Dichotomopilus brasiliensis D. O. Ramos, P. T. S. Nogueira & O. L. Pereira 2026, sp. nov.

Dichotomopilus brasiliensis D. O. Ramos, P. T. S. Nogueira & O. L. Pereira sp. nov. Fig. 19 Etymology. Refers to Brazil, the country where the isolates used in the description were collected. Typification. BRAZIL • Minas Gerais: Araponga, from roots of Zygopetalum mackayi, 21 November 2021, O. L. Pereira (holotype VIC 49501 preserved as dried culture, culture ex-type COAD 3741). Description. Ascomata superficial, ostiolate, dark gray in reflected light, subglobose to ellipsoid, 160–220 μm high, 131–201 μm diam. Ascomatal wall brown, textura intricata or angularis. Terminal hairs dark brown, septate, unbranched or dichotomously branched 1–3 times towards the apex. Lateral hairs seta-like, tapering and fading towards tips. Asci fasciculate, clavate, with 8 ascospores irregularly arranged, with spore-bearing portion 13–19 × 7–12 μm, stalks 6–15.5 μm long, evanescent. Ascospores brown, ovoid to slightly elongate-ovoid, bilaterally flattened, (4.5 –) 5–6 × 3.5–4.5 (– 5.5) μm in face view, with one apical germ. Asexual morph unknown. Culture characteristics: Colonies on OA attaining 35–37 mm diameter after 7 days at 25 ° C, edge entire to undulate, white aerial mycelium sparse, flat, circular; reverse pale luteous to luteous owing to the presence of soluble pigment. Colonies on CMA attaining 47–60 mm diameter after 7 days at 25 ° C, edge entire to undulate, white aerial mycelium moderate, flat, circular; reverse buff; soluble pigment absent. Colonies on MEA reaching over 75 mm diameter after 7 days at 25 ° C, edge entire, white aerial mycelium dense, flat, circular; reverse pale luteous due to the presence of soluble pigments. Colonies on PCA attaining 59–75 mm diameter after 7 days at 25 ° C, edge entire, white aerial mycelium sparse to moderate, flat, circular; reverse buff to pale luteous due to production soluble pigment. Additional specimens examined. BRAZIL • Maranhão: Itinga do Maranhão municipality, from roots of Musa sp., 10 December 2021, F. A. Custódio (living culture COAD 4293); Bahia: Vale do Juliana, from roots of Theobroma cacao, 18 July 2025, J. S. Santana and F. A. Custódio (living culture COAD 4294). Distribution. Brazil (Atlantic rainforest in Bahia state, Amazon rainforest in Maranhão state, and Rupestrian grassland within the Atlantic forest in Minas Gerais state). Notes. Dichotomopilus brasiliensis was clustered in a unique lineage that was phylogenetically sister to D. subfunicola (Fig. 4). When compared with the description by Wang et al. (2016 a), ascospores are slightly shorter ((4.5 –) 5–6 vs. 5.5–6.5 (– 7.5) μm) and brown instead of olivaceous. The ascomatal wall of D. brasiliensis is composed of textura intricata or angularis, whereas that of D. subfunicola is composed of textura intricata or epidermoidea. Additionally, D. brasiliensis exhibited higher growth rates than D. subfunicola on different culture media: OA (35–37 vs. 25–28 mm), MEA (over 75 vs. 41–47 mm), and PCA (59–75 vs. 55–62 mm).