Systematics of genus Gnomoniopsis (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales) based on a three gene phylogeny, host associations and morphology

Species of Gnomoniopsis are leaf- and stem-inhabiting pyrenomycetes that infect plants in Fagaceae, Onagraceae and Rosaceae. Morphology and analyses of DNA sequences from three ribosomal DNA and protein coding regions, namely beta-tubulin, translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef-1 alpha) and the ITS region including ITS1, 5.8S rDNA. and ITS2, were used to define species in Gnomoniopsis. Secondary structural alignment of the ITS region across four genera in Gnomoniaceae was used to increase the potential number of homologous positions in the ITS alignment. Ascospore isolates were grown from newly collected specimens. Type specimens were compared with these specimens to determine their identity. In this paper a recent concept of Gnomoniopsis is confirmed with phylogenetic resolution of additional species. Four new combinations and one new species are proposed. Nine species are described and illustrated, and a key is provided to the 13 species currently recognized in Gnomoniopsis.