Fusarium miscanthi sp nov from Miscanthus litter

Fusarium miscanthi sp, nov. was isolated from straw of Japanese silver grass, Miscanthus sinensis, buried in a Danish soil. It is characterized by long chains of microconidia which can be either pyriform or fusiform and are produced on polyphialides. Perithecia were not obtained in mating experiments. A strongly supported F. miscanthi-F nisikadoi clade forms a putative sister group to the Fusarium oxysporum complex. These two clades form a strongly supported sister group to the Gibberella fujikuroi complex. Presumably F. miscanthi has been introduced into Denmark from Asia together with the grass.