A small-spored Alternaria was found from black spots of storaged Koerle pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis), one of the economically important fruit in Xinjiang province, China. The morphology is similar to A. limoniasperae but obviously different in secondary conidiophores and conidial septa. A phylogenetic analysis using sequence datasets of ITS, GAPDH, TEF1, RPB2, Alt a1, OPA10-2, and EndoPG genes revealed that it belonged to the Alternaria alternata complex group. Pathogenicity tests illustrated that the fungus was the causal pathogen of black spot on Koerle pear fruit.

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In 2017, a new fungal species, Alternaria hydrangeae, was isolated from necrotic leaf spots of Hydrangea paniculata in Shenyang Botanical Garden, Liaoning, China. Phylogenetic analyses based on five genes (ITS, GPDH, Alt a1, RPB2 and TEF1) indicated that the species is a new taxon closely related to Alternaria deserticola in section Porri. Both species were significantly different from each other based on cultural features on SNA and PCA. Previously, A. deserticola was morphologically considered as A. acalyphicola. With respect to conidial characters, the species was distinct from A. acalyphicola in conidia shape, size and transverse septa. Pathogenicity tests indicated that it could induce necrotic symptoms on its host. The species is illustrated here as a new one causing leaf spot on H. paniculata.

Two Alternaria species, A. carotiincultae and A. glehniae sp. nov. are isolated from necrotic leaf symptoms of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. and Glehnia littoralis Fr. Schmidt ex Miq in China, respectively. The two species are determined as distinct species belonging to sect. Radicina of Alternaria based on morphology and a multigene analysis of ITS, EF-1α, RPB2 and ATPase sequences. Alternaria glehniae is illustrated here as a novel species because the conidial size, septa and sporulation patterns are different from its closely related species. A. carotiincultae is also described as a new record in China.

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