A New Species and Record of Erioscyphella (Lachnaceae, Helotiales) from Korea.

Abstract

The genus Erioscyphella (Lachnaceae, Helotiales), characterized by minute apothecia, is distributed in subtropical regions of East Asia; however, relatively little is known about species in Korea. In this study, Korean collections of Erioscyphella were examined using morphological observations and multilocus phylogenetic analyses based on ITS, LSU, and RPB2 sequences. One new taxon, Erioscyphella koreana sp. nov., has been described, and Erioscyphella hainanensis has been newly recorded in Korea. The Korean specimens of E. hainanensis showed similar morphological characteristics to those of previously reported E. hainanensis and high sequence similarity in the combined ITS-LSU-RPB2 analysis. In the multilocus phylogeny, E. koreana was recovered as a distinct clade closely related to Erioscyphella boninensis, Erioscyphella lushanensis, and Erioscyphella paralushanensis. However, it was distinguishable from these species by a combination of morphological characteristics, including apothecial coloration, ascus morphology, and ascospore dimensions. Korean Erioscyphella abnormis, E. hainanensis, and E. koreana shared similar apothecial structures but differed in ascospore septation, paraphysis morphology, and substrate preference. These findings expand our knowledge of Erioscyphella diversity in Korea and highlight the value of integrative taxonomy for species delimitation.