Phylogenetic studies of Ephelis species from various locations and hosts in Asia

Ephelis japonica and E. oryzae are biotrophic fungi that form systemic epip hytic associations with warm-season grasses. Ephelis has been recognized as the anamorph of Balansia and Myriogenospora, and a synanamorph of Atkinson ella all three genera belong to Clavicipitaceae (Ascomycota), The teleomorp hs have not been detected for E. japonica and E. oryzae. Balansia oryzae ha d been regarded as the teleomorph of Ephelis oryzae, however, this teleomor phic name is not validly published for the teleomorph alone (Art. 59.6). We analyzed the sequences of the ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S rDNA regions of 33 Ephel is isolates from Japan, Korea, China, Nepal and India. Phylogenetic relatio nships of these isolates were analyzed,, together with other clavicipitaceo us Fungi for which sequences were obtained from GenBank. All Asian Ephelis isolates formed a single cluster, which comprised two subgroups. One subgro up had strong affinity with B. andropogonis, an epibiont of grasses in trop ical regions of Asia. The second subgroup had strong affinity with B. disco idea, an epibiont of grasses in the Americas. A close relationship was also shown to B. asperata, another epibiont of grasses of tropical regions of A sia, Our results do not justify the separation of Asian Ephelis epibionts i nto E. oryzae and E. japonica. E. japonica, established in 1904, ten years prior to the name E. oryzae, is the appropriate name for the asexual Epheli s epibionts of warm season grasses of Asia.