Stellatospora,a new genus of the Sordariaceae

In the course of study of fungi from soil, a new genus and species,Stellatospora terricola, was isolated. The fungus is distinguished from other known genera in having star- or comfit-shaped ascospores with a distinct germ pore. The morphological characters of the genus are considered to resemble those of the Sordariaceae in Ascomycotina.     

Three new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stigmatodiscus</Emphasis> from Mallorca (Spain)

During a survey on corticolous Dothideomycetes in Mallorca, several collections with ascomata, asci, and ascospores matching the genus Stigmatodiscus (Stigmatodiscales, Dothideomycetes) were revealed, which did not fit any described species. Therefore, these collections were cultured and sequenced, and a multigene matrix of four loci (nuc18S-ITS-28S rDNA, rpb2, tef1 and tub2) was produced. Based on the results of the phylogenetic analyses of this matrix and of morphological investigations, three new species (Stigmatodiscus labiatus, S. oculatus, and S. pinicola) are described and illustrated, Asterodiscus is synonymised with Stigmatodiscus and the new combination S. tamaricis is proposed. A key to all currently known species of Stigmatodiscus is provided.     

Erysiphe corylopsidis sp. nov., a new powdery mildew fungus found on Corylopsis spicata and C. pauciflora

A powdery mildew fungus occurring on leaves of Corylopsis pauciflora and C. spicata in Japan is described as a new species, Erysiphe corylopsidis. This species is characterized by fewer than 15 appendages on a chasmothecium, primary branches of the appendages occasionally elongated, and a relatively small number (2–5) of ascospores per ascus. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on rDNA ITS and 28S rDNA sequences indicate that this fungus forms an independent lineage in the genus Erysiphe.     

Stenomitos terricola sp. nov. (Leptolyngbyaceae,Cyanobacteria) from the moist soil of Mt. Gwanggyo,Republic of Korea

Stenomitos terricola FBCC-A190 was collected from soils around the trees of Mt. Gwanggyo, located in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. S. terricola FBCC-A190 is a thin and simple filament with a cell length that is longer than its width. It has a thin and firm sheath, exhibiting a blue-green color. Species belonging to genus Stenomitos is semi-cryptic species with slight morphological differences from each other. They were confirmed as Stenomitos species by analysis using 16S rRNA and 16S–23S ITS. A monophyletic cluster was formed with the previously reported genus Stenomitos, with 16S rRNA gene sequences sharing similarities of 95.9–97.9% except for S. pantisii TAU-MAC 4318. In addition, 16S–23S ITS gene sequencing showed tRNA^Ala, tRNA^Ile and V2, similar to the previously reported genus Stenomitos. From these results, Stenomitos terricola sp. nov. was proposed as a new species belonging to genus Stenomitos.     

Molecular and morphological data reveal two new species of Scolecobasidium

Two species of Scolecobasidium were isolated from soil in Hainan and Hebei Provinces, China. The two taxa develop broadly ellipsoid conidia and ellipsoidal to oblong conidia, respectively. Their taxonomic placement in Scolecobasidium was confirmed by morphological similarity and phylogenetic analysis of the RNA polymerase II subunit b (RPB2) sequence data. The two fungi, which are morphologically distinct to previously described species, and occupy unique positions in the phylogenetic tree, are thus introduced as the new species Scolecobasidium terricola and S. ellipsoideum. They are described and illustrated and compared with similar species in the genus.     

NOTES ONPOLYSPORINAVĚZDA,WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES FROM TASMANIA

The new species,Polysporina terricolaKantvilas from south-eastern Tasmania, is described and compared to other species in the genus. It is well-characterized by a range of morphological, anatomical and ecological characters, especially by the presence of oil paraphyses and oil droplets in the hymenium, features unknown in other members of the genus. Species ofPolysporinaare best separated by the following characters: size and morphology of the apothecia, size of ascospores, thickness of paraphyses and height of the hymenium. The combinationsP. ferruginea(Lettau) M. Steiner andP. pusilla(Anzi) M. Steiner are validated. A key to the taxa studied is provided.     

Cuspidatispora xiphiago gen. et sp. nov. from an eastern North American creek

An interesting aquatic ascomycete was found that appeared to possess characteristics of some members of the Sordariales. Subsequent sequencing of the 28S large subunit rDNA and β-tubulin genes confirmed the morphological data by placing it in the Sordariales but failed to provide support for placing this species in any recognized genus. Therefore, a new genus, Cuspidatispora, is erected to accommodate Cuspidatispora xiphiago, which is described as a new species based on a combination of morphological and molecular data. Cuspidatispora xiphiago is unique in possessing a central, melanized ascomal wall layer and apiosporous ascospores with a pronounced apical wall extension.     

Sistotrema subconfluens sp. nov. (Cantharellales,Basidiomycota) from Changbaishan Nature Reserve,northeastern China

Sistotrema, typified by S. confluens, is characterized mainly by its urniform basidia mostly with 6–8 sterigmata as well as by a monomitic hyphal system, oil rich hyphae and smooth basidiospores. The species of this genus have various hymenophore configurations and basidiospore shapes. During a field trip in 2011, two specimens with urniform basidia were collected from Changbaishan Nature Reserve, northeastern China. After careful morphological and molecular studies, they are described and illustrated here as a new species, S. subconfluens. The new species shares a terrestrial habit, stipitate basidiocarps and poroid hymenophores with S. confluens, besides urniform basidia. These characters make the two species different from all other species of Sistotrema with resupinate basidiocarps on wood. Sistotrema subconfluens differs from the type by having larger basidiocarps, shorter basidiospores and consistent poroid hymenophores. In phylogeny inferred from nuclear large subunit rDNA, the two species were sister taxa but clearly separated. The difference of internal transcribed spacer sequences between the two species was 3.6%.     

Two new <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cordyceps</Emphasis> species from a community forest in Thailand

Two new species found in northern Thailand, Cordyceps chiangdaoensis and Cordyceps morakotii, pathogenic to Coleoptera larvae and Odontomachus ant pupae, respectively, are described using morphological and molecular phylogenetic data. Both species produce narrowly ovoid superficial perithecia at the end of a cylindrical stroma, bola ascospores, Evlachovaea-like conidial morph, and cylindrical conidia with rounded ends. These two species differ from other bola ascospore-producing species in the genus Cordyceps in the sizes of the ascospores and perithecia, as well as the host. Phylogenetic analyses based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the rDNA and partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) data strongly support these two fungi as two distinct new species in the Cordycipitaceae.     

Lindgomyces griseosporus,a new aquatic ascomycete from Europe including new records

A new species of Lindgomyces (L. griseosporus) is described and illustrated from submerged wood collected in a small stream in southern France. It is morphologically characterized by gray, narrowly fusiform ascospores with supramedian primary septum, which lacks a mucilaginous sheath at maturity. Its relationships with other species of Lindgomyces are discussed based on both morphology and 28S rDNA sequence comparisons. Lindgomyces ingoldianus, the type species of Lindgomyces, and L. cinctosporae are reported for the first time from Europe.     

A new species of the genus Chlorencoelia (Helotiales) from China

Chlorencoelia collections from different regions of China were examined. A new species is discovered and named as C. macrospora. The most significant features to distinguish the new species from any other known species of the genus are its very large acsi and ascospores. Three of the five known species of the genus are found from China.     

Two new species of Neosartorya isolated from soil in Xinjiang, China

Two new species, Neosartorya shendaweii and N. tsunodae, isolated from soil in Xinjing, China and in Pernambuco, Brazil, are described and illustrated. The first species is characterized by its ascospores with two widely separated equatorial crests and tuberculate to verrucose convex surfaces. This species has affinities with several known species of the genus, bearing ascospores with a similar ornamentation, but can be distinguished from these species by other morphological characteristics such as smaller cleistothecia and conidiophores, spathulate vesicles and rather ellipsoidal conidia. The second species is characterized by its unique ascospores with two low equatorial crests, an evident furrow as a deep depression, and finely reticulate convex surfaces. The validation of these new species is supported further by analyses of the β-tubulin, calmodulin and actin gene sequences.     

STEINIA AUSTRALIS,A NEW SPECIES IN THE LICHEN FAMILY APHANOPSIDACEAE

Steinia australis Kantvilas & P. M. McCarthy is described, based on a specimen from Tasmania. The new species, the second in the genus and only the third in the family Aphanopsidaceae, differs from S. geophana by its larger ascospores, well-developed exciple and scurfy, leprose thallus.     

Ossicaulis yunnanensis sp. nov. (Lyophyllaceae,Agaricales) from southwestern China

Ossicaulis is a small genus in the family Lyophyllaceae. Two known species, O. lachnopus, and O. lignatilis, are distributed in north temperate regions. The third taxon, O. yunnanensis sp. nov., is described from the alpine belt of subtropics of southwestern China, and this genus is also reported for the first time from China. Morphologically, the new species is characterized by its whitish basidiomata and very small basidiospores. Molecular analyses from the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) show that the subtropical alpine species is distinct from hitherto known Ossicaulis species and has a close relationship to O. lachnopus.     

Ascospores in the type species of the genus Torulopsis

It has been found that the type species, T. colliculosa, of the form genus Torulopsis constitutes a perfect state forming ascospores. It is proposed that the same “Torulopsis Lodder et Kreger-Van Rij” based on a new type, be conserved against the earlier homonym “Torulopsis Berlese” which is based on the type T. rosea.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Thyridariella</Emphasis>, a novel marine fungal genus from India: morphological characterization and phylogeny inferred from multigene DNA sequence analyses

A novel saprobic fungal genus, Thyridariella (Thyridariaceae), is herein described to include Thyridariella mangrovei, the type species and T. mahakoshae spp. nov. Both species were collected as saprobes on decaying wood of Avicennia marina, a common mangrove species found near Kaveri River Delta, Tamil Nadu, on the east coast of India. Thyridariella is diagnosed by having an exclusive combination of characters, such as ascomata with ostiolar necks thickened laterally, hyaline, and centrally constricted muriform ascospores with a single longitudinal septum in each segment and surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath. These characters demarcate these taxa from morphologically similar genera such as Halojulella and Julella. In addition, the new genus also differs from Parathyridaria and Thyridaria in having hyaline, muriform ascospores with distinct mucilaginous sheaths. The monophyly of Thyridariella is well supported in the phylogenetic analysis based on a concatenated dataset from two proteins and three nuclear gene regions. The phylogeny also depicts a sister group relationship of our new genus to Parathyridaria and Thyridaria and hence confirms its position within Thyridariaceae.     

A new species of Scolecobasidium associated with the sooty blotch and flyspeck complex on banana from China

Sooty blotch and flyspeck is caused by a complex of epiphytic fungi on diverse hosts. A fungus morphologically similar to Scolecobasidium humicola was isolated from a banana fruit exhibiting SBFS signs in Hainan, China. ITS and LSU sequences of rDNA corroborated that it was a Scolecobasidium species. The results of LSU rDNA analysis support the interpretation that Ochroconis is synonymous with Scolecobasidium. Five new combinations, S. anomalum, S. calidifluminale, S. gallopavum, S. gamsii, and S. lascauxense, were proposed. A new species, S. musae, was described based on morphological characteristics and sequence comparison with previous species.     

The correlation among molecular phylogenetics, morphological data, and growth temperature of the genus Emericella, and a new species

The species of the genus Emericella have been classified and identified on the basis of morphological features. However, the phylogenetic relationships in this genus have not been investigated. To clarify the relationships according to molecular phylogenetics, morphological characteristics, and growth temperature regimens in Emericella, multilocus sequencing analysis based on recent Aspergillus taxonomy was carried out. Various characteristic species formed individual clades, and maximum growth temperature reflected the phylogenetics. Emericella species exhibit various ascospore characteristics, although some species do not have distinct ascospore ornamentation. Species that have smooth-walled ascospores with two equatorial crests are polyphyletic. Here, Emericella pachycristata is described and illustrated as a new species. Its ascospores are similar to those of E. nidulans. These species produce smooth-walled ascospores, but the equatorial crests of E. pachycristata are thicker than those of E. nidulans. On the phylogenetic trees, E. pachycristata is closely related to E. rugulosa, which produces ascospores with ribbed convex surfaces. Thus, E. pachycristata is considered to be a new species both morphologically and phylogenetically.