Five novel species of Curvularia (Pleosporales, Pleosporaceae) isolated from turfgrasses

279 Five novel species of Curvularia (Pleosporales, Pleosporaceae) isolated from turfgrasses Jia-Mei Zhao1, Chuan-Xu Peng1, Qiu-Yue Zhang1,2 , De-Wei Li3, Lin Huang1,2 1 College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China 2 Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing 210037, China 3 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Valley Laboratory, Windsor, CT 06095, USA Corresponding author: Lin Huang ([email protected]); Qiu-Yue Zhang ([email protected]) Copyright: © Jia-Mei Zhao et al. This is an open access article distributed under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution 4.0 International – CC BY 4.0). Research Article Abstract Curvularia, a cosmopolitan fungal genus, occupies various ecological niches, but displays a pronounced tendency to colonise the leaves of plants. In this study, several fungal isolates with similar characteristics in the genus Curvularia were collected from leaf spots of turfgrasses (Cynodon dactylon and Lolium perenne) in Jiangsu Province, China. Based on the morphological characteristics and three locus phylogeny of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genes, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and translation elongation factor-1 alpha (tef1), five new species in Curvularia: C. cynodontis, C. herbicola, C. loliicola, C. nanjingensis and C. xuanwuensis, are described hereby. The present study contributes to the understanding of species diversity, taxonomy and phylogeny of Curvularia species in China. Key words: Fungal diversity, Helminthosporioid fungi, hyphomycetes, phylogeny, Pleosporaceae, taxonomy Introduction Turfgrass, defined as artificially maintained vegetation, plays a crucial role in enhancing aesthetics, preventing soil erosion and supporting ecological balance in urban landscapes, sports and recreational settings (Braun et al. 2024). In China, the research on turfgrass breeding started relatively late, with only 1–2 varieties being registered annually and only about 20 of these varieties are considered suitable for lawn applications (Lai and Han 2022). As a result, cool-season turfgrasses, such as Poa pratensis, Festuca arundinacea and Lolium perenne, along with warm-season species like Cynodon dactylon, are predominantly imported (Asano and Ugaki 1994; Inokuma et al. 1998). Turfgrasses are susceptible to over 300 fungal pathogens that affect leaves, sheaths and roots. Notable diseases include brown patch, dollar spots, summer patch, powdery mildew, smut, Pythium blight, Fusarium blight, anthracnose and Curvularia leaf spots (Couch 1995; Toda et al. 2007; Kammerer et al. 2011). The genus Curvularia Boedijn, belonging to Pleosporaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes, was established and typified by C. lunata (Wakker) Boedijn (Boedjin 1933). It is characterised by the intercalary and terminal conidiogenous Academic editor: Malgorzata Ruszkiewicz-Michalska Received: 13 August 2025 Accepted: 20 October 2025 Published: 21 November 2025 Citation: Zhao J-M, Peng C-X, Zhang Q-Y, Li D-W, Huang L (2025) Five novel species of Curvularia (Pleosporales, Pleosporaceae) isolated from turfgrasses. MycoKeys 125: 279–305. https://doi.org/10.3897/ mycokeys.125.168614 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025) DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 280 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses cells and sympodial conidiophores. Most conidia of this genus are falcate or curved, though straight conidia also occur in some taxa (Manamgoda et al. 2015; Ferdinandez et al. 2023; van Vuuren et al. 2024; Ahmadpour et al. 2025). Curvularia species have a cosmopolitan distribution and inhabit diverse niches as plant pathogens, endophytes, saprobes or opportunistic human pathogens (Dransfield 1966; Almaguer et al. 2012; Manamgoda et al. 2015; Marin-Felix et al. 2017). Additionally, most of the species are reported from poaceous hosts (Smiley et al. 2005; Manamgoda et al. 2012; Tan et al. 2018; Marin et al. 2020; Tredway et al. 2023). It is a species-rich genus with 253 epithets and varieties in Index Fungorum (http://www.indexfungorum.org, accessed on 1 July 2025). Morphologically, Curvularia was recognised as a genus often confused with Bipolaris Shoemaker (Sivanesan 1987; Tan et al. 2018; van Vuuren et al. 2024). These genera contain species with straight or curved conidia; the conidia of Curvularia show curvature due to disproportionately larger intermediate cells, whereas the curvature of Bipolaris is continuous along the entire length of the conidium. Though, generally, Bipolaris conidia are longer than Curvularia conidia, they are still difficult to distinguish (Manamgoda et al. 2014, 2015; Marin-Felix et al. 2020; Ahmadpour et al. 2025). On the other hand, the sexual morphs of these genera are similar and previously classified as Cochliobolus Drechsler (synonymous with Pseudocochliobolus Tsuda, Ueyama & Nishih.), characterised by brown or black, globose ascomata (pseudothecia), bitunicate and cylindrical asci and filiform or flagelliform, hyaline ascospores, which are loosely organised into a helix or parallel in the ascus (Sivanesan 1987; Manamgoda et al. 2014, 2015). However, it is rare to find sexual morphs in nature (Sivanesan 1987). Due to the difficulty in distinguishing these genera using morphological characters, species recognition in these genera relies on molecular analyses (Manamgoda et al. 2014). Although the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region has been selected as the primary fungal barcode marker, it has low resolution for Curvularia. Therefore, for speciation of Curvularia, multi-locus sequence analyses of ITS and the partial gene regions of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef1) genes have been proposed (Manamgoda et al. 2012; Marin-Felix et al. 2017, 2020; Tan et al. 2018). Numerous studies have shown that Curvularia is currently recognised as a well-defined monophyletic genus (Manamgoda et al. 2015; Marin-Felix et al. 2020). During the extensive investigations conducted to collect turfgrass pathogens in Nanjing, China, several Curvularia taxa exhibiting typical characteristics were successfully isolated. The primary objective of this study was to determine the identities of these newly-collected Curvularia species through morphological studies and phylogenetic analyses, while also elucidating their phylogenetic relationships. Materials and methods Sample collection and potential fungal pathogen isolation Samples were collected from leaf blight of grassland in six parks across main urban districts of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Within each park, seven to ten 1 × 1 m quadrats were surveyed. The comprehensive data of each sampling site are listed in Suppl. material 1: table S1, including specific location, survey date, geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude), turf area and turfgrass variety. 281 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Small sections (2 × 3 mm) were cut from the margins of infected tissues and surface sterilised in 75% alcohol for 30 s, then in 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 90 s, followed by three rinses with sterile water (Huang et al. 2016), then blotted dry with sterilised filter paper, placed on Petri plates with 2% potato dextrose agar (PDA) and 100 mg/l ampicillin and then cultured for 3 days at 25 °C in the dark. Fungal isolates were purified with the monosporic isolation method described by using the spores produced with liquid cultures (Li et al. 2007). Single-spore isolates were maintained on PDA plates. The obtained isolates were stored in the Forest Pathology Laboratory at Nanjing Forestry University. Holotype specimens of new species from this study were deposited at the China Forestry Culture Collection Center (CFCC, https://cfcc.caf.ac.cn/), Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China. Morphological analyses The morphology of the new species identified in this study was analysed, based on fruiting bodies naturally formed on leaves and PDA plates. Micromorphological structures were photographed using the Zeiss stereomicroscope. The shape, colour and size of conidiophores and conidia were observed using a ZEISS Axio Scope 5 microscope (ZEISS, Germany) with differential interference contrast (DIC) optics. For each structure, 30 measurements were made. Colours were determined using Kornerup and Wanscher (1978). Photo plates were made by Adobe Photoshop 2021. For spore measurements, 30 spores were randomly selected. The results are presented as maximum and minimum values (in parentheses), along with the range expressed as the (min.–) X–SD–X + SD (–max.). Phylogenetic analyses Genomic DNA of 26 isolates was extracted using a modified CTAB method (Damm et al. 2008). The fungal plugs of each isolate were grown on the PDA plates for 5 days and then collected in a 2 ml tube. Then, 500 µl of chloroform and 500 µl of hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) extraction buffer (0.2 M Tris, 1.4 M NaCl, 20 mM EDTA, 0.2 g/l CTAB) were added into the tubes, which were placed in a shaker at 30 °C at 200 rpm for 1.5 h. The mixture was centrifuged at 15,800 × g for 10 min. Then, 300 µl of the supernatant was transferred into a new tube and 600 µl of 100% ethanol were added. The suspension was centrifuged at 15,800 × g for 5 min. At that point, 600 µl of 75% ethanol were added into the precipitate. The suspension was centrifuged at 15,800 × g for 5 min and the supernatant was discarded. The DNA pellet was dried and re-suspended in 30 µl ddH2O. The quality of the extracted DNA was assessed using a microvolume spectrophotometer. To amplify the ITS, GAPDH and tef1 loci, the following primer pairs were used: ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), gpd1/gpd2 (Berbee et al. 1999) and tef1-983F/tef1-2218R (Rehner and Buckley 2005), respectively. The primer sequences are listed in Suppl. material 1: table S2. The parameters for PCR protocol were as follows: 94 °C for 4 min, followed by 35 cycles of 30 s at 94 °C, 45 s at 55–60 °C and 45 s at 72 °C, which were used in a touch down PCR (Korbie and Mattick 2008). A final extension step was conducted for 282 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses 10 min at 72 °C. The primers were synthesised by Sangon Biotech, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. The amplified products were sequenced in Shanghai Jie Li Biotechnology Co., Ltd. To include a more comprehensive range of species, we chose specific genes/regions for our study, based on research by Ahmadpour et al. (2025). These were as follows: ITS + GAPDH + tef1 for Curvularia (Table 1). The dataset was then aligned separately using MAFFT v.74 (http://mafft.cbrc.jp/alignment/ server/) (Katoh et al. 2019) with the G-INS-I iterative refinement algorithm and optimised manually in BioEdit v.7.0.5.3 (Hall 1999). The separate alignments were then concatenated using PhyloSuite v.1.2.2 (Zhang et al. 2020a). Phylogenetic trees were inferred using both Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) approaches, implemented in RAxML v.8.2.10 (Stamatakis 2014) and MrBayes 3.2.6 (Ronquist et al. 2012), respectively. For the ML analysis, statistical support values were obtained by using rapid bootstrapping with 1000 replicates, with default settings for other parameters. For BI, the optimal partitioning scheme and substitution model were selected with ModelFinder (Kalyaanamoorthy et al. 2017) via its “greedy” algorithm. Branch lengths were linked across partitions and selected by AICc. Four Markov Chain Monte Carlo chains (one cold) were constructed for 5,000,000 generations, with sampling every 1000 generations. Following the burn-in phase (first 25% of sampled trees), the discarded trees were excluded and posterior probabilities (BPP) in the majority rule consensus tree were calculated from the remaining trees. Phylogenetic trees were visualised by using FigTree version 1.4.4 (Rambaut 2018). Branches that received bootstrap supports for ML (≥ 50%) and BPP (≥ 0.90) were considered as significantly supported. Results Symptoms in the field The symptoms of disease caused by Curvularia species visible in the field are shown in Fig. 1. On diseased plants, the leaves exhibit progressive yellowing and become densely speckled with yellowish-brown to black necrotic lesions. As the disease advances, these spots coalesce into larger confluent patches, ultimately causing complete leaf wilting and chlorosis. Under humid conditions, the lesion surfaces develop distinct black mould-like structures, composed of fungal mycelia and conidia. These symptoms closely resemble those induced by Curvularia strains on turfgrass species, as previously documented in pathological studies (Tomaso-Peterson et al. 2016). Phylogeny In this study, the concatenated (ITS + GAPDH + tef1) dataset included sequences from 217 strains, representing 188 species of Curvularia. Sequences of Bipolaris maydis (Y. Nisik. & C. Miyake) Shoemaker and used as an outgroup followed Ahmadpour et al. (2025). The final alignment consisted of 2,006 characters (ITS: 471; GAPDH: 552; tef1: 983), including gaps. For Bayesian Inference (BI) analysis, the most appropriate models for each locus were confirmed 283 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Table 1. Cultures, specimens and NCBI accession numbers included in this study. T indicates ex-type strains. Species Isolate/Culture collection Host/Substratum Country GenBank accessions ITS GAPDH tef1 Bipolaris maydis CBS 137271 TZea mays USA AF071325 KM034846 KM093794 Curvularia aeria CBS 294.61 TAir Brazil HF934910 HG779148 – C. affinis CBS 154.34 TUnknown Indonesia KJ909780 KM230401 KM196566 C. akaii CBS 318.86 TUnknown Japan LT631340 LT715797 – C. akaiiensis BRIP 16080 TUnknown India KJ415539 KJ415407 KJ415453 C. alcornii MFLUCC 10-0703 TZea mays Thailand JX256420 JX276433 JX266589 C. algeriensis CBS 150506 TZea mays Algeria OP218257 OP223173 OP223186 C. americana UTHSC 08-3414 THuman ankle USA HE861833 HF565488 – C. andropogonis CBS 186.49 TAndropogon nardus Indonesia LT631354 LT715835 – C. angsiewkeeae BRIP 72449aTScleria sp. Australia OK638993 OK655929 OK655924 C. annelliconidiophori CGMCC 3.19352 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215641 MN264077 MN263935 C. asiatica MFLUCC 10-0711 TPanicum sp. Thailand JX256424 JX276436 JX266593 C. aurantia USJCC-0096 TZea mays Sri Lanka OQ275217 OQ269628 OQ332409 C. australiensis BRIP 12044 TOryza sativa Australia KJ415540 KJ415406 KJ415452 C. australis BRIP 12521 TSporobolus caroli Australia KJ415541 KJ415405 KJ415451 C. austriaca CBS 102694 THuman nasal cavity Austria MN688802 MN688829 MN688856 C. bannonii BRIP 16732 TJacquemontia tamnifolia USA KJ415542 KJ415404 KJ415450 C. beasleyi BRIP 10972 TChloris gayana Australia MH414892 MH433638 MH433654 C. beasleyi BRIP 15854 Leersia hexandra Australia MH414893 MH433639 MH433655 C. beerburrumensis BRIP 12942 TEragrostis bahiensis Australia MH414895 MH433634 MH433657 C. boeremae IMI 164633 TPortulaca oleracea India MH414911 MH433641 – C. borreriae CBS 859.73 TVolcanic ash soil Chile LT631355 LT715838 – C. bothriochloae BRIP 12522 TBothriochloa bladhii Australia KJ415543 KJ415403 KJ415449 C. boudouaouensis CBS 150515 TZea mays Algeria OP218258 OP223175 OP223187 C. brachyspora CBS 186.50 TSoil Java HG778983 KM061784 KM230405 C. buchloes CBS 246.49 TBuchloe dactyloides USA KJ909765 KM061789 KM196588 C. cactivora CBS 580.74 Member of Cactaceae Republic of Suriname MN688803 MN688830 MN688857 C. canadensis CBS 109239 TOverwintered grass Canada MN688804 MN688831 MN688858 C. caricae-papayae CBS 135941 TCarica papaya India LT631350 LT715816 – C. caspica IRAN 4275CTEleocharis sp. Iran PP593896 PP661368 PP661351 C. caspica FCCUU 1103 Cyperus sp. Iran PP593897 PP661369 PP661352 C. caspica FCCUU 1104 Fimbristylis sp. Iran PP593898 PP661370 PP661353 C. chiangmaiensis CPC 28829 TZea mays Thailand MF490814 MF490836 MF490857 C. chiangraiensis MFLUCC 22-0091 TSoil Thailand OP581428 OP859013 OP859017 C. chlamydospora UTHSC 07-2764 THuman toenail USA HG779021 HG779151 – C. chonburiensis MFLUCC 16-0375 TPandanus sp. Thailand MH275055 MH412747 – C. chuasooengiae BRIP 72482a TScleria sp. Australia OK638997 OK655933 – C. clavata BRIP 61680b Oryza rufipogon Australia KU552205 KU552167 KU552159 C. coatesiae BRIP 24261 TLitchi chinensis Australia MH414897 MH433636 MH433659 C. coicicola HSAUP 990901 Coix lacryma-jobi China AB453880 – – C. coicis CBS 192.29 TCoix lacryma-jobi Japan HF934917 HG779130 JN601006 C. coimbatorensis SZMC 22225 THuman cornea India MN628310 MN628306 MN628302 C. colbranii BRIP 13066 TCrinum zeylanicum Australia MH414898 MH433642 MH433660 C. comoriensis CBS 110673 Unknown Unknown LT631357 LT715841 – C. crassiseptata CBS 503.90 TPlant material Nigeria LT631310 LT715882 MN688859 C. crustacea BRIP 13524 TSporobolus sp. Indonesia KJ415544 KJ415402 KJ415448 C. curculiginis YZU 181230 Curculigo capitulata China MK507796 MK507794 MK507795 C. cymbopogonis CBS 419.78 TYucca sp. Netherlands HG778985 HG779129 – C. cynodontis SCM16-22TLeaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973428 PV995188 PV995204 C. cynodontis YZ26-27 Leaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973429 PV995189 PV995206 284 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Species Isolate/Culture collection Host/Substratum Country GenBank accessions ITS GAPDH tef1 C. cynodontis XW6-23 Leaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973430 PV995190 PV995205 C. cyperi IRAN 4274C TCyperus sp. Iran PP593899 PP661371 PP661354 C. cyperi FCCUU 1101 Fimbristylis sp. Iran PP593900 PP661372 PP661355 C. cyperi FCCUU 1102 Isolepis sp. Iran PP593901 PP661373 PP661356 C. dactyloctenicola CPC 28810 TDactyloctenium aegyptium Thailand MF490815 MF490837 MF490858 C. dactyloctenii BRIP 12846 TDactyloctenium radulans Australia KJ415545 KJ415401 KJ415447 C. dactyloctenii 7938-9 Eureka blueberry China AF158106 AF081376 – C. deightonii CBS 537.70 TSorghum vulgare Denmark LT631356 LT715839 – C. deserticola CBS 151410 TStipagrostis ciliata Namibia ON074985 ON355399 ON355360 C. determinata CGMCC 3.19340 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215653 MN264088 MN263947 C. eleusinicola USJCC-0005 TEleusine coracana Sri Lanka MT262877 MT393583 MT432925 C. elliptiformis CGMCC 3.19351 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215656 MN264091 MN263950 C. ellisii CBS 193.62 TAir Pakistan JN192375 JN600963 JN601007 C. eragrostidicola BRIP 12538 TEragrostis pilosa Australia MH414899 MH433643 MH433661 C. eragrostidis CBS 189.48 TSorghum sp. Java HG778986 HG779154 – C. falsilunata CGMCC 3.19329 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215660 MN264093 MN263954 C. flexuosa CGMCC 3.19447 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215663 MN264096 MN263957 C. frankliniae BRIP 72476aTSorghum timorense Australia OK638995 OK655931 OK655926 C. fraserae BRIP 64708aTBothriochloa insculpta Australia OM809867 OM721558 OM714552 C. geniculata CBS 187.50 TAndropogon sorghum Indonesia KJ909781 KM083609 KM230410 C. gladioli CBS 210.79 Gladiolus sp. Romania LT631345 LT715802 – C. gobabebensis CBS 149140 TStipagrostis ciliata Namibia ON074797 ON355381 ON355347 C. gobabebensis CMW-IA 6921 Stipagrostis ciliata Namibia ON332848 ON355373 ON355344 C. graminicola BRIP 23186aTAristida ingrata Australia JN192376 JN600964 JN601008 C. herbicola JHS14-23 Leaves of Lolium perenne China PV973431 PV995191 PV995207 C. herbicola YYH23-17 Leaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973432 PV995192 PV995208 C. herbicola XW1-15TLeaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973433 PV995193 PV995209 C. guangxiensis CGMCC 3.19330 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215667 MN264100 MN263961 C. gudauskasii DAOM 165085 Unknown Unknown AF071338 AF081393 – C. harveyi BRIP 57412 TTriticum aestivum Australia KJ415546 KJ415400 KJ415446 C. hawaiiensis BRIP 11987 TOryza sativa USA KJ415547 KJ415399 KJ415445 C. heteropogonicola BRIP 14579 THeteropogon contortus India KJ415548 KJ415398 KJ415444 C. heteropogonis CBS 284.91 THeteropogon contortus Australia KJ415549 JN600969 JN601013 C. hominis UTHSC 09-464 THuman cornea USA HG779011 HG779106 – C. homomorpha CBS 156.60 TAir USA JN192380 JN600970 JN601014 C. huamulaniae BRIP 10936a TAir Australia OR130931 OR135531 OR135532 C. hustoniae BRIP 72486a THeteropogon triticeus Australia OK638999 OK655935 OK655928 C. inaequalis CBS 102.42 T Soil France KJ922375 KM061787 KM196574 C. intermedia CBS 334.64 Avena versicolor USA HG778991 HG779155 – C. intermedia XY-3 Eureka blueberry China OQ300329 OQ338159 OQ338160 C. iranica IRAN 3487C TBougainvillea spectabilis Iran MT551122 MN266487 MN266490 C. ischaemi CBS 630.82 TIschaemum indicum Solomon Islands HG778992 HG779131 – C. joliotcurieae BRIP 14448a TTriticum aestivum Australia OQ917073 OQ889556 OQ889557 C. kenpeggii BRIP 14530 TTriticum aestivum Australia MH414900 MH433644 MH433662 C. khuzestanica CBS 144736 TAtriplex lentiformis Iran MH688044 MH688043 – C. khuzestanica SCUA-11C-2 Atriplex lentiformis Iran MH688046 MH688045 – C. kusanoi CBS 137.29 TEragrostis major Japan JN192381 LT715862 KM196592 C. lamingtonensis BRIP 12259 TMicrolaena stipoides Australia MH414901 MH433645 MH433663 C. loliicola XW9-5-1TLeaves of Lolium perenne China PV973443 PV995201 PV995217 C. loliicola XW9-5-2 Leaves of Lolium perenne China PV973441 PV995202 PV995218 C. loliicola XW9-5-3 Leaves of Lolium perenne China PV973442 PV995203 PV995219 C. lolii CMAA 1785 TLolium multiflorum Brazil MT849336 MT889299 MT881706 285 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Species Isolate/Culture collection Host/Substratum Country GenBank accessions ITS GAPDH tef1 C. lonarensis CBS 140569 TLonar lake India KT315408 KY007019 – C. lunata CBS 730.96 THuman lung biopsy USA JX256429 JX276441 JX266596 C. lycopersici Strain 11 Solanum lycopersicum Egypt KY883347 KY883345 – C. malina CBS 131274 TZoysia matrella USA JF812154 KP153179 KR493095 C. manamgodae CGMCC 3.19446 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215677 MN264110 MN263971 C. maraisii CBS 149143 TSoil Namibia OR471647 ON355439 OR486044 C. mebaldsii BRIP 12900 TCynodon transvaalensis Australia MH414902 MH433647 MH433664 C. mebaldsii CMW-IA 6956 Stipagrostis ciliata Namibia ON644443 ON661549 – C. micrairae BRIP 17068aTMicraira subulifolia Australia OM421618 OM373204 OM373205 C.micropus CBS 127235 TPaspalum notatum USA HE792934 LT715859 – C. microspora GUCC 6272 THippeastrum striatum China MF139088 MF139106 MF139115 C. millisiae BRIP 71718a TCyperus aromaticus Australia OK661031 OK636415 OK636413 C. miyakei CBS 197.29 TEragrostis pilosa Japan KJ909770 KM083611 KM196568 C. moringae CPC 38873 TMoringa ovalifolia Namibia MW175363 MW173105 – C. mosaddeghii IRAN 3131CTSyzygium cumini Iran MG846737 MH392155 MH392152 C. muehlenbeckiae CBS 144.63 TMuehlenbeckia sp. India HG779002 HG779108 – C. namibensis CBS 149144 TStipagrostis ciliata Namibia ON074819 ON355384 ON355350 C. nanjingensis YZ25-10-2-1TLeaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973438 PV995198 PV995214 C. nanjingensis YZ25-10-2-2 Leaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973439 PV995199 PV995215 C. nanjingensis YZ25-10-2-3 Leaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973440 PV995200 PV995216 C. nanningensis GUCC 11005 TCymbopogon citratus China MH885321 MH980005 MH980011 C. neergaardii BRIP 12919 TOryza sativa Ghana KJ415550 KJ415397 KJ415443 C. neoindica IMI 129790 TBrassica nigra India MH414910 MH433649 MH433667 C. nicotiae BRIP 11983 TSoil Algeria KJ415551 KJ415396 KJ415442 C. nodosa CPC 28800 TDigitaria ciliaris Thailand MF490816 MF490838 MF490859 C. nuciferae YzU 231509 Nelumbo nucifera China OR888819 PP066825 PP792703 C. nuciferae YzU 231510 Nelumbo nucifera China OR888818 PP066826 PP792704 C. nodosa CPC 28801 –Thailand MF490817 MF490839 MF490860 C. nodulosa CBS 160.58 Eleusine indica USA JN601033 JN600975 JN601019 C. nodulosa IRAN 4804C Eleusine indica Iran PP593892 PP661366 – C. nuciferae YzU 231509 Nelumbo nucifera China OR888819 PP066825 PP792703 C. nuciferae YzU 231510 Nelumbo nucifera China OR888818 PP066826 PP792704 C. oryzae CBS 169.53 TOryza sativa Vietnam KP400650 HG779156 KM196590 C. oryzae IRAN 5044C Unknown Iran PP593893 PP661367 – C. oryzae-sativae CBS 127725 TOryza sativa Argentina MN688808 MN688835 MN688863 C. ovariicola CBS 470.90 TEragrostis interrupta Australia MN688809 MN688836 – C. pallescens CBS 156.35 TAir Indonesia KJ922380 KM083606 KM196570 C. palmicola MFLUCC 14-0404 TAcoelorrhaphe wrightii Thailand MF621582 – – C. pandanicola MFLUCC 15-0746 TPandanus sp. Thailand MH275056 MH412748 MH412763 C. panici-maximi USJCC-0006 TPanicum maximum Sri Lanka MN044757 MN053040 MN053009 C. papendorfii CBS 308.67 TAcacia karroo South Africa KJ909774 KM083617 KM196594 C. paraverruculosa FMR 17656 TSoil Mexico LR736641 LR736646 LR736649 C. patereae CBS 198.87 TTriticum durum Argentina MN688810 MN688837 MN688864 C. penniseti CBS 528.70 Unknown Unknown MH859833 LT715840 – C. perotidis CBS 350.90 TPerotis rara Australia HG778995 HG779138 KM230407 C. petersonii BRIP 14642 TDactyloctenium aegyptium Australia MH414905 MH433650 MH433668 C. phaeospara CGMCC 3.19448 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215686 MN264118 MN263980 C. pisi CBS 190.48 TPisum sativum Canada KY905678 KY905690 KY905697 C. plantarum CGMCC 3.19342 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215688 MN264120 MN263982 C. platzii BRIP 27703b TCenchrus clandestinum Australia MH414906 MH433651 MH433669 C. polytrata CGMCC 3.19338 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215691 MN264123 MN263984 C. prasadii CBS 143.64 TJasminum sambac India KJ922373 KM061785 KM230408 286 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Species Isolate/Culture collection Host/Substratum Country GenBank accessions ITS GAPDH tef1 C. protuberans CGMCC 3.19360 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215693 MN264125 MN263986 C. protuberata CBS 376.65 TDeschampsia flexuosa Scotland KJ922376 KM083605 KM196576 C. pseudobrachyspora CPC 28808 TEleusine indica Thailand MF490819 MF490841 MF490862 C. pseudoclavata CBS 539.70 TOryza sativa Denmark MN688817 MN688844 MN688869 C. pseudoellisii CBS 298.80 TSorghum bicolor Sudan MN688818 MN688845 MN688870 C. pseudointermedia CBS 553.89 TCultivated pasture soil Brazil MN688819 MN688846 MN688871 C. pseudolunata UTHSC 09-2092 THuman nasal sinus USA HE861842 HF565459 – C. pseudoprotuberata CBS 385.69 TSoil under Thuja occidentalis Canada MN688821 MN688848 MN688873 C. pseudorobusta UTHSC 08-3458 Human nasal sinus USA HE861838 HF565476 – C. radicicola CGMCC 3.19327 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215699 MN264131 MN263992 C. radici-foliigena CGMCC 3.19328 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215695 MN264127 MN263988 C. ravenelii BRIP 13165 TSporobolus fertilis Australia JN192386 JN600978 JN601024 C. reesii BRIP 4358 TAir Australia MH414907 MH433637 MH433670 C. richardiae BRIP 4371 TRichardia brasiliensis Australia KJ415555 KJ415391 KJ415438 C. robusta CBS 624.68 TDichanthium annulatum USA KJ909783 KM083613 KM196577 C. rouhanii CBS 144674 TSyngonium vellozianum Iran KX139030 MG428694 MG428687 C. rouhanii CN022H5 Stipagrostis ciliata Namibia ON074966 ON355388 ON355353 C. ryleyi BRIP 12554 TSporobolus creber Australia KJ415556 KJ415390 KJ415437 C. saccharicola CGMCC 3.19344 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215701 MN264133 MN263994 C. sacchari-officinarum CGMCC 3.19331 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215705 MN264137 MN263998 C. senegalensis CBS 149.71 Unknown Nigeria HG779001 HG779128 – C. sesuvii CGMCC 3.9578 TSesuvium portulacastrum China EF175940 – – C. shahidchamranensis IRAN 3133CTSoil Iran MH550084 MH550083 – C. sichuanensis BN9 Air China MH483998 – – C. siddiquii CBS 196.62 TAir Pakistan MN688823 MN688850 – C. simmonsii USJCC-0002 TPanicum maximum Sri Lanka MN044753 MN053011 MN053005 C. soli CBS 222.96 TSoil Papua New Guinea KY905679 KY905691 KY905698 C. sorghina BRIP 15900 TSorghum bicolor Australia KJ415558 KJ415388 KJ415435 C. spicifera CBS 274.52 Soil Spain JN192387 JN600979 JN601023 C. spicifera AT-102 corn Northern Algeria OP218259 OP223176 OP223188 C. sporobolicola BRIP 23040b TSporobolus australasicus Australia MH414908 MH433652 MH433671 C. stipagrostidicola CBS 149150 TStipagrostis ciliata Namibia ON332838 ON355415 ON355368 C. stenotaphri BRIP 71303 TStenotaphrum secundatum Australia MZ681952 MZ695824 MZ695819 C. subpapendorfii CBS 656.74 TSoil Egypt KJ909777 KM061791 KM196585 C. suttoniae FMR 10992 THuman leg wound USA HE861828 HF565479 LR736651 C. tabaci YzU 221481 Nicotiana tabacum China OR888817 PP066824 OR818398 C. tabaci YzU 221482 Nicotiana tabacum China PP601257 PP779503 PP779504 C. tabaci YzU 221481 Nicotiana tabacum China OR888817 PP066824 OR818398 C. tabaci YzU 221482 Nicotiana tabacum China PP601257 PP779503 PP779504 C. tamilnaduensis SZMC 22226 THuman cornea India MN628311 MN628307 MN628303 C. tanzanica IMI 507176 TCyperus aromaticus Tanzania MW396857 MW388669 – C. templetoniae BRIP 72453a THyparrhenia hirta Australia OK638994 OK655930 OK655925 C. thailandicum MFLUCC 15-0747 TPandanus sp. Thailand MH275057 MH412749 MH412764 C. tribuli CBS 126975 TTribulus terrestris South Africa MN688825 MN688852 MN688875 C. trifolii ICMP 6149 Setaria glauca New Zealand KM230395 KM083607 JX266600 C. tripogonis BRIP 12375 TTripogon loliiformis Australia JN192388 JN600980 JN601025 C. tropicalis BRIP 14834 TCoffea arabica India KJ415559 KJ415387 KJ415434 C. tsudae ATCC 44764 TChloris gayana Japan KC424596 KC747745 KC503940 C. tuberculata CBS 146.63 TZea mays India JX256433 JX276445 JX266599 C. umbiliciformis CGMCC 3.19346 TSaccharum officinarum China MN215711 MN264142 MN264004 C. uncinata CBS 221.52 TOryza sativa Vietnam HG779024 HG779134 – C. variabilis CPC 28815 TChloris barbata Thailand MF490822 MF490844 MF490865 287 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Species Isolate/Culture collection Host/Substratum Country GenBank accessions ITS GAPDH tef1 C. verruciformis CBS 537.75 Vanellus miles NewZealand HG779026 HG779133 – C. verrucosa CBS 422.93 Air Cuba MN688826 MN688853 MN688876 C. verruculosa CBS 150.63 Punica granatum India KP400652 KP645346 KP735695 C. verruculosa NCK 1675 Human skin Taiwan LC802641LC802651 LC802661 C. vidyodayana USJCC-0029 TOryza sativa Sri Lanka OQ275234 OQ269645 OQ332413 C. vietnamensis FMR 17659 Tunidentified dead leaves Vietnam LR736642 LR736644 LR736647 C. warraberensis BRIP 14817 TDactyloctenium aegyptium Australia MH414909 MH433653 MH433672 C. xishuangbannaensis KUMCC 17-0185 TPandanus amaryllifollus Thailand MH275058 MH412750 MH412765 C. xuanwuensis XW4-33 Leaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973434 PV995194 PV995210 C. xuanwuensis XW9-10 Leaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973435 PV995195 PV995211 C. xuanwuensis ZS19-14TLeaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973436 PV995196 PV995212 C. xuanwuensis ZS19-15 Leaves of Cynodon dactylon China PV973437 PV995197 PV995213 C. yamadana COAD 359 Cyperus rotundus Brazil MN954705 –MT008260 Curvularia sp. IRAN 4273C Saccharum officinarum Iran PP593902 PP661374 PP661357 Curvularia sp. IRAN 3500C Saccharum officinarum Iran PP593903 PP661375 PP661358 Figure 1. Disease symptoms associated with turfgrass samples (Cynodon dactylon and Lolium perenne) in this study. A–D. Symptoms documented at the site of collection; E–H. Detailed view in the collected Lolium perenne leaves; I–L. Detailed view in the collected Cynodon dactylon leaves. using ModelFinder (The selected models were SYM + I + G4 for ITS, GTR + F + I + G4 for GAPDH and GTR + F + I + G4 for tef1). Bayesian analysis resulted in a nearly congruent topology with an average standard deviation of split frequencies as 0.011855 to ML analysis and, thus, only the ML tree is provided (Fig. 2). ML bootstrap support values (BS) ≥ 50% and Bayesian posterior probabilities (BPP) ≥ 0.90 are indicated on the branches. Phylogenetic analyses revealed five new distinct lineages of Curvularia amongst the examined isolates (Fig. 2), ultimately leading to the recognition of five new species, based on morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogeny (ITS, GAPDH and tef1). Sequences of three strains (SCM16-22, XW6-23, 294 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Figure 5. Curvularia loliicola (XW9-5-1, type). A–C. Colony on PDA (A), OA (B) and CMA (C), respectively in 5 days after incubation at 25 °C; D. Sporulation on PDA; E–F. Conidiogenous cell and conidiophore; G–K. Conidia, conidiogenous cell and conidiophore; L. Conidia. Scale bars: 100 μm (D); 50 μm (H); 10 μm (E–G, I–L). 295 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses greyish-green and the edge is dark yellow. On OA medium, the colonies reach up to 47 mm in diam. The edge is neat, cottony appearance, the colony surface is grey, aerial hyphae are fluffy and reverse is black. On CMA medium, the colonies are cottony and reach 32 mm in diam. The edge is irregular and the centre is black. Additional materials examined. China • Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, Xuanwu District, Xuanwu Lake Park, isolated from leaf blight of Lolium perenne, 5 June 2024, Jia-Mei Zhao and Lin Huang, XW9-5-2, XW9-5-3. Notes. Phylogenetically, Curvularia loliicola forms a distinct, strongly supported lineage sister to C. intermedia (Fig. 2). Morphologically, C. loliicola resembles C. intermedia in producing 3-septate conidia, but differs in conidial and conidiophore size and ornamentation. Curvularia intermedia possesses longer conidia (33–37 vs. 23–29 μm in length). In addition, C. intermedia distinctly differs from C. loliicola by its longer conidiophores which can reach up to 800 μm, while the conidiophores of C. loliicola show no basal enlargement and are semito macro-nematous, up to 192 μm (Ahmadpour et al. 2012). Furthermore, it has also been reported that it can cause leaf spots of Cynodon dactylon, blueberries and other plants (Couch 1995; Li et al. 2019; Cheng et al. 2022; Kong et al. 2024). In addition, the novel species resembles Curvularia graminis Meng Zhang & T.Y. Zhang, described from grass hosts in China, particularly in conidial morphology, where the second and third septa from the base are often darker pigmented. However, C. graminis differs from C. loliicola in having longer conidia (29–46 vs. 23–29 μm, Zhang and Zhang (2007)). Curvularia nanjingensis Lin Huang, Jia-Mei Zhao & D.W. Li, sp. nov. Fig. 6 MycoBank No: 860703 Holotype. China • Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, Jianye District, Yuzui Wetland Park, 31°97'13"N, 118°65'54"E, isolated from leaf blight of Cynodon dactylon, 29 Aug 2024. Holotype: CFCC 72723 is a living specimen being maintained via lyophilisation at the China Forestry Culture Collection Center (CFCC). Ex-type (YZ25-10-21) is maintained at the Forest Pathology Laboratory, Nanjing Forestry University. Etymology. The name refers to the city, Nanjing where the holotype was collected. Description. Asexual morph on PDA: Hyphae 3–4 μm wide, subhyaline to pale brown, thinand smooth-walled, septate, branched. Conidiophores mononematous, semito macronematous, septate, arising singly or frequently in groups, straight to flexuous, geniculate towards the apex, unbranched, smooth-walled, subhyaline to dark brown, (113–)163–279(–384) × (3–)4–6 μm (mean ± SD = 221 ± 58 × 5 ± 1 μm). Conidiogenous cells monoto polytretic, proliferating sympodially, integrated, terminal or intercalary, subcylindrical to irregularly swollen, yellowish-brown, smooth, 6–14(–18) × 4–6 μm (mean ± SD = 10 ± 4 × 5 ± 1 μm). Conidia straight or curved, elliptical to lunate, smooth, 2–3-euseptate, median cells unequally enlarged, pigmentation intensified to dark brown and median septum thickened, apical and basal cells subhyaline to pale brown, (13–)16–20(–22) × (7–)9–13(–14) μm (mean ± SD = 18 ± 2 × 11 ± 2 μm); germination monoor bipolar. Hila 2–3 μm wide, inconspicuous to slightly conspicuous, slightly thickened and darkened. Chlamydospores present, intercalary, smooth-walled, solitary or grouped in chain, 296 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Figure 6. Curvularia nanjingensis (YZ25-10-2-1, type). A–C. Colony on PDA (A), OA (B) and CMA (C), respectively in 5 days after incubation at 25 °C; D. Sporulation on PDA; E–K. Conidia, conidiogenous cells and conidiophore; L. Chlamydospores; M–N. conidia. Scale bars: 100 μm (D); 10 μm (H–M). 297 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses subglobose to oblong, 8–12(–13) × (6–)7–9(–10) μm (mean ± SD = 10 ± 2 × 8 ± 1 μm, n = 20). Microconidia not observed. Sexual morph: Undetermined. Culture characteristics. Colonies on PDA reach 46 mm diam. after 5 days at 25 °C in the dark. Round colonies, regular margin, flat without bulge, greyish-black at sporulating zone, white at aging zone. The centre of the reverse is greyish-green and the edge is yellowish-white. On OA medium, the colonies are up to 51 mm in diam., with regular margin, smooth surface, black on both front and reverse sides. On CMA medium, the diameter is up to 49 mm and the morphology is similar to that on OA medium. Additional materials examined. China • Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, Jianye District, Yuzui Wetland Park, 29 August 2024, isolated from leaf blight of Cynodon dactylon, Jia-Mei Zhao and Lin Huang, YZ25-10-2-2, YZ25-10-2-3. Notes. Phylogenetically, Curvularia nanjingensis is allocated to a strongly supported lineage (100/0.98) in Curvularia and related to C. chiangraiensis and C. simmonsii (Fig. 2). However, C. chiangraiensis can be easily distinguished from C. nanjingensis by its smaller conidiophores (50–150 × 2–7 μm vs. 163–279 × 4–6 μm, Yasanthika et al. (2023)). Curvularia simmonsii differs from C. nanjingensis by its longer conidia (21–27 μm vs. 16–20 μm, Ferdinandez et al. (2021)). Additionally, C. nanjingensis can produce chlamydospores, while this feature is not observed in C. chiangraiensis and C. simmonsii. Furthermore, C. chiangraiensis and C. simmonsii have only been sporadically reported. The former has been reported to be isolated from soil; the latter was isolated from the leaf lesions of Panicum maximum in Sri Lanka (Ferdinandez et al. 2021; Yasanthika et al. 2023). Curvularia xuanwuensis Lin Huang, Jia-Mei Zhao & D.W. Li, sp. nov. Fig. 7 MycoBank No: 860704 Holotype. China • Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, Xuanwu District, Zhongshan Sports Park, 32°05'03"N, 118°86'69"E, isolated from leaf blight of Cynodon dactylon, 3 July 2024. Holotype: CFCC 72729 is a living specimen being maintained via lyophilisation at the China Forestry Culture Collection Center (CFCC). Ex-type (ZS1914) is maintained at the Forest Pathology Laboratory, Nanjing Forestry University. Etymology. The epithet name after the Xuanwu District where the holotype of the fungus was collected. Description. Asexual morph on PDA: Hyphae 2–4 μm wide, subhyaline to pale brown, thinand smooth-walled hyphae, septate, branched. Conidiophores mononematous, semito macronematous, septate, arising singly or frequently in groups, straight to flexuous, geniculate at upper part, unbranched, smooth, pale brown to brown, paler towards the apex, (49–)60–180(–239) × (3–)4–6(–7) μm (mean ± SD = 120 ± 60 × 5 ± 1 μm). Conidiogenous cells monoto polytretic, proliferating sympodially, integrated, terminal or intercalary, subcylindrical, yellowish-brown, smooth to slightly verruculose, with thickened and darkened scars, (6–)7–11(–14) × 4–6(–7) μm (mean ± SD = 9 ± 2 × 5 ± 1 μm). Conidia straight, pale brown to dark golden brown, smooth, ellipsoidal, 2–3-euseptate, (14–)18– 22(–24) × (7–)8–10 μm (mean ± SD = 20 ± 2 × 9 ± 1 μm); germination monoor bipolar. Hila 2–3 μm wide, non-protuberant, thickened and darkened. Chlamydospores and microconidia were not observed. Sexual morph not observed. 298 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Figure 7. Curvularia xuanwuensis (ZS19-14, type). A–C. Colony on PDA (A), OA (B) and CMA (C), respectively in 5 days after incubation at 25 °C; D. Sporulation on PDA; E. Conidiogenous cell and conidiophore; F–K. Conidia, conidiogenous cells and conidiophores; L. Conidia. Scale bars: 100 μm (D); 20 μm (H–I, K); 10 μm (E–G, J, L). 299 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Culture characteristics. Colonies on PDA reach 44 mm diameter after 5 days at 25 °C in the dark. Round colonies with an entire margin, greyish-black at sporulating zone, flat and white at aging zone, cottony appearance. The centre of the reverse is greyish-green and the edge is white. On OA medium, the colonies attain up to 51 mm in diam. The edge is neat, cottony appearance, the surface of the colony is grey-black, the edge is white and the aerial hyphae are fluffy. Reverse side is greyish-black in the centre and white on the edges. On CMA medium, the colony is up to 49 mm in diam., with an irregular margin, the front and back sides are black and the surface is smooth. Additional materials examined. China • Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, Xuanwu District, Zhongshan Sports Park, 3 July 2024, isolated from leaf blight of Cynodon dactylon, Jia-Mei Zhao and Lin Huang, ZS19-15; Xuanwu Lake Park, 5 June 2024, isolated from leaf blight of Cynodon dactylon, Jia-Mei Zhao and Lin Huang, XW4-33, XW9-10. Notes. Our phylogenetic analyses reveal that Curvularia xuanwuensis forms a strongly supported (100/1) lineage and sisters to C. australiensis. However, these species are readily distinguishable in morphology. C. australiensis differs from C. xuanwuensis by its longer conidia (15–40 μm vs. 18–22 μm), with thicker and more conspicuous conidial septa and larger conidiophores (95–205 × 3–7 μm vs. 60–180 × 4–6 μm, Laforet (2015)). Discussion Species identification within the genus Curvularia traditionally relies on morphological characteristics, encompassing shape and length of conidiophores and conidia, as well as the presence of structures like hilum, stroma, chlamydospores and microconidia (Tan et al. 2014, 2018; Manamgoda et al. 2015; Marin-Felix et al. 2020). However, reliable species distinction is challenging due to many overlapping morphological characters (Sivanesan 1987; Alcorn 1988; Manamgoda et al. 2012, 2015). Studies have reported multiple isolation of Curvularia species from a single plant in different geographic locations, further confirming the complexity of Curvularia species delineation (Ahmadpour et al. 2014; Heidarian et al. 2020; Ferdinandez et al. 2021, 2023). Therefore, phylogenetic inference, based on DNA sequence data, is essential. Furthermore, ITS sequences alone are insufficient to accurately differentiate individual species and phylogenetic analyses using multi-locus ITS + GAPDH + tef1 genomic loci provide the highest resolution for species boundaries amongst Curvularia species (Berbee et al. 1999; Kiss et al. 2020; van Vuuren et al. 2024; Ahmadpour et al. 2025; Guo et al. 2025). Consequently, the modern taxonomic system for Curvularia is based on morphology and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses. In this study, five new species of Curvularia are identified in Jiangsu Province, China: C. cynodontis, C. herbicola, C. loliicola, C. nanjingensis and C. xuanwuensis. Curvularia species exhibit a wide range of ecological roles, including plant, animal or human pathogens, as well as epiphytes, saprobes or endophytes, predominantly associated with cultivated cereals (Manamgoda et al. 2015; Marin-Felix et al. 2020; Farr et al. 2021; Ahmadpour et al. 2025). Amongst them, as the phytopathogens, Curvularia species were primarily associated with grasses of the Poaceae, such as major grains like rice, wheat and corn, as well as ornamental plants like turfgrasses (Smiley et al. 2005; Zhang et al. 2020b; Tredway et al. 2023; Ram 300 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses et al. 2024). In this study, based on multi-locus phylogenetic analyses and morphological attributes, five new Curvularia species were described from ornamental Poaceae plants in China. Curvularia cynodontis, C. xuanwuensis and C. nanjingensis were only isolated from Cynodon dactylon and C. cynodontis was the most frequently isolated species in this study, including 11 strains. In addition, of other species described in this study, C. loliicola was found only in the leaves of Lolium perenne, while C. herbicola was isolated from these two grass plants. Curvularia is a cosmopolitan genus, with more than 30 first reports on different plants in China, India and Pakistan found in literature from 2010 to the present (Zhang et al. 2020b). It is evident that Curvularia species have maintained a close association with plant diversity. Although this study revealed associations between specific Curvularia species and particular substrates (Cynodon dactylon and Lolium perenne), broader sampling would help better understood their biology, substrate preferences, and distribution patterns. Collectively, this study contributes to a better understanding of the diversity of Curvularia isolates associated with Poaceae hosts. Further, this study provides valuable insights for plant pathologists, mycologists, agronomists and environmental scientists with actionable insights to enhance conservation and management strategies for key Poaceae ornamentals or crops. Additional information Conflict of interest The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Ethical statement No ethical statement was reported. Use of AI No use of AI was reported. Funding Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (Grant/ Award Number: KYCX23_1225), Qing Lan Project, and Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD). Author contributions Sampling, Jia-Mei Zhao and Chuan-Xu Peng; fungal isolation and sequencing Jia-Mei Zhao and Chuan-Xu Peng; phylogenetic analysis, Jia-Mei Zhao, Qiu-Yue Zhang and DeWei Li; description, Jia-Mei Zhao; writing – original draft preparation, Jia-Mei Zhao and Qiu-Yue Zhang; writing – review and editing, Jia-Mei Zhao, Chuan-Xu Peng, Huang Lin, Qiu-Yue Zhang, De-Wei Li; supervision, Huang Lin. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Author ORCIDs Jia-Mei Zhao https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6748-8682 Qiu-Yue Zhang https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9458-3566 De-Wei Li https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2788-7938 Lin Huang https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7536-0914 301 MycoKeys 125: 279–305 (2025), DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.125.168614 Jia-Mei Zhao et al.: Five novel species of Curvularia isolated from turfgrasses Data availability All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text or Supplementary Information. 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