Four New Keratinophyton Species (Onygenaceae) From Europe

Four new Keratinophyton species (Ascomycota: Pezizomycotina, Onygenales), K. gollerae, K. lemmensii, K. straussii and K. wagneri, isolated from soil samples originating from Europe (Austria, Italy and Slovakia) are described and illustrated. The new taxa are well supported by phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) region, the nuclear large subunit (LSU) rDNA, and their phenotype. Within the Keratinophyton clade, K. lemmensii is clustered with K. durum, K. hubeiense, K. submersum and K. siglerae, while K. gollerae, K. straussii and K. wagneri are resolved in a separate terminal cluster along with K. minutisporosum. All four new species can be well distinguished from the other asexual taxa in the genus Keratinophyton based on phenotypical characteristics alone. Ten new combinations are proposed for all other Chrysosporium asexual morphs which are resolved in the monophyletic Keratinophyton clade.