Four new species of Trichoderma with hyaline ascospores from central China

Collections of Trichoderma producing hyaline ascospores from central China were examined. Four new species, Trichoderma asterineum , T. henanense , T. odoratum and T. pseudobritdaniae , were discovered, described and illustrated. Their phylogenetic positions were explored based on sequence analyses of the combined RNA polymerase II subunit b ( rpb2 ) and translation elongation factor 1 alpha ( tef1 ) genes. As a sister of T. leguminosarum , T. asterineum can be easily recognised by its pale yellow stromata, ochre to brown ostiolar dots surrounded by stellate cracks, green conidia and slow growth. Trichoderma henanense is distinctive in pulvinate or discoid, dirty yellow to brownish yellow stromata, brown to dark brown ostiolar dots, small monomorphic ascospores in relatively short asci and white colonies with dense aerial hyphae in cultures. Trichoderma odoratum forms an independent lineage as a sister of T. henanense and is characterised by yellow to greyish yellow, pulvinate stromata with dark brown or reddish brown projecting ostiolar dots, slow growth, trichoderma- to verticillium-like conidiophores, hyaline conidia and producing a mushroom-like odour in culture. Trichoderma pseudobritdaniae is closely associated with but easily separated from T. britdaniae in pulvinate, brownish yellow or greyish yellow stromata with dark brown or grey black ostiolar dots, relatively large perithecia, monomorphic ascospores, somewhat low growth rate, trichoderma- to verticillium-like conidiophores and hyaline conidia. Morphological distinctions and sequence divergences between the new species and their close relatives are discussed.