Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal two new species (Pleosporales, Pleosporaceae) in section from Cucurbitaceae plants in China.

species are commonly found as saprophytes, endophytes and plant pathogens. During a survey of small-spored in China, two new species were discovered from Cucurbitaceae plants collected in Hubei and Sichuan provinces. This study identified two new species of using seven genes (ITS, , , , , , and OPA10-2) for phylogenetic analyses and morphological characteristics. The two new species and were described and illustrated. , associated with , is characterized by producing muriform, ellipsoidal, flask-shaped, rostrate, and beaked conidia. It differs from , , and by bearing conidia in a simple conidiogenous locus with occasionally longer beaks in a chain, and from by having shorter beaks. from was distinct from , , and by producing muriform, long ellipsoid or ovoid to obclavate, sometimes inverted club-shaped conidia on a single conidiogenous locus with a wider body and longer beak in a chain, and distinct from by a longer beak conidia. These two species were clearly distinguished from other species in the section Alternaria based on DNA based phylogeny and morphological characteristics. The morphological features were discussed and compared to relevant species in the present paper.