Pseudocercospora morigena A. Singh, P.N. Singh & N.K. Dubey sp. nov. (FIGURE 1–4)

Mycobank: MB840310

Etymology: The species epithet “ morigena ” refers to plant host genus Morus, from which this fungus was isolated.

Culture characteristics: Conidia germinating on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Colonies slow growing, velvety, grayish black, reaching 12–14 mm diam. in 28 days at 27°C, margin circular, reverse black, raising centrally with dense cottony mycelium and hard texture. Asexual and sexual spores were not formed.

Leaf spots hypogenous later amphigenous, 1–3 mm, angular, vein limited, discrete, later coalescing; in early stage it appears as pale brown spots on lower surface, later it turns blackish brown on both leaf surfaces. Caespituli hypophyllous, later amphiphyllous, dark brown, erumpent. Mycelium internal and external; superficial hyphae usually emerging through stomata, simple or branched, decumbent bearing solitary conidiophores, 1.5–4 µm wide, septate, thin-walled, smooth, pale olivaceous. Stromata substomatal, few cells to well developed, made up of oval to round 3–5 µm wide pseudoparenchymatous cells, median to dark brown. Conidiophores 35–50 × 3–5 µm (x = 36×3, n=30) fasciculate, unbranched or rarely branched, geniculate, 2–5 septate, light brown. Conidiogenous cells polyblastic, integrated, cicatrized. Conidia 20–65 × 3–4 µm (x = 33×3, n=30) solitary, pale olivaceous, straight to curved, cylindrical to subcylindrical, 1–8 septate, base obclavate to obconico truncate, tip subacute to obtuse.

Type. India, Uttar Pradesh, Sonebhadra, leaf spots on Morus alba L. ( Moraceae) 15 Oct, 2020, Archana Singh, AMH-10304 (Holotype), BHU Herb no. AS/20/91 (Isotype), NFCCI 4877 (ex-type living culture), ITS, ACT and TEF sequences GenBank MW534553, MW507305, MW507304 .