Ochroconis ferulica sp. nov. (Venturiales), a fungal endophyte from Ferula ovina
Keyword(s):
A fungus with dark brown hyphae, thick melanized walls and slow growth was isolated from roots of Ferula ovina without any symptoms of disease. In a Bayesian inference phylogenetic analysis, the fungus clustered in a clade containing species with mostly 4-celled conidia as a sister of Ochroconis longiphorum, differing from that species in source of isolation, colony growth rate, conidial size and shape. Morphological and molecular evidence using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and nuclear ribosomal RNA regions (ITS and nucLSU) separated this isolate from other known Ochroconis species. Based on this strain, Ochroconis ferulica sp. nov. is firstly described, illustrated, and compared with similar species.