Four New Species of Torula (Torulaceae, Pleosporales) from Sichuan, China.

Torula is an asexual and hyphomycetous genus in the family Torulaceae. Torula species are generally saprophytic. They have a worldwide distribution and abound in humid or freshwater habitats. In order to better understand this genus, we carried out several field collections from Sichuan, China. As a result, we obtained nine Torula isolates from dead woody substrates in terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Based on a biphasic approach of morphological examination and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, SSU, LSU, TEF, RPB2), these collections were identified as belonging to seven Torula species. Four of them were new species ( Torula chinensis , T. longiconidiophora , T. sichuanensis and T. submersa ), and the other three belonged to existing species, though one was found for the first time in China ( T. masonii ). Morphological and updated phylogenetic delamination of the new discoveries is also discussed. This study provides further insights into our understanding of wood-based Torula species in China.