ABSTRACT: During a preliminary survey to report the biodiversity of endophytic fungi associated with leaves of some woody plants from El Eden Ecological Reserve in Mexico, a new fungus was isolated from Callicarpa acuminata leaves. Cultures of this fungus on PDA form a white floccose colony with a reddish-brown reverse and a mycelium that develops by 90° angle branches and intertwining of hyphae to form rope-like strands and coils. In addition, this endophytic fungus does not form reproductive structures. Based on morphological and DNA sequence analyses, this fungus is proposed to be a member of the Pleosporaceae (Pleosporales) and has not been previously described. Edenia gen. nov. is described and illustrated to accommodate E. gomezpompae.

KEYWORDS: angiospermous trees, fungal biodiversity, taxonomy, tropical forests, Verbenaceae