A new species of Exophiala associated with roots

A new species of the genus Exophiala (Herpotrichiellaceae, Ascomycota), Exophiala radicis, is described. The description is based on five strains isolated as endophytes from roots of the brassicaceous plant Microthlaspi perfoliatum s.l., collected at different localities in Europe. As evidenced by phylogenetic analyses of regions of the ribosomal DNA [the small and large subunits, and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS)] and the translation elongation factor 1-α, the β-tubulin, and the actin genes, the new species is closely related to Exophiala tremulae and Exophiala equina. E. radicis differs from E. tremulae morphologically by the shape and size of their conidia. A comparison of ITS sequences of E. radicis with GenBank records suggests that the species has a wide distribution in the northern hemisphere, and that it is commonly associated with living plant roots, indicating potential adaptations to this substrate.