Pleoscrubiaceae, a new family in Pleosporales (Dothideomycetes) from the Florida scrub ecosystem

Pleoscrubia floridana, sp. nov. included in Pleoscrubia, gen. nov. isolated from roots of the Florida endemic Paronychia chartacea (paper nailwort; Caryophyllaceae), is described. Multigene phylogenetic analyses suggest that the fungus represents a novel lineage and along with morphological and ecological characteristics support the description of Pleoscrubiaceae, fam. nov. within Pleosporales (Dothideomycetes) to accommodate this distinct genus and species. Pleoscrubia floridana is likely unique to the Florida scrub ecosystem and associated with Paronychia chartacea host. The plant-fungal interaction experiment yielded neutral results on Arabidopsis thaliana. This newly discovered fungal lineage will help researchers understand the diversity and systematics of Pleosporales.