Parabambusicola zhaotongensis L. S. Han & D. Q. Dai 2026, sp. nov.

Parabambusicola zhaotongensis L. S. Han & D. Q. Dai sp. nov. Fig. 3 Etymology. Named after the locality where the holotype was collected, Zhaotong (China). Holotype. GMB-W 1147. Description. Saprobic on dead culms of bamboo. Sexual morph: Ascomata 400–850 μm diam., 170–250 μm high, raised, immersed beneath host epidermis, gregarious, clustered in groups, coriaceous, uni-loculate, with a flattened base and pore-like opening in the center. Peridium 10–45 μm wide, composed of several layers, pale brown to brown cells of textura angularis, intermixed with host tissue. Hamathecium 1.5–2.5 µm, composed of dense, septate, branched pseudoparaphyses. Asci 125–160 × 28.5–40 µm (x ̄ = 139 × 33.5 µm, n = 20), 8 - spored, bitunicate, cylindrical to cylindric-clavate, shortly pedicellate, apically rounded, with inconspicuous ocular chamber. Ascospores 55–65 × 9.5–11.5 µm (x ̄ = 61 × 10.5 µm, n = 20), overlapping 3 - seriate, hyaline to pale brown, fusiform with acute ends, straight to slightly curved, narrower towards the lower cell, 3–5 - septate, with guttulate when over-mature, with a sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined. Culture characteristics. Ascospores germinating on PDA, colony reaching 30 mm diam. after 25 days at dark and 25 ° C. Colony dense, hairy, circular, regular edge, the color is brown to milky white from center to margin, dark brown from below, not producing pigmentation on agar medium. Material examined. China • Yunnan Province, Zhaotong City, Zhenxiong Town, (27°36'26"N, 104°19'24"E, 1561 m), on dead culms of unidentified Bambusoideae (Poaceae), 04 Aug 2021, L. S. Han & D. Q. Dai, HLS 115 (GMB-W 1147, holotype), GMBCC 1147, ex-type; • ibid. (MHZU 24-0629, isotype), ZHKUCC 24-1165, ex-isotype; • ibid. HLS 119 (GMB-W 1148), living culture GMBCC 1148. Notes. Phylogenetically, the new isolates of Parabambusicola zhaotongensis (GMBCC 1147 and GMBCC 1148) formed a sister branch to P. bambusina (H 4321, KT 2637, and KH 139) and P. hongheensis (KUMCC 21-0410) with 100 % ML and 0.96 BYPP support (Fig. 1). Morphologically, P. zhaotongensis has wider asci than P. bambusina (28.5–40 µm vs. 22–28 (– 30) µm) (Tanaka and Harada 2003; Tanaka et al. 2015). Furthermore, P. zhaotongensis has longer but narrower ascospores than P. hongheensis (55–65 × 9.5–11.5 µm vs. 50–55 × 12–15 µm) (Xie et al. 2022). Hence, Parabambusicola zhaotongensis is introduced as a novel species based on phylogeny and morphological differences.