New species of the family Didymellaceae in Iran

The family Didymellaceae is rich in genera and species diversity, host range, and geographic distribution. We describe novel members of the Didymellaceae from various host plants in Iran. Our phylogenetic analyses based on sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 including the intervening 5.8S nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS), partial nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA (LSU), β-tubulin ( TUB2 ), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( RPB2 ), together with morphological studies supported the introduction of four novel species including Ascochyta amygdali from Amygdalus scoparia , Didymella cylindrica from Pteridium aquilinum , Paramicrosphaeropsis iranica from Quercus brantii , and Xenodidymella menthae from Mentha piperita . The report of all above host plants for the fungal genera, except for Didymella , is new. Ascochyta amygdali can be distinguished from closely related species ( A. herbicola ) by lacking cylindrical to subcylindrical conidia. Didymella cylindrica differs from the closely related D. subrosea by smaller pycnidia and longer cylindrical conidia. Paramicrosphaeropsis iranica differs from P. ellipsoidea in having smaller, thick-walled pycnidia and shorter conidia. Xenodidymella menthae distinguishes from the closely related X. catariae by smaller aseptate conidia.