Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Synchaetomella Lunatospora, a New Genus and Species of Synnematous Fungi from Southeast Asia

The anamorphic fungus Synchaetomella lunatospora gen. et sp. nov. is described from a culture isolated from leaf litter in Singapore. The genus is characterized by the production of synnematous conidiomata with brown stipes, phialidic conidiogenesis with terminal and acropleurogenous conidiogenous cells, and falcate, 1-septate conidia, aggregating in white, mucilaginous heads. Its phylogenetic relationships, inferred from the partial nuclear small ribosomal subunit (18S) sequence, are with the coelomycetous genera Sphaerographium, Chaetomella, and Hainesia. However, the order and family affinities of this group are unclear.     

Three new green coccoid zoospore-producing algae from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,Tennessee, U.S.A.

Three new coccoid zoospore-producing green algae includingAxilococcus clingmanii gen. & spec. nov.,Lautosphaeria monsfumosa gen. & spec. nov., andDictylochloris pulchra spec. nova (Chlorococcales, Chlorophyceae) are described.Dedicated to Prof. DrLothar Geitler on the occasion of his 90th birthday.     

Drei neue moosbewohnende Ascomyceten

The following three species of parastiticascomycetes are described, illustrated and discussed in detail:Octosporella ptilidii spec. nova (Pezizales) onPtilidium ciliare from Switzerland,Nectria mnii spec. nova (Hypocreales) onPlagiomnium medium from Switzerland, andPhilobryon anuliferum gen. et spec. nov. (Dothideales) onPleurozia gigantea from New Guinea. The species are known only from the type collections. It is shown that the hyphae present an array of important characters which deserve the same attention as the fruiting bodies.

Frau Prof. Dr.Elisabeth Tschermak-Woess zu ihrem 70. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Taxonomic status of the species of the green algal genusNeochloris

Komárek has recently reviewed the various species assigned to the green algal genusNeochloris Starr (Chlorococcales, Chlorococcaceae) and removed those with uninucleate vegetative cells to a new genus,Ettlia. Watanabe & Floyd, unaware ofKomárek's work, also reviewed the species ofNeochloris and distributed them among three genera—Neochloris, Chlorococcopsis gen. nov., andParietochloris gen. nov.—on the basis of details of the covering of the zoospore and the arrangement of the basal bodies of the flagellar apparatus. This paper reconciles these two treatments and makes additional recommendations at the ranks of genus, family, order, and class.     

Morphological description of three marine ciliates (Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia), with establishment of a new genus and two new species

Three marine scuticociliates, Falcicyclidium fangi nov. gen., nov. spec., Falcicyclidium atractodes nov. spec., and Cristigera media Kahl, 1928 were investigated using live observation and silver impregnation methods. The genus Falcicyclidium is distinguished by the combination of: (i) dorsoventrally flattened body, (ii) hook-like (falciform) paroral membrane, (iii) anterior end of paroral membrane posterior to anterior end of membranelle 1, and (iv) multiple caudal cilia. Falcicyclidium fangi nov. spec., the type of the new genus, can be recognized by the combination of its large size, extremely dorsoventrally flattened (3:1) body, consistently 10 somatic kineties, and the broad, elongate buccal area occupying 60% of the body length. Falcicyclidium atractodes nov. spec. is mainly characterized by a unique spine projecting from both the anterior and posterior end. The uncommon form, Cristigera media is redescribed based on the population from Qingdao, the statistic data and additional features, especially the morphology of the living cells, are documented.     

Surculiseries rugispora gen. et sp. nov., a new endophytic mitosporic fungus from leaves ofBruguiera gymnorrhiza

Surculiseries rugispora gen. et sp. nov. is described as an endophytic fungus from leaves ofBruguiera gymnorrhiza in mangrove forests in the Iriomote Is., Okinawa, Japan. This fungus develops peculiar conditiongenous cells that resemble octopus legs with obvious sucker-like scars, and produces lentiform conidia with lines on surface. Sequence analysis of 18S rDNA places this new fungus in the family Xylariaceae and shows its close affinity to the genusAscotricha (anamorph:Dicyma).     

Paleobotanical studies inFagaceae of the European Tertiary

A systematic reassessment of megafossil records ofFagaceae in Central Europe has been undertaken on the basis of leaf cuticular characters. The oldest representatives date back to the Eocene:Quercus subhercynica spec. nova,Dryophyllum furcinerve (Rossm.)Schmalh.,Trigonobalanopsis rhamnoides (Rossm.) gen. & comb. nov. In the Oligocene other members of extant genera appear:Quercus rhenana (Weyl. & Kilpp.)Knobloch & Kvaek,Fagus attenuata Goepp.,Lithocarpus saxonicus spec. nova. In the Neogene these ancient taxa (except inFagus lineage), are gradually replaced by deciduous species ofQuercus andCastanea. Trigonobalanus andCastanopsis are recorded by fruits (or wood) only.     

Didymocarpus geitleri,a remarkable new species ofGesneriaceae with deceptive pollen flowers

Didymocarpus geitleri spec. nov. is described from Sungai Pandan, Kuantan distr., Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. Distinctive features include: leaden-grey leaves with long, erect hairs on the upper side and whitish, campanulate flowers with a long exserted, bright yellow style. The colouring of the latter is caused by densely arranged glands. Together with two yellow blotches in front of the filament insertion, the style apparently acts as an anther (pollen) dummy.The paper and the species is dedicated to my greatly respected teacher of Systematic Botany, Prof. DrLothar Geitler, on the occasion of his 90th birthday.     

Neue Bodenalgen aus den Dolomiten

Five new genera and five new species of alpine soil algae from S. Tyrol are described from cultures and figured. One of them belongs to theXanthophyceas:Heterothrix sessilis, spec. nova, the remaining to theChlorophyceae:Scotiellopsis rubescens, gen. et spec. nov.,Pseudodictyochloris dissecta, gen. et spec. nov.,Chlorozebra cohaerens, spec. nova,Neochloris bilobata, spec. nova,Myrmecia astigmatica, spec. nova,Trochisciopsis tetraspora, gen. et spec. nov.,Pseudotrochiscia areolata, gen. et spec. nov.,Stichococcus undulatus, spec. nova, andHormidiospora verrucosa, gen. et spec. nov.     

Pycnidial development ofPhyllosticta harai andSphaeropsis sp.

The development of conidiomatal structures is divided into three stages: primordia, cavity formation, and conidiogenesis. These ontogenetic features of conidiomata indicate diversity. This study clearly shows the difference in pycnidial development betweenPhyllosticta harai and a species ofSphaeropsis. InP. harai, a cavity is formed at the center of the pycnidium following the meristogenous or symphogenous primordium formation. This process is characterized by autolysis of cells at the pycnidium center. The pycnidial primordium ofSphaeropsis sp. is meristogenous. It can be assumed that the cavity is formed by dispersion and spacing of original hypha, with subsequent hypha filling the spaces between hyphal cells. The cavity enlarges gradually due to the mechanical force caused by successive conidium production and increasing conidial size.     

Phylogeny and classification ofFumariaceae, with emphasis onDicentra s. l., based on the plastid generps16 intron

The phylogeny ofFumariaceae, as inferred fromrps16 intron sequences, is compared with morphological data, and nrDNA-ITS. The different data sets are largely congruent and indicate that (1)Dicentra and the tribeCorydaleae as hitherto circumscribed are polyphyletic, (2)Lamprocapnos (=Dicentra spectabilis) is sister group to the rest of subfam.Fumarioideae, (3)Ehrendorferia, gen. nov. (=Dicentra chrysantha andD. ochroleuca) is basal in the latter group, (4) the morphologically aberrantIchtyoselmis, gen. nov. (=Dicentra macrantha) groups withDicentra s. str., (5) the genusCysticapnos should be included in the tribeFumarieae, (6)Dactylicapnos (=Dicentra subg.Dactylicapnos) is sister group toCorydalis, (7) the genusCorydalis is monophyletic, and consists of three subgenera:Chremnocapnos, stat. nov.,Sophorocapnos, stat. nov., andCorydalis. The following new combinations are validated:Ehrendorferia chrysantha, E. ochroleuca, Ichtyoselmis macrantha, andLamprocapnos spectabilis. Dedicated to emer. Univ.-Prof. DrFriedrich Ehrendorfer on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

A phylogenetic analysis of the lichen familySphaerophoraceae (Caliciales); a new generic classification and notes on character evolution

A phylogenetic analysis of the familySphaerophoraceae (Caliciales, lichenized ascomycetes) has resulted in a new generic classification. Notes on character evolution are given. The generaSphaerophorus s. str.,Bunodophoron andLeifidium, gen. nov., are accepted.Pleurocybe andPseudosphaerophorus are considered synonyms ofBunodophoron andThysanophoron is considered synonym toSphaerophorus. The following new combinations are proposed:Bunodophoron coomerense (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. diplotypum (Vain.)Wedin,B. dodgei (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. flaccidum (Kantvilas & Wedin)Wedin,B. formosanum (Zahlbr.)Wedin,B. imshaugii (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. insigne (Laurer)Wedin,B. kinabaluense (M. Satô)Wedin,B. macrocarpum (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. madagascareum (Nyl.)Wedin,B. microsporum (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. murrayi (Ohlsson)Wedin,B. notatum (Tibell)Wedin,B. ohlssonii (Wedin)Wedin,B. patagonicum (C. W. Dodge)Wedin,B. ramuliferum (I. M. Lamb)Wedin,B. scrobiculatum (C. Bab.)Wedin,B. tibellii (Wedin)Wedin,B. whakapapaense (Wedin)Wedin, andLeifidium tenerum (Laurer)Wedin.     

New observations onPorphyridium griseum Geitler =Rhodella grisea (Geitler) comb. nova (Porphyridiales,Rhodophyceae)

The rare unicellular rhodophytePorphyridium griseum has been collected and isolated from basins, fed with thermal water, in Piestany, Czechoslovakia. This is the first report ofP. griseum sinceGeitler's find in the Neusiedler See, Austria. Ultrastructural investigations of the new strain demonstrate thatP. griseum belongs to the closely related genusRhodella. Comparison with current species ofRhodella and pigment analyses show thatP. griseum is identical to the marineR. reticulata and a new combination,Rhodella grisea (Geitler) comb. nov., is proposed to include both organisms.Dedicated to Prof. DrLothar Geitler on the occasion of his 90th birthday.     

Bambusicolous fungi in Japan (7): a new coelomycetous genus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Versicolorisporium</Emphasis>

A new genus, Versicolorisporium, is established for the coelomycetous fungus collected in Japan on dead culms of the bamboos Pleioblastus chino and Sasamorpha borealis. The type species of the genus, V. triseptatum, is characterized by the production of holoblastic, 3-septate, obovoid, versicolored conidia. Versicolorisporium is similar to Toxosporiella, Neohendersonia, Toxosporiopsis, and Scolicosporium in having versicolored conidia, but differs from these genera by the uniloculate pycnidial conidiomata with a periphysate ostiole, lacking paraphyses, and the conidia without black-banded septa. A BLAST search using LSU nrDNA sequence indicates that the new genus is a member of Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes.     

A new species ofCrepidotus (Crepidotaceae)

Crepidotus ehrendorferi spec. nova (sect.Sphaerula) is similar to the North AmericanC. sinuosus and differs mainly by the anatomy of pileicutis with unseptated, long, slender terminal hyphae and some macroscopical characters. It is compared also withC. applanatus andC. crocophyllus. C. ehrendorferi is a very conspicuous, wood-inhabiting species known up to now from a very old forest reserve close to the city of Vienna (Austria).     

A new species of Pseudorobillarda, an endophyte from Thuja occidentalis in Canada, and a key to the species

Pseudorobillarda monica sp. nov. is described and illustrated. The endophyte was isolated from living leaves and bark of twigs of a Thuja occidentalis bonsai (>90 years old) at the Montréal Botanical Garden and ornamental trees in Montréal urban plantations. This pycnidial fungus is typical of the genus in morphology but clearly differs from other species in Pseudorobillarda by the distinct size of the conidiomata and the shape and size of conidia and paraphyses. Its taxonomic placement is discussed and a key to the species of Pseudorobillarda is provided.     

Bambusicolous fungi in Japan (8): a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudolachnella from</Emphasis> Yakushima Island,southern Japan

A coelomycetous fungus occurring on culms of Pleioblastus sp. in Yakushima Island, southern Japan, is described and illustrated as a new species, Pseudolachnella yakushimensis. The species is characterized by cupulate, superficial black setose conidiomata, and cylindrical 3-septate conidia with two to five appendages at each end. Pseudolachnella yakushimensis is similar to P. indica and P. scolecospora by its 3-septate conidia, but is different from them by its smaller conidia with more than two appendages.     

Bathycamptus eckmani gen. et spec. nov. (Copepoda,Harpacticoida) with a review of the taxonomic status of certain other deepwater harpacticoids

Bathycamptus eckmani gen. et spec. nov., which is associated with mudballs produced by the. cirratulid Tharyx luticastellus, is described from bathyal muds in San Diego Trough, off California. ?Heteropsyllus minutus Wells from the Haden Ground, Scotland is considered to be its closest relative and is placed in the same genus. The genera Bathycamptus and Psammocamptus Mielke are regarded as sister groups on the basis of the shared sexual dimorphism shown by P3-P4. Relationships with other marine Canthocamptidae are discussed, and a re-evaluation of the genus Hemimesochra Sars is made. It is concluded that this genus should encompass only the type species H. clavularis Sars. ?Leimia dubia Wells and H. nympha Por are transferred to the new genus Boreolimella, which is closely related to Bathycamptus but not to Leimia Willey. The genus Perucamptus gen. nov. is established to include H. rapiens Becker and shows no clear relationship with the other genera. H. trisetosa Coull is assigned to Caroliiaicola gen. nov., which is regarded as being an advanced member of the Paranannopidae. H. secunda Wells is recognised as belonging to Mesopsyllus Por; whilst H. nixe Por is considered the type species of a new genus Pusillargillus.     

Taxonomy of an anamorphic xylariaceous fungus from a termite nest found together with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xylaria angulosa</Emphasis>

Two xylariaceous fungi were isolated from a nest of a termite, Odontotermes formosanus, that was incubated in a laboratory after collecting from Iriomote Is., Okinawa Pref., in Japan. One of the two fungi was identified as Xylaria angulosa on the basis of the morphology of branched stroma produced on medium, tiny asci, and ascospores having a germ slit. Another fungus is an anamorphic fungus that produces synnemata up to 50 mm long from which dendritic conidiophores branch out. Unicellular conidia are holoblastically produced on a sympodially proliferating conidiogenous cell. Such morphological characters resemble those of the genus Geniculosporium. However, its distinctive synnema formation and dendritic conidiophores do not assign the fungus to Geniculosporium or other known genera and warrant establishment of a new genus. The phylogenetic tree based on the ITS regions of rDNA shows that the fungus is nested in the cluster of the genus Nemania (Xylariaceae), whose species have mainly Geniculosporium-like anamorphs. We describe here the present anamorphic fungus as Geniculisynnema termiticola gen. et sp. nov., and discuss its phylogenetic and ecological relationships to xylariaceous fungi, especially termiticolous species.     

Two new aroids from Borneo

Bucephalandra gigantea Bogner, spec nova, is characterized by its large habit, the relatively small inflorescences and the very slender thecae.Hottarum kinabaluense Bogner, spec nova, is differentiated by its ellipsoid ovaries, the smooth petioles and the absence of staminodes.