Conioscypha pruni sp. nov. (Conioscyphaceae, Conioscyphales), from sweet cherry (Prunus avium) from Sichuan Province, China

During our ongoing research on fungi associated with sweet cherries in Sichuan Province, China, we collected a saprophytic fungus that was identified as a species of Conioscypha based on ITS region sequence analysis and morphological characteristics. Further phylogenetic analysis based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS: ITS1-5.8S-ITS2), the nuclear ribosomal small subunit rRNA (SSU), the nuclear ribosomal large subunit rRNA (LSU), the partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), and the partial second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) confirmed that the collection represents a new species within the genus Conioscypha, and herein designated as C. pruni sp. nov. Phylogenetically, Conioscypha pruni forms a clade sister to C. minutispora. Morphologically, C. pruni differs from C. minutispora in having relatively larger conidia with dark-colored oil-drop-like inclusions. The study provided detailed descriptions, photographs of the new species, and an updated phylogeny for the genus Conioscypha.