Two new species,Pythium agreste and P. wuhanense,based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data

In an investigation of Pythium species in China, two new species, P. agreste and P. wuhanense, were identified based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data. Pythium agreste has slightly inflated sporangia, oogonia encompassed by antheridia and antheridial stalks forming a very complicated knot, and plerotic oospores. It differs from the morphologically similar P. volutum which has inflated sporangia, bigger oogonia, and aplerotic oospores; from P. kashmirense which has contiguous inflated sporangia, catenulate oogonia and coiled or bent oogonial stalks; and from P. pectinolyticum which has catenulate oogonia and bigger oogonia and oospores. Pythium wuhanense can be differentiated from morphologically similar P. emineosum and P. paroecandrum by its possession of intercalary cylindrical to elongated sporangia and intercalary oogonia catenulate with sporangia and antheridia. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these two new species were clearly separated from morphologically similar Pythium species, based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences using maximum parsimony and Bayesian methods. The two new species are described and illustrated in detail.