Two new species of Exobasidium causing Exobasidium diseases on Vaccinium spp. in Japan

Two new Exobasidium species on Vaccinium spp. in Japan are described and discussed. Exobasidium kishianum, which causes Exobasidium leaf blight on V. hirtum var. pubescens and V. smallii, is characterized by its ellipsoid to ovoid basidiospores with (0–)1–3 septa. Its systemic infection is also observed. Exobasidium inconspicuum, causing Exobasidium leaf blister on V. hirtum var. pubescens, is characterized by its obovoid or ellipsoid to oval basidiospores with 0–4 septa. Mode of germination of the basidiospores is by germ tube in both species. Contribution no. 199, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan     

Aciculosporium sasicola sp. nov. on witches' broom ofSasa senanensis

A new species ofAciculosporium, A. sasicola (anam.Albomyces sasicola), is described and illustrated. The fungus differs fromAciculosporium take by its small asci and ascospores, though witches' broom and signs probably caused by the former onSasa senanensis are similar to those caused by the latter on bamboos.     

A new species ofRoumegueriella

A new species ofRoumegueriella (Ascomycetes; Hypocreales),R. pulchella, is described and illustrated. This fungus is characterized by its rapid growth on Czapek-yeast extract and YpSs agars at 37°C, bright yellow non-ostiolate ascomata, translucent membranaceous peridium, broadly clavate asci, and hyaline one-celled subglobose-ovoid ascospores ornamented with prominent spines. The holotype was isolated from soil in a sugarcane field in Okinawa, Japan.     

Microsphaeropsis rugospora, a new species from Japanese soil

A new species ofMicrosphaeropsis (Sphaeropsidales, Coelomycetes),M. rugospora, is described and illustrated. This fungus is characterized by its rapid growth on common media such as oatmeal and potato-carrot agars; semi-immersed to immersed, nearly globose, papillate pycnidias; pale yellowish brown, translucent, membranaceous peridium; monophialidic, ampulliform conidiogenous cells; and one-celled, dark brown, globose conidia ornamented with distinct tubercles. The holotype was isolated from the cultivated soil in Tanegashima Island, southern Japan.     

A new species ofCortinarius sectionBolares from Japan

Cortinarius reticulisporus sp. nov., found in deciduous forests, is described and illustrated. It closely resemblesCortinarius rubicundulusin its pileus color and the vivid yellowing of the context on bruising, but differs from the latter in its subglobose to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores with quotient of the length/width smaller than 1.4 and particularly fine lines connecting warts when observed under SEM. The differences betweenCortinarius reticulisporus and other similar taxa are briefly discussed.     

Taxonomy ofPuccinia species causing rust diseases on sugarcane

A taxonomic revision ofPuccinia species causing rust diseases on sugarcane was conducted to clarify their morphological characteristics. Specimens including previously reported species,Puccinia melanocephala, P. kuehnii andPuccinia sp.sensu Muta, 1987, were collected in Japan and the Philippines and borrowed from various herbaria worldwide. Morphological characteristics of these specimens were examined under light and scanning electron microscopes. Comparative morphological studies of the specimens showed that rust fungi infecting sugarcane could be classified into two species,Puccinia melanocephala andP. kuehnii. Puccinia sp.sensu Muta was morphologically identical withP. kuehnii. Results of this study corroborate previous phylogenetic analysis results of D1/D2 regions of LSU rDNA gene. Contribution No. 157, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba     

A new species ofCrepidotus (Crepidotaceae)

Crepidotus ehrendorferi spec. nova (sect.Sphaerula) is similar to the North AmericanC. sinuosus and differs mainly by the anatomy of pileicutis with unseptated, long, slender terminal hyphae and some macroscopical characters. It is compared also withC. applanatus andC. crocophyllus. C. ehrendorferi is a very conspicuous, wood-inhabiting species known up to now from a very old forest reserve close to the city of Vienna (Austria).     

A new species ofCortinarius Sect.Hydrocybe from Japan

Cortinarius laccarioides sp. nov., found in deciduous forests, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by its small hygrophanous pileus, greyish red or greyish violet lamellae and stipe, and globose to subglobose basidiospores. The differences betweenC. laccarioides and similar species are briefly discussed.     

Phenylpropanoid amides of serotonin accumulate in witches' broom diseased bamboo

Aciculosporium take (Ascomycota; Clavicipitaceae), causes the witches' broom disease in bamboo, particularly Phyllostachys bambusoides. Since it was observed that endogenous indole-3-acetic acid is reduced in the twigs of the diseased bamboo, the symptoms (bushy appearance) may be induced by reduction in auxin levels. Furthermore, two indolic compounds accumulated in diseased twigs, these being identified as N-p-coumaroylserotonin and N-feruloylserotonin by LC-MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic analyses. N-p-Coumaroylserotonin possesses antifungal activity against A. take.     

A Trichoderma harzianum chitinase destroys the cell wall of the phytopathogen Crinipellis perniciosa,the causal agent of witches' broom disease of cocoa

A Trichoderma harzianum isolate (1051), which was able to antagonize in field the phytopathogen Crinipellis perniciosa, the causal agent of witches' broom disease of cocoa, produces several hydrolytic enzymes. A chitinase, with molecular mass of about 37 kDA, which was secreted by the Trichoderma in the culture medium containing chitin, was partially purified by gel filtration followed by hydrophobic chromatography. The optimal pH and temperature for chitin hydrolysis by the partially purified enzyme were 4.0 and 37 °C, respectively. Chitobiose, laminarin, cellulosic substrates including aryl-glucosides, xylan, starch and -galactomannan were not hydrolysed by the enzyme. Remarkably, the partially purified enzyme drastically affected the cell wall of the phytopathogen C. perniciosa in vitro.     

A new species ofCortinarius sect.Sericeocybe from Japan

Cortinarius prunicola sp. nov., found in orchards and plantations ofPrunus mume, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by its dry and violet-white carpophores, unpleasant odor, and its close association withP. mume in spring and early summer. The differences betweenC. prunicola and similar species are briefly discussed.     

A new species ofEupenicillium from marine sediment

A new species ofEupenicillium isolated from marine sediment,Eupenicillium limosum, is described and illustrated. This species is characterized by subglobose ascospores with spinulose surface ornamentation and irregular biverticillate penicilli.     

A new species ofLasiobolidium from Californian soil

Lasiobolidium gracile isolated from a soil sample collected from California, USA is described as a new species. This species is characterized by yellowish brown to reddish brown, nonostiolate ascomata with numerous, long straight appendages and a translucent peridium, subglobose to broadly clavate asci, hyaline to pale yellowish brown, ellipsoidal ascospores. It differs from the other species ofLasiobolidium in the straight and narrow appendages and the large ascospores. A key is presented separating the seven known species.     

Three species ofMarasmius new to Japan

Three species ofMarasmius from Japan are described and illustrated here for the first time:M. glabellus, M. pallidocephalus andM. wettsteinii. The specimens were collected in Hokkaido.     

Atkinsiella dubia and its related species

Atkinsiella dubia, isolated from the mantle of abalone (Haliotis sieboldii), is described and illustrated as a new record from Japan. The fungus was also obtained from the gills of swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus). Six other species of the genusAtkinsiella have hitherto been reported from various aquatic animals. The fungus is distinguished from the other six species by the morphology of its mycelia and the process of zoospore production. The most distinctive feature is that zoospores in the first motile stage ofA. dubia encyst in zoosporangia, unlike the other species. We therefore proposeHalocrusticida gen. nov. (Lagenidiales, Haliphthoraceae) for the other six species ofAtkinsiella. A key to species of the genusHalocrusticida is provided.     

Sclerotinia trillii, sp. nov., causing a new sclerotinia disease onTrillium in Japan

Sclerotinia trillii n. sp., which attacksTrillium tschonoskii andT. smallii in Hokkaido and northern Honshu, Japan, is described. The characters identifying this species with the genusSclerotinia are large tuberoid sclerotia, produced both on infected plants and in culture, which consisted of only mycelium (true sclerotia) and flesh apothecia produced on them. This species is distinguished fromS. sclerotiorum, S. minor, S. trifoliorum, andS. nivalis by relatively large sclerotia, cultural colony appearance, and red-brown to yellow-brown, relatively large apothecium, in addition to its parasitic nature onTrillium. Sclerotinia trillii is a psychrophilic having an optimum temperature for mycelial growth at 15–20°C.