A new species of the clingfish genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apletodon</Emphasis> (Teleostei: Gobiesocidae) from Sao Tome and Principe,Eastern Central Atlantic

The clingfish Apletodon wirtzi sp. nov. is described on the basis of ten specimens and colour photos from Bombom Island, Principe Group, Sao Tome and Principe, eastern central Atlantic Ocean. The species is very small, apparently not exceeding 16 mm total length; it is characterized by having three pores in the mandibular canal, the head length 2.2–2.5 in standard length: SL, the head broad, head width in males 3.6–4.0 (mean 3.8) in SL, the snout in males long, more or less pointed, conical, preorbital length in males 3.1–4.0 in head length, the occipital region with a large pinkish blotch behind each eye (in alcohol specimens), and the lower sides of the body with a row of dark blotches, scattered with white spots in between. The new species is compared with other species of the genus; a key to the males of the four known species of the eastern Atlantic genus Apletodon is presented. Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic format at     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phuphanochloa,</Emphasis> a new bamboo genus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Poaceae</Emphasis>: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bambusoideae</Emphasis>) from Thailand

Summary  A new monotypic bamboo genus Phuphanochloa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from north-eastern Thailand is described, together with a new species, P. speciosa.     

Clavicipitaceous entomopathogens: new species in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Metarhizium</Emphasis> and a new genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nigelia</Emphasis>

In several surveys in the tropical forests in Thailand, specimens that looked morphologically similar to Metarhizium martiale and Cordyceps variegata, as well as other Metarhizium species were collected and cultured in vitro. A combined phylogeny of several genes including the small (18S) and large (28S) subunits of the ribosomal DNA, elongation factor 1-α (TEF), RNA polymerase II subunits 1 and 2 (RPB1, RPB2) genes has shown these to be new taxa in the Clavicipitaceae. Nigelia is described as a new genus closely related to Metarhizium, to the scale insect pathogens Aschersonia (Hypocrella), Samuelsia and Moelleriella, and to plant pathogens in Claviceps and Balansia, and other relatives. Nigelia comprises M. martiale and a new species Nigelia aurantiaca, which has been found infecting lepidopteran larvae and which produces pseudoimmersed, obliquely arranged, obpyriform perithecia with curved or bent ostioles and with whole (non-separating) cylindric ascospores. Metarhizium chaiyaphumense, M. kalasinense, M. prachinense, M. samlanense, and M. takense are described as new species of Metarhizium. Metarhizium martiale is transferred to Nigelia, and Paecilomyces reniformis is transferred to Metarhizium.     

Transfers to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Simsia</Emphasis> and description of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Davilanthus</Emphasis>, a new genus of Asteraceae (Heliantheae)

Taxonomic changes are made to reflect a reassessment of morphology based on the results of molecular phylogenetic studies. A new genus, Davilanthus, is described to include six species that collectively form the sister group to Simsia, and includes the following species transferred from Viguiera: Davilanthus davilae, Davilanthus hidalgoanus, Davilanthus hypargyreus, Davilanthus huajuapanus, Davilanthus purpusii, and Davilanthus sericeus. Three species formerly placed in Viguiera ser. Grammatoglossae are transferred to Simsia: Simsia benziorum, Simsia ovata, and Simsia rhombifolia.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Funastrum rupicola</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apocynaceae:</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">Asclepiadoideae</Emphasis>), a new species from Bolivia

Summary   Funastrum rupicola Goyder, a new species of Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae from Bolivia, is described and illustrated. The conservation status of this species is assessed.     

<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     

The rust fungi of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Luzuriaga</Emphasis> (Luzuriagaceae) with description of a new species, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia luzuriagae-polyphyllae</Emphasis>

Three species of rust fungi (Uredinales), Puccinia perforans, P. fuegiana (= Uromyces skottsbergii), and Aecidium callixenis have been described on members of Luzuriaga (Luzuriagaceae). Puccinia luzuriagae-polyphyllae is added as a new species on Luzuriaga polyphylla from Chile. The rust had been confused hitherto with P. perforans occurring on L. radicans. Both species differ from P. fuegiana on L. marginata by the absence of a uredinial state and several telial characters. The investigated collections of Puccinia species on Luzuriaga indicate that each is restricted to a single host species. A determination key is presented.     

Two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lirula</Emphasis> on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies</Emphasis> from Japan

Two new species of Lirula (L. japonica and L. exigua) on Abies mariesii collected in subalpine areas of northern Japan are described as members of Rhytismatales, Discomycetes. Lirula japonica causes needle cast in fir, but L. exigua seems to occur on the needles of physically damaged twigs. Morphological characteristics of both species are discussed.     

Three new <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophiostoma</Emphasis> species with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pesotum</Emphasis> anamorphs associated with bark beetles infesting <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies</Emphasis> species in Nikko,Japan

Three species of Ophiostoma possessing Pesotum anamorphs isolated from bark beetles and their galleries infesting Abies species in Nikko, Japan, are described as new species. Ophiostoma nikkoense is characterized by brush-shaped synnemata producing long septate clavate conidia, perithecia with neck, and allantoid ascospores. Ophiostoma microcarpum has smaller perithecia with hyphoid ostiolar hyphae on the neck, and the ascospores are cylindrical or ossiform in side and face views. Ophiostoma abieticola has perithecia without ostiolar hyphae on the neck and produces orange-section-shaped or reniform ascospores.Contribution no. 187, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caragana aliensis</Emphasis>, a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caragana</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Leguminosae</Emphasis>) from Tibet,China

Summary   Caragana aliensis a new species from Tibet, China, is described and illustrated.     

Four new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllosticta</Emphasis>, one new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudocercospora</Emphasis>, and one new combination in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Passalora</Emphasis> from Japan

During a survey of plant-inhabiting fungi in a botanical garden in Japan, some noteworthy fungi were collected from leaf spots of some herbal and arboreal plants. Among them, five new species are described, namely: Phyllosticta. ardisiicola on Ardisia crenata, Phy. aspidistricola on Aspidistra elatior, Phy. kerriae on Kerria japonica, Phy. fallopiae on Fallopia japonica, and Pseudocercospora davidiicola on Davidia involucrata. Passalora pyrrosiae, a new combination for Pseudocercospora pyrrosiae on Pyrrosia lingua, is proposed based on its morphological characteristics designating the neotype specimen.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pluteus magnus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pluteus podospileus</Emphasis> f. <Emphasis Type="Italic">podospileus</Emphasis>, two agaric species new to Japan

Two taxa of the genus Pluteus, i.e., Pluteus magnus and Pluteus podospileus f. podospileus, are newly recorded from Japan. The macroscopic and microscopic features of these two species are described and illustrated.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia cattienensis</Emphasis>: a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia</Emphasis> (sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Archaecamellia</Emphasis>: Theaceae) from Vietnam

A new species of the genus Camellia L. (Theaceae, Theoideae) is described and illustrated under the name C. cattienensis. This species occurs in the rainforest vegetation of Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. A discussion of the morphological characters distinguishing this new species from related Camellia species is presented. Morphological evidence supports a transitional taxonomic placement in Camellia sect. Archaecamellia Sealy. This placement is justified by C. cattienensis exhibiting some morphological characteristics also found in sects Stereocarpus (Pierre) Sealy and Piquetia (Pierre) Sealy.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Metarhizium bibionidarum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">M. purpureogenum</Emphasis>: new species from Japan

Two new species of Metarhizium, M. bibionidarum and M. purpureogenum are described from Japan. Metarhizium bibionidarum is the phylogenetic sister species of M. pemphigi and a member of the M. flavoviride species complex. It is distinguished morphologically from M. pemphigi by its larger conidia. The species is based on a collection of an infected March fly larva (Diptera: Bibionidae) but is also known to occur on fruit beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) encountered in France. Metarhizium purpureogenum was isolated from soil by plating and insect baiting methods and represents a unique phylogenetic lineage placed outside the M. anisopliae and M. flavoviride species complexes. Three isolates of M. purpureogenum excreted a distinctive red-purple pigment into agar medium when co-cultured with M. robertsii or Aspergillus oryzae.     

Three new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stigmidium</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphaerellothecium</Emphasis> (lichenicolous ascomycetes) on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stereocaulon</Emphasis>

Sphaerellothecium stereocaulorum sp. nov., Stigmidium beringicum sp. nov., Stigmidium stereocaulorum sp. nov. and goniocysts are described on Stereocaulon species from the northern Holarctic. Endococcus nanellus is reported new to Alaska and Mongolia. Taxonomical novelties Sphaerellothecium stereocaulorum Zhurb. & Triebel, Stigmidium beringicum Zhurb. & Triebel, Stigmidium stereocaulorum Zhurb. & Triebel.     

Reexamination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bregmaceros lanceolatus</Emphasis> Shen, 1960 with description of a new species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bregmaceros pseudolanceolatus</Emphasis> (Gadiformes: Bregmacerotidae)

Based on our reexamination of the 9 specimens including the neotype, Bregmaceros lanceolatus is recharacterized and diagnosed by the following combination of features: caudal fin rounded; scales present on gill cover; dorsal surface of snout unpigmented or with a few chromatophores; isthmus pigmented with punctate chromatophores; two parapophyses on abdominal vertebrae; dorsal rays (D) 65–74; anal rays (A) 67–74; vertebrae (V) 58–61; longitudinal scales (LS) ca. 82–88; principal caudal rays (PC) 16–18; head length (HL)/standard length (SL) 14.0–15.5%; caudal peduncle depth/SL 3.2–4.2%. Based on 27 specimens, B. pseudolanceolatus sp. nov. is described. This species is closely similar to B. lanceolatus, but is diagnosed by the following combination of features: caudal fin rounded; scales present on gill cover; dense concentration of chromatophores on dorsal surface of snout; isthmus colorless; one board-like parapophysis on the last three abdominal vertebrae; D 58–64; A 58–67; V 52–55; LS ca. 68–77; PC 14–16; HL 15.5–18.4% SL; caudal peduncle depth 4.1–5.2% SL. Bregmaceros pseudolanceolatus is known from around the Taiwan Strait, southern East China Sea, South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand, Timor Sea, Arafura Sea, and eastern Bay of Bengal.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microrasbora</Emphasis> Annandale,a new genus record in China,with description of a new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

A new species of genus Microrasbora Annandale (1918), M. microphthalma, is described from the Nanwan River, a tributary of the Ruili River, Irrawaddy drainage, in southwest Yunnan province, China. This new species is the first record of the genus Microrasbora in China. Microrasbora microphthalma can be distinguished from the other species of Microrasbora by the following combination of characters: 15–16 predorsal scales, eye diameter/head length 27–38%, eye diameter/interorbital width 70–93%, predorsal length/ standard length 60–68%, the preanal length/ standard length 65–71% and the origin of dorsal fin is posterior of that of the ventral fin. Xiao-Yong Chen and Jun-Xing Yang contributed equally to this paper.