Colletotrichum yulongense sp. nov. and C. rhombiforme isolated as endophytes from Vaccinium dunalianum var. urophyllum in China

No species of Colletotrichum have been reported associated with Vaccinium dunalianum var. urophyllum, which is a significant medicinal plant in China. In this study, several endophytic strains were isolated from this host. Morphology and analysis of DNA sequences of nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS barcode) and seven other gene regions (GAPDH, CAL, ACT, CHS-1, HIS, GS, TUB2) revealed a new species, Colletotrichum yulongense and a previously described species, C. rhombiforme. Both Colletotrichum species are described. The diversity and broad distribution of the host, suggest the likelihood of other endophytic Colletotrichum species in V. dunalianum var. urophyllum and this requires further investigation. The pathogenicity of the Colletotrichum species isolated from V. dunalianum var. urophyllum also needs testing.