Phylogeny and phenotype of Filobasidium revealing three new species (Filobasidiaceae, Filobasidiales) from China

The genus <i>Filobasidium</i>, a member of the family Filobasidiaceae in the order Filobasidiales, is a group of basidiomycetes with many representative species. To date, 14 species have been described and accepted in <i>Filobasidium</i>. Although some newfound species from China have recently been published, the species diversity of <i>Filobasidium</i> remains incompletely understood. Samples from various areas of China were obtained and examined to investigate the species diversity of the genus. Three new species, namely <i>F.pseudomali</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>F.castaneae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, and <i>F.qingyuanense</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, were introduced based on phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the ITS sequence alone coupled with phenotypic characteristics. Full descriptions, illustrations, comparisons with similar species, and phylogenetic analyses are provided. Findings from this study substantially enrich the biodiversity of <i>Filobasidium</i> in China.