An epiphyllous fungus from the Lower Cretaceous

A fungus believed to be a member of the Microthyriales is described from the English Wealden. It occurs on the shoots of an undescribed conifer resembling Frenelopsis Schenk. From the structure of the thyrothecium and the presence of an epicuticular mycelium, the fungus is classified in the family Micropeltaceae, subfamily Stomiopeltoideae, and is described under the name Stomiopeltites cretacea gen. et sp. nov. It is the earliest fossil record of the Microthyriales.     

Hamatispora,a new genus of aquatic fungi in Microthyriales isolated from fallen leaves in Vietnam

A new aquatic fungus was isolated from submerged, decaying leaves collected at Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. The fungus produced hyaline, unique-shaped conidia consisting of a hook-shaped main axis and three arms at the helicoid part of the main axis. Based on its conidial development and morphological characteristics, Hamatispora phuquocensis was newly introduced. Phylogenetic analyses based on LSU nrDNA sequences showed that it clusters with Microthyrium spp. and belongs to Microthyriales. Furthermore, we generated ITS barcode for this hyphomycetous fungus.     

Endomycopsis platypodis sp.n. (Ascomycetes): an auxiliary ambrosia fungus ofPlatypus cylindrus Fab. (Col. Platypodidae)

A new species of mycelium-forming yeast,Endomycopsis platypodis Baker et van Rij is described. It occurs as an auxiliary ambrosia fungus of the wood-boring ambrosia beetlePlatypus cylindrus Fab. (Col. Platypodidae) and is the first fungus to become established in new tunnels where it forms a sparse irregular lining. Later a palisade-formingSporothrix becomes the dominant fungus in a mixed ambrosial flora. E. platypodis, which is apparently homothallic, assimilates nitrate and weakly ferments glucose. The asci typically contain 4 hat-shaped ascospores. Assimilation reactions and morphology are described and the affinities of the new species are discussed.     

CAULOCHYTRIUM PROTOSTELIOIDES SP. NOV., A NEW CHYTRID WITH AERIAL SPORANGIA

Caulochytrium is a unique genus of chytrids characterized by the production of both sessile zoosporangia and aerial sporangiocarps, the latter unknown in other chytrids. The type species, C. gloeosporii, is an obligate parasite on conidia of the fungus Gloeosporium. The newly described species, C. protostelioides, which was discovered first in the British West Indies and then in North Carolina, is an obligate parasite of the dematiaceous fungus Cladosporium. It differs from the type species in microdimensions, smaller number of zoospores per aerial sporangium, lack of sexuality, production of protostelid-like sporangiocarps that do not parasitize the host and which float freely on water, and an unrelated host fungus. The family Caulochytriaceae and genus Caulochytrium are emended.     

Atkinsiella parasitica sp. nov. isolated from a rotifer,Brachionus plicatilis

A new species ofAtkinsiella (Lagenidiales, Oomycetes),Atkinsiella parasitica is described and illustrated. It was isolated from the eggs and bodies of a rotifer,Brachionus plicatilis, with fungal infection in 1992. The rotifer was reared in a hatchery as the first food supply for seed production of crustaceans and fishes. The fungus is characterized by producing monoplanetic, lateral biflagellate zoospores, and infrequently branched discharge tubes. Optimum temperature for the fungus was 25°C. The fungus was considered an obligate marine fungus, because its growth was observed only on PYGS medium including seawater.     

Parasitic microfungi of the Tatra Mountains. 3. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spermosporina gymnadeniae</Emphasis> (Hyphomycetes): species new to Slovakia and new records from Poland

Spermosporina gymnadeniae (Hyphomycetes) on Gymnadenia sp. (Orchidaceae) collected in the Polish part of the Tatra Mts was described in 2003. The fungus was recently found at new localities in Poland and Slovakia. It was recorded on Gymnadenia conopsea s.l. and Dactylorhiza fuchsii, which are new hosts of this parasite. The fungus is described and additional illustrations are provided.     

Miricatena prunicola (Hyphomycetes), a new genus and species causing leaf spots of Prunus serotina in the UK

A fungus causing conspicuous leaf spots of Prunus serotina was recently collected in Surrey, UK. It proved to represent an undescribed species which also cannot be referred to any known genus. The species is described as Miricatena prunicola gen. et sp. nov.     

A new acidophilic fungus Teratosphaeria acidotherma (Capnodiales, Ascomycota) from a hot spring

A novel acidophilic fungus was isolated by an acidic enrichment culture of microbial mats and biofilms collected at an extremely acidic and high temperature hot spring. In culture studies, this fungus was revealed to produce ascomycetous teleomorph structures. Molecular phylogenetic study and morphological observation showed this fungus is a new species of the genus Teratosphaeria (Capnodiales, Dothideomycetes) and is phylogenetically close to Acidomyces acidophilus and Bispora sp., which were previously reported as acidophilic anamorphic fungi. This new fungus is described here as a new species of Teratosphaeria, and its physiological properties adapting to its habitat are demonstrated. This is the first report of a teleomorphic fungus having highly acidophilic and thermophilic properties.     

A new Ophiostoma species isolated from the ambrosia beetle Xyleborus dryographus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

An undescribed ophiostomatoid fungus was isolated from the scolytid beetle Xyleborus dryographus in south-west Germany. The fungus is described as Ophiostoma verrucosum sp. nov. with a Hyalorhinocladiella anamorph. The teleomorph is characterized by thick-sheathed ascospores, numerous divergent ostiolar hyphae and an ornamented perithecial base.     

A new non-zoosporic species of Pythium from Algeria

Pythium ramificatum n.sp. isolated from Algeria is described. It is a non-zoosporic fungus, reproducing asexually be means of hyphal bodies and sexually by oogonia with much branched antheridia. Its morphological and reproductive characters as well as it relationship with other species of Pythium of the same group are described.     

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).     

Uraecium landolphiae (Uredinales), a new species on Landolphia dulcis (R. Br. ex Sabine) Pichon var. dulcis

A new species of rust fungus, Uraecium landolphiae on Landolphia dulcis (R. Br. ex Sabine) Pichon var. dulcis (Apocynaceae) is described from Nigeria. It is characterized by pronounced, thick-walled spores and capitate paraphyses.     

Cryptophiale sphaerospora sp. nov. occurring onJanetia synnematosa

Cryptophiale sphaerospora sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on a single collection attached to a synnematous fungus,Janetia synnematosa, from a dead bamboo culm. It differs from other species ofCryptophiala in having spherical to subspherical conidia and a cerebroid layer of phialides. The overall morohology of this species is smaller than that of previously described species.     

A new species of Melampsora on Populus yunnanensis from China

Melampsora nujiangensis, a rust fungus found on Populus yunnanensis in China, is described as a new species. Light and scanning electron microscopy with herbarium specimens of the rust fungus show that the shape of its urediniospores differs from that of other known species of Melampsora, and its urediniospore walls are thinner than the other species. Furthermore, in phylogenetic trees based on the DNA sequences (28S and ITS) the rust fungus is phylogenetically separated by high bootstrap values. These results indicate that the fungus is an isolated species among the genus Melampsora. Contribution no. 202 from the Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan     

Pseudomicrodochium fusarioides sp. nov., isolated from human bronchial fluid

A fungus from bronchial lavage fluid from a patient with pulmonary infiltration was isolated in pure culture and identified as a species of Pseudomicrodochium. It is compared and contrasted with other species of the genus, in particular P. suttonii, and formally described as P. fusarioides.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Amanita concentrica</Emphasis>: a new species in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amanita</Emphasis> section <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amanita</Emphasis> from Japan

Amanita concentrica sp. nov. is described from an evergreen broad-leaved forest of Chiba Prefecture with Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii and Quercus glauca. The fungus is a medium to large, white to yellowish-white mushroom characterized by many pyramidal warts on pileus, striate margin of pileus, distinct ascending concen-tric rings at upper part of stipe bulb, and inamyloid basidiospores. It is considered to belong to the section Amanita. Received: March 30, 2001 / Accepted: October 1, 2001     

Raffaelea quercivora sp. nov. associated with mass mortality of Japanese oak, and the ambrosia beetle (Platypus quercivorus)

 A hyphomycete consistently isolated from dead oak trees (Quercus serrata and Q. mongolica var. grosseserrata) attacked by the ambrosia beetle Platypus quercivorus in Japan is described and illustrated as Raffaelea quercivora sp. nov. The new species is characterized by having small obovoid to pyriform sympodioconidia and slender, long conidiophores that taper to a point. The fungus has been isolated from the body surfaces and mycangia of the beetle. It is likely that the fungus was transferred to oak trees by P. quercivorus. Received: August 20, 2001 / Accepted: March 14, 2002     

Aecidium dispori is the aecial anamorph ofPuccinia albispora, sp. nov. (Uredinales)

Aecidium dispori forms spermogonium and aecium onDisporum sessile andD. smilacinum, which are distributed in East Asia. TheAecidium species is found to be an aecial anamorph of aPuccinia fungus, with its uredinial-telial stage being formed onCarex conica, C. dolichostachya subsp.multifolia, C. pisiformis subsp.alterniflora andC. rugata. Urediniospores of this fungus are large, colorless, thick-walled with 4–5 equatorial germ pores. The morphological characteristics of urediniospores and the spermogonial-aecial host do not fit to any set of circumscribing characters of previously described species. We consider the fungus to be a new species and propose a new name,Puccinia albispora, for the fungus.     

Geotrichum pseudocandidum n. sp., isolé chez un Cerf d'Eld — Rucervus Eldi (Guthrie)

Summary A new fungus was isolated from the stomach of aRucervus eldi (Guthrie) which died less than 24 hrs after birth in the Paris Zoo. It is described as the new speciesGeotrichum pseudocandidum. It can be differentiated fromG. candidum by the fact that it does not assimilate mannitol.