Trichoderma (Hypocrea) species with green ascospores from China

Stromata of Trichoderma species having green ascospores were collected in various regions of China. Based on morphology of the sexual and asexual morph, culture characteristics, and sequence analyses of rpb2 and tef1 genes, 17 species with green ascospores were identified. Among them, Trichoderma rosulatum, T. rufobrunneum and T. stipitatum are described as new species, and seven other species are reported for the first time from China. Trichoderma rosulatum produces small bright yellow or pale greenish stromata with dense dark green ostioles and gliocladium-like conidiophores, shows a close relationship to T. thelephoricola, and belongs to the Chlorospora clade. Trichoderma rufobrunneum, which typically forms reddish brown stromata, is recognised as a member of the Harzianum clade. Trichoderma stipitatum is characterised by turbinate, pale yellow to nearly orange stromata and verticillium-like conidiophores; it forms a distinct, independent lineage with strong bootstrap support in the phylogenetic trees. The distinctions between the new species and their close relatives are discussed, and their phylogenetic positions are explored.