Morphological and molecular identification of new species and records of Daldinia (Hypoxylaceae, Xylariales) from Guizhou Province, China

Members of <i>Daldinia</i> are widely distributed and commonly found on decaying wood, branches, and diseased leaves. In this study, four strains of <i>Daldinia</i> were isolated from diseased leaves of <i>Indocalamus hirsutissimus</i> and <i>Rubus idaeus</i> in Guizhou Province, China. Species identification was conducted using combined nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS), partial sequences of the large subunit (28S), RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (<i>rpb</i>2), and beta-<i>tub</i>ulin (<i>tub</i>2) sequence data, along with morphological comparisons. We introduce the new species <i>D. rubi</i> and <i>D. eschscholtzii</i>, accompanied by a new host record on <i>Indocalamus hirsutissimus</i>, supported by both morphological features and molecular evidence. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of <i>D. eschscholtzii</i>'s worldwide host distribution revealed that it spans 56 plant families across 31 countries. This study enhances our understanding of the species diversity of <i>Daldinia</i> and its broad host range, providing a new perspective for taxonomic research.