Eight Phaeoacremonium (Pm.) isolates from grapevines in Iran and Spain were studied with morphological and cultural characteristics as well as phylogenetic analyses of combined DNA sequences of the actin and beta-tubulin genes. Two new species are described. Pm. cinereum was isolated from a young vine in Spain and from older vines in Iran and can be identified by its distinct gray colonies on malt extract agar, an optimum growth temperature of 25 C and subulate type III phialides. Pm. hispanicum was isolated only once from a young vine in Spain and can be identified by the common occurrence of percurrently rejuvenating phialides, an optimum growth temperature of 20 C and predominant type II phialides.

Summary During the study of fungal trunk pathogens associated with urban trees decline in Shiraz (Iran), a serious decline of willow and poplar trees was observed. Therefore, an investigation was conducted on these trees in some areas of this city during spring and summer 2012 and 2013, to determine the main fungal trunk pathogens associated with these ornamental plants. Plant materials were collected from trees exhibiting disease symptoms such as yellowing, shoot canker, shoot dieback, defoliation and internal wood necrosis and decayed wood. Fungal isolations were made from discoloured or decayed wood tissue onto 2% malt extract agar (MEA) amended with streptomycin sulphate. Nine species, Fomes fomentarius, Diplodia seriata, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Dothiorella sarmentorum, Neoscytalidium hyalinum, Diatrype whitmanensis, Phaeoacremonium rubrigenum, P. aleophilum and P. parasiticum, were identified based on morphology and DNA sequence comparisons. Pathogenicity tests were performed on detached shoots of willow and poplar trees under greenhouse conditions. Lasiodiplodia theobromae caused the longest lesions on willow. On poplar shoots, the longest lesions were caused by P. parasiticum. Diplodia seriata produced the smallest lesions on both woody hosts. First reports from willow wood include P. parasiticum, P. rubrigenum, D. whitmanensis, L. theobromae, D. seriata and N. hyalinum, while new reports from poplar wood include P. parasiticum and Do. sarmentorum. Based on our knowledge, this is also the first report of D. whitmanensis in Iran.

Branch and trunk canker diseases have become prevalent on nut crops in Iran. During 2015 to 2018, extensive field surveys were conducted on 58 almond, 43 pistachio and 80 walnut orchards in Iran to study fungal pathogens associated with symptomatic trees. One hundred and fifty-six representative fungal isolates were selected and identified based on morphological characteristics and by phylogenetic comparison of DNA sequence data. Fungal species found were Collophorina hispanica, Pleurostoma richardsiae, nine species of Phaeoacremonium (namely P. angustius, P.

Citrus trees with cankers and dieback symptoms were observed in Bushehr (Bushehr province, Iran). Isolations were made from diseased cankers and branches. Recovered fungal isolates were identified using cultural and morphological characteristics, as well as comparisons of DNA sequence data of the nuclear ribosomal DNA-internal transcribed spacer region, translation elongation factor 1α, β-tubulin, and actin gene regions. Dothiorella viticola, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Neoscytalidium hyalinum, Phaeoacremonium (P.) parasiticum, P. italicum, P. iranianum, P. rubrigenum, P. minimum, P. croatiense, P. fraxinopensylvanicum, Phaeoacremonium sp., Cadophora luteo-olivacea, Biscogniauxia (B.) mediterranea, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, C. boninense, Peyronellaea (Pa.) pinodella, Stilbocrea (S.) walteri, and several isolates of Phoma, Pestalotiopsis, and Fusarium species were obtained from diseased trees. The pathogenicity tests were conducted by artificial inoculation of excised shoots of healthy acid lime trees (Citrus aurantifolia) under controlled conditions. Lasiodiplodia theobromae was the most virulent and caused the longest lesions within 40 days of inoculation. According to literature reviews, this is the first report of L. theobromae and N. hyalinum on citrus in Iran. Additionally, we report several Phaeoacremonium species, S. walteri, Pa. pinodella and C. luteo-olivacea on citrus trees for the first time in the world.

Over the growing seasons of 2011–2013, various pistachio (<em>Pistacia vera</em> L.) cv. Fandoghi, and wild pistachio (<em>P. atlantica </em>Desf. subsp. <em>mutica</em>) trees were inspected in Iran to determine the aetiology of trunk diseases with specific reference to species of <em>Phaeoacremonium</em> and Botryosphaeriaceae spp. Samples were collected from branches of trees exhibiting yellowing, defoliation, canker and dieback, as well as wood discoloration in cross sections. Fungal trunk pathogens were identified using morphological and cultural characteristics as well as comparisons of DNA sequence data of the ITS and TEF-1α (for Botryosphaeriaceae species) and β-tubulin gene (for <em>Phaeoacremonium</em> species) regions. <em>Phaeoacremonium parasiticum</em> was the dominant species followed by <em>Phaeoacremonium aleophilum</em>, <em>Botryosphaeria dothidea</em>,<em> Neofusicoccum parvum</em>,<em> </em><em>Phaeoacremonium</em> <em>cinereum, Phaeoacremonium viticola</em> and <em>Dothiorella viticola</em>. Pathogenicity tests were undertaken to determine the role of these species on pistachio under field conditions. <em>Neofusicoccum parvum</em> and <em>Pm. aleophilum</em> caused the longest and smallest lesions respectively. This study represents the first report on the occurrence and pathogenicity of <em>Phaeoacremonium </em>species on <em>P. vera</em> cv. Fandoghi. This also represents the first report of <em>Pleurostomophora </em>sp. on pistachio and <em>Pm. parasiticum</em> and <em>D</em>.<em> viticola</em> on wild pistachio.