However isolates obtained in this study produce muriform, Dichomera-like conidia that distinguish this species from known Neoscytalidium spp.

A number of isolates obtained from asymptomatic branches on different hosts, including Acacia, Adansonia, Crotalaria and Grevillia, were identified as Neoscytalidium novaehollandiae. Neoscytalidium, with N. dimidiatum as a type, accommodates species with Scytalidium-like synanamorphs (Crous et al 2006). These are characterized by conidia held in arthric chains in the aerial mycelium. In addition to arthroconidia the cultures produce Fusicoccum-like conidia in pycnidia. Isolates of N. novaehollandiae identified in this study produce a Dichomera-like synanamorph, which is not known for other species in this genus. Dichomera-like synanamorphs recently were described for Botryosphaeria dothidea, Neofusicoccum parvum, N. ribis and N. australe (Barber et al 2005), however this is the first time that a Dichomeralike synanamorph has been found in Neoscytalidium. Neoscytalidium dimidiatum has been isolated from different substrates including plant tissues, soil, human skin and nails, and is known as a plant pathogen (Punithalingam and Waterston 1970, Crous et al 2006). The isolates examined in this study were collected as endophytes from plant tissues, and they seem unlikely to be important pathogens.