Phylogeny of Phyllozyma (Spiculogloeaceae, Spiculogloeales) with description of four new species from China

<i>Phyllozyma</i>, belonging to the family Spiculogloeaceae of the order Spiculogloeales, is a genus of blastoconidia-forming yeasts. Until now, nine <i>Phyllozyma</i> species have been described. During our investigation of yeast diversity in China, several <i>Phyllozyma</i> strains were isolated from the surface of plant leaves collected in Guizhou and Hainan provinces, which represent undescribed taxa. Based on multi-locus (ITS, LSU, <i>TEF1</i>, and <i>RBP1</i>) and single-locus (ITS) phylogenetic analyses, as well as phenotypic characteristics, these strains were identified as four new species of <i>Phyllozyma</i>: <i>P. aucubae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> (holotype CICC 33627^T), <i>P. camelliae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> (holotype CICC 33625^T), <i>P. diaoluoensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> (holotype CICC 33620^T), and <i>P. guizhouensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> (holotype CICC 33628^T). <i>P. aucubae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> was identified as a nonballistoconidium-forming species. This phenomenon is extremely rare in the genus <i>Phyllozyma</i>, and prior to this report, only <i>P. jiayinensis</i> was reported to lack the ability to produce ballistoconidia.