Phylogeny and taxonomy of Cladosporium-like hyphomycetes, including Davidiella gen. nov., the teleomorph of Cladosporium s. str.

A phylogenetic study employing sequence data from the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1, ITS2)and 5.8S gene, as well as the 18S rRNA gene of various Cladosporium-like hyphomycetes revealed Cladosporium s. lat. to be heterogeneous. The genus Cladosporium s. str. was shown to represent a sister clade to Mycosphaerella s. str., for which the teleomorph genus Davidiella is proposed. The morphology, phylogeny and taxonomy of the cladosporioid fungi are discussed on the basis of this phylogeny, which consists of several clades representing Cladosporium-like genera. Cladosporium is confined to Davidiella (Mycosphaerellaceae)anamorphs with coronate conidiogenous loci and conidial hila. Pseudocladosporium is confined to anamorphs of Caproventuria (Venturiaceae). Cladosporium-like anamorphs of the Venturia (conidia catenate)are referred to Fusicladium. Human-pathogenic Cladosporium species belong in Cladophialophora (Capronia, erpotrichiellaceae)and Cladosporium fulvum is representative of the Mycosphaerella/Passalora clade (Mycosphaerellaceae). Cladosporium malorum proved to provide the correct epithet for Pseudocladosporium kellermanianum (syn. Phaeoramularia kellermaniana, Cladophialophora kellermaniana)as well as Cladosporium porophorum. Based on differences in conidiogenesis and the structure of the conidiogenous loci, further supported by molecular data, C. malorum is allocated to Alternaria