Based on integrated morphological and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses, these strains were identified as 13 fungal species belonging to 8 genera. Among these, two novel species — Nigrospora platycladiensis sp. nov. and Spegazzinia juniperi sp. nov. — and two new host records, Aplosporella hesperidica and Nigrospora philosophiae-doctoris, are reported herein. This study contributes to our understanding of the richness of ascomycetes on cypress.