Pseudococcomyces Lan Zhuo & C. L. Hou 2025, gen. nov.

Pseudococcomyces Lan Zhuo & C. L. Hou gen. nov. Etymology. Referring to morphologically similar species of Coccomyces. Diagnosis. This new genus is similar to Coccomyces, but lacks a basal Covering stroma. Type. Pseudococcomyces yunnanensis Lan Zhuo & C. L. Hou, described below. Sexual morph. Ascomata on twigs of Larix sp., erumpent from bark, scattered, round or slightly irregular, surface wrinkled, black (# 000000), opening by radial or irregular splits. In median vertical section, covering stroma well developed. Basal Covering stroma absent. Internal matrix of Covering stroma present, consisting of hyaline, thin-walled, interwoven hyphae. Subhymenium consisting of thin-walled, angular cells. Paraphyses filiform, coiled, interwoven at their tips. Asci clavate, thin-walled, J –, 8 - spored. Ascospores aseptate, filiform, hyaline, covered by a thick gelatinous sheath. Asexual morph. Conidiomata and zone lines not seen. Notes. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, sequences of Pseudococcomyces form a well-supported clade (MLB = 100 %, MPB = 99 %, PP = 1.00; Clade 8, Fig. 1), and appear to be closely related to Stipamyces, but ascomata of Stipamyces are stalked. The ascomata of the type species of the new genus is morphologically similar to ascomata of species of the genus Coccomyces, but the sequences of species in the new genus on the phylogenetic tree are distant from the sequence of the type species of the genus Coccomyces (Co. tumidus). Based on morphological and phylogenetic differences, we describe Pseudococcomyces as a new genus.