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A survey was conducted to identify fungi associated with leaf diseases of ornamental herbs, including Christ plant, dracaena, rose geranium, rose periwinkle and treasure flower, in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran. Twenty‐five symptomatic herbs were collected and studied, which led to the isolation of seven Phoma‐like strains belonging to four taxa. These fungi were characterised based on DNA sequence data for the partial large subunit 28S nrDNA (LSU‐D1/D2), the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 and 5.8S nrDNA (ITS) and part of the β‐tubulin (tub2) gene regions. A multi‐locus‐based phylogeny, in combination with morphology, allowed for the identification of Allophoma hayatii, A. labilis, A. tropica and a novel species of the genus Ectophoma. Ectophoma iranica sp. nov. is morphologically and genetically distinctive from previously described species. In pathogenicity tests, the two strains of E. iranica (CBS 144681 and IRAN 3354C) caused leaf spot symptoms on leaves of Catharanthus roseus. New host plant species and records for A. hayatii, A. labilis and A. tropica are reported, plus further emended characterization of A. hayatii.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus subsp. napus) is one of the autumn crops in Iran. A new fungal species isolated from internal tissues associating a typical leaf spot of Rapeseed in Dezful (southwestern Iran) was described and illustrated. The sampling and isolation were performed in the late fall of 2019 (during December), which led to obtain the colonies with the similar morphology. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on a combined matrix of the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 including the intervening 5.8S nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS), and partial regions of the β-tubulin (tub2) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2) indicated that two isolated strains represent a new Plenodomus species in family Leptosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales). These novel strains formed a sister lineage with P. biglobosus in our phylogenetic analyses, while, observed morphology is distinguished the taxa from P. biglobosus by its pycnidia in having hyphal outgrowths and lacking cylindrical neck. Accordingly, P. dezfulensis sp. nov. was introduced and its pathogenicity was investigated. Pathogenicity test with both P. dezfulensis strains on three-week seedlings of Rapeseed reproduced leaf spot symptoms. These results approve P. dezfulensis as the causal agent of leaf spot observed on Rapeseed in Dezful.

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