Phylogenetic and morphological assessment of two new species of Amniculicola and their allies (Pleosporales)

Two new species of Amniculicola, A. immersa sp. nov. and A. parva sp. nov. from submerged wood in a freshwater environment in Denmark and France are respectively described and illustrated. In addition, partial 28S rDNA sequence data is analysed to investigate their phylogenetic relationships with other pleosporalean taxa. All presently known Amniculicola species, A. immersa, A. lignicola and A. parva, form a robust clade together with the anamorphic species Anguillospora longissima, Spirosphaera cupreorufescens and Repetophragma ontariense. These six species, which are all from freshwater and mostly from Europe, constitute a well-supported group containing Pleospora rubicunda and Massariosphaeria typhicola. This putative monophyletic assemblage may represent an aquatic group in the Pleosporales. It is also pertinent that all five ascomycete taxa in this group stain their host substrates purple.