Periconia variicolor sp. nov., a new species from Puerto Rico

Periconia variicolor was isolated from water of an evaporation pond used for salt production on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico. On the basis of cultural and morphological characteristics and ITS sequence it is describe as a new species of Periconia.     

Root Structure Indicates the Ability of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heracleum sosnowskyi</Emphasis> To Absorb Resources Quickly under Optimum Soil Conditions

The structure of the root systems and roots of the invasive plant Heracleum sosnowskyi and the local species H. sibiricum have been compared in three habitats of the southern taiga subzone by the standard methods of plant morphology and anatomy. Differences in the structure of the root systems and roots of H. sosnowskyi and H. sibiricum ensuring the ability of the invasive species to absorb resources under optimum soil conditions have been revealed. These are the occurrence frequency of ephemeral roots, the number of orders of root branching, the size of absorbing roots, and the development of xylem elements.     

Rapid use of resources as a basis of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heracleum sosnowskyi</Emphasis> invasive syndrome

The functional properties of the invasive Heracleum sosnowskyi were compared with those of the native Heracleum sibiricum. The leaf and root traits, as well as those of a whole plant and of the mycorrhiza formation, were studied. H. sosnowskyi can fulfill the high-productivity potential only under the optimum availability of resources (especially water), while it is poorly adapted to maintain a high physiological activity under the unfavorable soil conditions. An important component of the H. sosnowskyi invasiveness is an ability to utilize rapidly resources in both the above- and underground areas at the optimum conditions.     

Systematic analyses of Ophiocordyceps lanpingensis sp. nov., a new species of Ophiocordyceps in China

A new species of Ophiocordyceps, Ophiocordyceps lanpingensis collected from Lanping County, Yunnan Province, southwestern China, was described based on morphological characteristic, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA sequences analyses, 5-gene (nrSSU, nrLSU, tef-1α, rpb1 and rpb2) sequences analyses and MAT1-2-1 gene sequences analyses. This species was characterized by thinner stroma, smaller perithecium, thinner ascospore (multiseptate with short septation). The phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS, the 5-gene and MAT1-2-1 gene dataset showed O. lanpingensis had the closest evolution relationship with O. robertsii and O. sinensis, but still had obvious distances to them. Both morphological character and systematic analyses supported that O. lanpingensis was a new species of Ophiocordyceps.     

Polycephalomyces lianzhouensis sp. nov., a new species,co-occurs with Ophiocordyceps crinalis

A new species from Guangdong Province in south China, Polycephalomyces lianzhouensis, is described and illustrated here; this species was found to co-occur with Ophiocordyceps crinalis. The phylogenetic position of this species was investigated according to morphological features and phylogenetic inferences based on the nrSSU, nrLSU, tef1, rpb1, and ITS gene sequences. Results demonstrated that P. lianzhouensis was highly associated with P. ramosopulvinatus but could be distinguished from the latter using the sequences of rpb1, nrLSU, and ITS gene and the features of much smaller stromata and perithecia and longer part-spores.     

The genus periconia from india

Summary Totally 20 species ofPericonia have been studied, of whichP. ellisii, P. hyderabadensis, P. indica, P. masonii, P. pseudohispidula, P. scrobiculata, P. simplex, P. stilbacearum, P. torulosa, P. warticulata, andP. yadagirensis are new, remaining reported for the first time from these parts. The discussion includes comments on the distribution, nature of colonies, fertility of stipes, their arrangement in colonies and its application in taxonomy. Variation in sporoderm is treated.P. parasitica Tilak,P. ipomoeae &P. xanthicola Vasant Rao are treated conspecific withP. byssoides Pers. exSchweinitz, pending the establishment of their parasitism. An improvised and comprehensive key for 28 species ofPericonia known so far from India is proposed.     

Traits of Heracleum sosnowskyi Plants in Monostand on Invaded Area

The ability of giant hogweeds to form monodominant communities and even pure monostands in invaded areas has been well documented. Understanding of the mechanisms leading to monostand formation can aid in determining the limitations of existing community ecology models and establishing an effective management plan for invasive species elimination. The aim of this observational study was to investigate traits of Heracleum sosnowskyi plants (demography, canopy structure, morphology and physiology) of the plants in a pure stand in an invaded area useful for understanding potential monostand formation mechanisms. All measurements were performed in one typical Heracleum sosnowskyi monostand located in an abandoned agriculture field located in Syktyvkar city suburb (North-east Russia). This monostand consisted of five main plant growth stages: seed, seedling, juvenile, vegetative adult, and generative adult. Plants of all stages began to grow simultaneously shortly after the snowmelt, at the same time as spring ephemeral plant species grew. The density of generative plants did not change during the vegetation period, but the density of the other plant stages rapidly decreased after the formation of a tall (up to 2–2.5 m) and dense (Leaf area index up to 6.5) canopy. The canopy captured approximately 97% of the light. H. sosnowskyi showed high (several orders of magnitude higher than average taiga zone grasses) photosynthetic water use efficiency (6–7 μM CO₂/μM H₂O). Formation of H. sosnowskyi monostands occurs primarily in disturbed areas with relatively rich and well-moistened soils. Early commencement of growth, rapid formation of a dense canopy, high efficiency of light and water use during photosynthesis, ability of young plants to survive in low light conditions, rapid recovery of above-ground plant parts after damage, and the high density of the soil seed bank are the most important traits of H. sosnowskyi plants for monostand formation in invaded areas.     

First record of Colletogloeopsis zuluense comb. nov., causing a stem canker of Eucalyptus in China

Coniothyrium zuluense causes a serious canker disease of Eucalyptus in various parts of the world. Very little is known regarding the taxonomy of this asexual fungus, which was provided with a name based solely on morphological characteristics. In this study we consider the phylogenetic position of C. zuluense using DNA-based techniques. Distance analysis using 18S and ITS regions revealed extensive sequence divergence relative to the type species of Coniothyrium, C. palmarum and species of Paraconiothyrium. Coniothyrium zuluense was shown to be an anamorph species of Mycosphaerella, a genus that includes a wide range of Eucalyptus leaf and stem pathogens. Within Mycosphaerella it clustered with taxa having pigmented, verruculose, aseptate conidia that proliferate percurrently and sympodially from pigmented conidiogenous cells arranged in conidiomata that vary from being pycnidial to acervular. The genus Colletogloeopsis is emended to include species with pycnidial conidiomata, and the new combination Colletogloeopsis zuluense is proposed. This is also the first report of the pathogen from China where it is associated with stem cankers on Eucalyptus urophylla.     

A new species of the genus Trematosphaeria from China

A new species of the genus Trematosphaeria was isolated and identified from the soil in Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, southwestern China. The new taxon was studied based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses of three nuclear loci, i.e., the internal transcribed spacer rDNA operon (ITS), and large and small subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (nuc28S rDNA, nuc18S rDNA). The analyzed Trematosphaeria species were clustered in several clades within the Pleosporales and the genus was shown to be polyphyletic. The new species is introduced as Trematosphaeria terricola, and it is characterized by short-papillate ascomata with suborbicular ostiolum, 3-septate, cinnamon-brown, fusiform ascospores with narrowly rounded ends, verruculose at maturity. Trematosphaeria terricola is compared with morphologically similar species T. confusa, T. mangrovis, and T. pertusa, which differ from the former species in the number of septa, and the shape and size of the ascospores with or without a sheath. This is the first report of a Trematosphaeria isolate from alpine soil in China.