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 synnematous species of Penicillium from soil in Taiwan

A synnematous species of Penicillium, P. calidicanium, is described and illustrated. The fungus was isolated from soil in Taiwan. Penicillium calidicanium can be placed in subgenus Biverticillium because of its symmetrical, biverticillate penicilli, ampulliform to acerose phialides, and ability to produce abundant synnemata in Czapek yeast extract agar, malt extract agar, and Czapek's solution agar. It is close to P. duclauxii and P. vulpinum, but differs in colony morphology, growth rate, morphology of the synnemata, and ornamentation of the conidial wall.     

<i>Natarajania thailandica</i> sp. nov. (Stilbosporaceae,Diaporthales) from Thailand

A fungus similar to the monotypic genus Natarajania, isolated from dead wood and collected in Thailand, is reported. Analysis of partial ribosomal LSU and a protein coding gene (RPB2) demonstrated that the new isolate belonged to Stilbosporaceae, Diaporthales and genetically different from N. indica. It is unique in producing synnematous conidiophores, smooth-walled conidiogenous cells and a flared collarette but lacks an elongated collar-canal which is distinct in the type species. Therefore, sequence data and morphological traits are used to introduce the new species, Natarajania thailandica.     

Didymobotryum spirillum, a new synnematous hyphomycete from India

A new synnematous hyphomycete, Didymobotryum spirillum D'Souza & Bhat, collected from decaying culms of bamboo, Dendrocalamus strictus, is described and illustrated from the forests of Western Ghats in Goa, India. The fungus produces monotretic, catenate didymoconidia on spirally twisted synnemata.     

Studies on the synnematous fungi imperfecti. I

Summary Pseudographiella with the type species,P. variaseptata, andPhragmographium with the type species,P. ulmi, are described as new synnematous taxa. Both of these new species produce phragmospores. In addition, a new species ofDendrostilbella, D. bonari, is described as new.     

A simple method of storing nonsynnematous and synnematous isolates of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hirsutella thompsonii</Emphasis> while conserving their pleomorphism,pathogenicity and genetic purity

Five nonsynnematous and six synnematous isolates of the acaropathogenic fungus Hirsutella thompsonii were successfully stored as mycelial beads in sterile water under refrigeration. They were viable for up to 96 months without any adverse effect on their pleomorphic characteristics. Besides, there was loss neither in pathogenicity nor in genetic purity. Thus, mycelial beads can now be an addition to the list of fungal propagules that are amenable to storage in sterile water over a long period.     

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.     

Morphology and molecular phylogeny ofTretopileus sphaerophorus, a synnematous hyphomycete with basidiomycetous affinities

Tretopileus sphaerophorus, a synnematous hyphomycete with basidiomycetous affinities was newly isolated from the decaying petiole and peduncle ofCocos nucifera collected in Depok, Indonesia. The species produced first a bulbil as a propagule on the top of a synnema. After the bulbil had fallen, the synnema proliferated about seven times to produce new bulbils, each time making conspicuous nodes at the upper part. By careful morphological observation, clamp connections were confirmed on the hyphae in the specimens and culture. In culture, each hyphal cell with or without a clamp was found to be dikaryotic by DAPI nuclear staining. Germination of the bulbils occurred first from projecting hyphal tips on their upper surface, which have been treated as germ pores. The inner structure of the bulbils, the hyaline mucus of the bulbils, and conidium-like hyphal fragments were also examined. Phylogenetically,T. sphaerophorus was inferred to be related to the Aphyllophorales based on the nuclear encoded small subunit (18S) rDNA using the homology search system (FASTA) and the neighbour-joining method. Part 10 in a series on the taxonomy of synnematous fungi.     

Studies on the synnematous fungi imperfecti II

Summary Albosynnema with the type species,A. elegans, andSolheimia with the type species,S. costaspora, are described as new synnematous taxa. A species ofNegeriella, N. panamensis, is described as new. All of these new taxa produce phragmospores. In addition, new distribution records forCalostilbella Calostilbe, Stromatographium stromaticum, Vrikshopama swetasakha, andIsaria tenuipes are listed.This study was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (GB-2433).     

CONIDIOGENESIS IN CERATOCYSTIS ULMI,CERATOCYSTIS PICEAE,AND GRAPHIUM PENICILLIOIDES

Conidiogenous cells of both the synnematous and mononematous conidiophores in Ceratocystis ulmi and C. piceae develop by sympodial proliferation. Holoblastic conidia are produced on nodules or short denticles from the synnematous conidiogenous cells and on well-defined denticles from the mononematous conidiogenous cells. Graphium penicillioides is characterized by percurrent proliferation of the conidiogenous cells and the conidia are holoblastic and annellidic. A comparison of the type material of G. penicillioides with the lectotype specimen of C. piceae indicates that G. penicillioides is not the conidial state of C. piceae. The method of conidial development in C. ulmi and C. piceae is distinct from that of G. penicillioides, the lectotype species of Graphium; these conidial states are, therefore, placed in a new hyphomycete genus, Pesotum, as the Pesotum state of Ceratocystis ulmi and C. piceae, respectively.     

Minteriella cenotigena anam. gen. & sp. nov. from submerged plant material in Mexico

Minteriella cenotigena gen. & sp. nov., found on decaying bark submerged in a sinkhole from the southern of Mexico, is described and illustrated. The new taxa is distinguished by synnematous conidiomata, with polyblastic, discrete, indeterminate, sympodially proliferating conidiogenous cells, with flat conidiogenous loci and cylindrical, 3- to 4- (to 5) euseptate, hyaline conidia.     

Morphological and molecular characterization ofAquaticheirospora and phylogenetics of Massarinaceae (Pleosporales)

A morphologically interesting hyphomycete was collected from submerged wood in a stream in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Thailand. It is described as Aquaticheirospora lignicola gen. and sp. nov., and is characterized by euseptate conidia with divergent arms, which are vertically inserted in different planes to a basal cell. The genus differs from other chirosporous genera in having synnematous conidioma and conidia that are produced on conidiogenous cells borne at the apices of synnemata. The morphological characterization of this new fungus is reported and compared with similar chirosporous genera. To investigate the teleomorphic and phylogenetic relationships of this new taxon, three different regions of the ribosomal gene [18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) including 5.8S] were sequenced and analysed. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on 18S, 28S, and partial ITS including 5.8S rDNA, employing different tree-making methods, indicate that Aquaticheirospora lignicola is closely related to the ascomycetes family Massarinaceae (Order: Pleosporales). The Massarinaceae as currently circumscribed is monophyletic. Massarina australiensis and M. bipolaris , however, appear to belong to the Lophiostomataceae.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 155 , 283–296.     

ROGERSIOMYCES,A NEW GENUS IN THE FILOBASIDIACEAE (HOMOBASIDIOMYCETES) FROM AN AQUATIC HABITAT

Rogersiomyces okefenokeensis gen. et sp. n. is a Homobasidiomycete described in the Filobas-idiaceae. It is characterized by gymnocarpous basidiocarps composed of fasciculate or loose synnematous holobasidia. The basidia are characteristically obclavate with prominent, truncate sterigmata and function as apobasidia. The basidiospores are borne symmetrically, are nonapiculate, and germinate directly to form mycelium or occasionally by repetition. Some examples are presented to illustrate an apparent correlation of apobasidia with an adaptation to aquatic habitats.     

滇川桂3省暗褐网柄牛肝菌菌腔虫瘿的寄主植物与介壳虫种类调查

暗褐网柄牛肝菌Phlebopus portentosus与介壳虫形成的菌腔虫瘿是该菌营养机制研究的关键环节。本研究先后在云南、四川和广西3省区暗褐网柄牛肝菌产区的16个地点,对菌腔虫瘿的生态和生物学进行了大量的野外调查。发现根部着生菌腔虫瘿的寄主植物有31种,涉及16个科的28个属。与暗褐网柄牛肝菌形成菌腔虫瘿的介壳虫种类有12种,其中10种隶属粉蚧科Pseudococcidae、绵蚧科Monophlebidae、蚧科Coccidae各1种。在不同的寄主植物上菌腔虫瘿的寄生位置和形状会有所不同,与暗褐网柄牛肝菌菌丝形成菌腔虫瘿的寄主植物和介壳虫之间不存在专一性。上述研究结果为暗褐网柄牛肝菌的仿生栽培奠定了基础。     

Structure of macrofungus communities in different habitats of small postglacial pond margins

Differences in fungus communities growing in margins of small postglacial ponds (PPMs) can be explained by land use. Some 66% of all species collected were recorded exclusively in PPMs located in meadows with solitary trees, and communities distinguished were typical of this kind of land use. These PPMs shared 26% of the species with two other kinds of PPMs, located in cultivated terrain, i.e. field and pasture (fed by cattle). These latter kinds of PPMs were distinguished by a much smaller number of fungus species (about 36% of total number of species), and no separate species populations were associated with them. There were also a number of eurytopic species (16% of total number), which occurred in all sites, some of them with similar frequencies. The investigated PPMs are very rich in saprotrophic fungus species (90% of total species number there), which is another argument for their peculiarity and need of protection of their habitats as they essentially contribute to maintaining fungus biodiversity.     

A host survey of Gymnosporangium

This paper is concerned with the species ofGymnosporangium and their host relationships. Interest centers, not on how many hosts a fungus species may occupy, but rather with how the hosts are distributed among the species of the fungus.     

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     

Genetic Diversity of Fungi Occurring in Nests of Three <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acromyrmex</Emphasis> Leaf-cutting Ant Species from Córdoba,Argentina

It is assumed in current literature that the fungus garden cultivated by leaf-cutting ants consists of a single fungus species, the putative mutualistic fungus. However, most studies report a very high rate of fungi contamination (fungi isolated from fungus gardens that are considered not to be the mutualistic fungus). In this article, we report a genetic similarity analysis of all fungi (regardless of their mutualistic condition) isolated from 16 fungus gardens of three Acromyrmex species in Córdoba, Argentina, using intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) as genetic markers. We isolated 60 clones, of which the three primers employed yielded 53 loci. The patterns revealed a high interclone polymorphism, with a few bands shared by the clones. Of all possible pairwise comparisons, 99% showed a genetic similarity (S) lower than 0.5, the threshold level assumed for fungus Operational Taxonomy Unit (OTU). We found more than one fungus OTU in all studied nests (range 2–11). Cumulative number of OTUs increased linearly with the number of nests sampled. The number of fungus OTUs common to both ant species and sites was very small. We did not find a core group composed of few very common OTUs, as expected if a set of truly mutualistic OTU was present. A simple explanation for the high number of OTUs found is that they are regular components of the fungus garden, which may be used as food source by the ants.     

Rhynchostomatoid fungi occurring on Proteaceae

A new ascomycete fungus, with long-necked perithecia having central ostioles and striate ascospores, was isolated from flowerheads of Protea burchellii and P. laurifolia in South Africa and is described here as Rhynchostoma proteae sp. nov. Sequence data obtained from the small-subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU nrDNA) place this fungus with 100% bootstrap support in a clade containing the type species of Rhynchostoma, R. minutum. A similar fungus with verruculose ascospores also was observed on a member of the Proteaceae from Australia, Lomatia polymorpha, which is described here as Rhynchomeliola lomatiae sp. nov. These two species are illustrated and contrasted with a third species from Proteaceae, Rhynchomeliola australiense, known from Grevillea in Australia.     

Evolutionary relationships within Aspergillus section Flavi based on sequences of the intergenic transcribed spacer regions and the 5.8S rRNA gene

Sequences of the intergenic transcribed spacer regions and the 5.8S rRNA gene (455 nucleotides) of type strains or representative isolates of 23 species and subspecies either currently assigned to Aspergillus subgenus Circumdati section Flavi or other closely related sections, were analyzed. Parsimony analysis of sequence data indicated that species of Aspergillus section Flavi form distinct clades. The three main clades identified based on sequence data could also be distinguished based on colony color, and their ubiquinone systems. The 'A. flavus' clade includes species characterized with Q-10(H(2)) as their main ubiquinone, conidial colors in shades of green, and dark sclerotia. The 'A. tamarii' clade involves species with ubiquinone system Q-10(H(2)), and conidia in shades of olive to brown, while the 'A. alliaceus' clade consists of species with Q-10 ubiquinone system, and conidia in shades of ocher. The synnematous species A. coremiiformis was found to be closely related to species in the 'A. tamarii' clade. A. thomii and A. terricola var. americana were found to be related to the 'A. flavus' clade in spite of producing brownish colonies. Three species, A. nomius, A. avenaceus, and A. leporis were found to form separate lineages not closely related to any of the main clades identified. It is suggested that A. clavatoflavus and A. zonatus be excluded from Aspergillus section Flavi. Phylogenetic analysis of partial 26S rRNA gene sequences (564 nucleotides) supported our findings.