Bambusicolous fungi in Japan (7): a new coelomycetous genus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Versicolorisporium</Emphasis>

A new genus, Versicolorisporium, is established for the coelomycetous fungus collected in Japan on dead culms of the bamboos Pleioblastus chino and Sasamorpha borealis. The type species of the genus, V. triseptatum, is characterized by the production of holoblastic, 3-septate, obovoid, versicolored conidia. Versicolorisporium is similar to Toxosporiella, Neohendersonia, Toxosporiopsis, and Scolicosporium in having versicolored conidia, but differs from these genera by the uniloculate pycnidial conidiomata with a periphysate ostiole, lacking paraphyses, and the conidia without black-banded septa. A BLAST search using LSU nrDNA sequence indicates that the new genus is a member of Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes.     

Bambusicolous fungi in Japan (8): a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudolachnella from</Emphasis> Yakushima Island,southern Japan

A coelomycetous fungus occurring on culms of Pleioblastus sp. in Yakushima Island, southern Japan, is described and illustrated as a new species, Pseudolachnella yakushimensis. The species is characterized by cupulate, superficial black setose conidiomata, and cylindrical 3-septate conidia with two to five appendages at each end. Pseudolachnella yakushimensis is similar to P. indica and P. scolecospora by its 3-septate conidia, but is different from them by its smaller conidia with more than two appendages.     

Bambusicolous fungi in Japan (6): Katumotoa, a new genus of phaeosphaeriaceous ascomycetes

A new genus, Katumotoa, is established for a single species, K. bambusicola, collected from culms of Sasa kurilensis. Morphological differences between Katumotoa and some related genera are noted. Katumotoa is characterized by perithecioid ascomata, thin ascomal wall composed of small pseudoparenchymatous cells, cellular pseudoparaphyses, fissitunicate asci, and apiosporous fusiform ascospores with bipolar mucilaginous sheath. From these features, it is considered that the genus belongs to Phaeosphaeriaceae in Pleosporales.     

Bambusicolous fungi in Japan (2): <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phialosporostilbe gregariclava</Emphasis>, a new anamorphic fungus from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sasa</Emphasis>

One new hyphomycete, Phialosporostilbe gregariclava, is described and illustrated based on specimens collected on dead culms of two Sasa species in Hokkaido and Iwate, Japan. This fungus is compared with previously described species of Phialosporostilbe and Nawawia, and its morphological and cultural characteristics are reported.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hadrospora fallax</Emphasis> (Pleosporales) found in Japan

 Hadrospora fallax (Phaeosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales), collected from riverside environments, is described and illustrated for the first time in Japan. Received: December 13, 2002 / Accepted: January 27, 2003     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gymnopilus</Emphasis> Sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microspori</Emphasis> from Japan

Gymnopilus ombrophilus sp. nov., growing on rotten wood of conifers and hardwoods from Niigata, Japan is described and illustrated. It is characterized by its medium-sized, brownish-orange basidiocarps with a finely squamulose pileus, stipe lacking an annulus, and mild taste, and microscopically by dextrinoid, small, broadly ellipsoid basidiospores. The new species belongs to the section Microspori. The differences between the taxon and similar species are briefly discussed.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cortinarius</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Orellani</Emphasis> from Japan

Cortinarius breviradicatus sp. nov., found in deciduous forests, is described and illustrated from Niigata, Japan. It is characterized by its medium-sized to large dark brown basidiocarp, acutely conical pileus, and rooting stipe, and by subglobose to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores. In addition, the extracting solution from its basidiocarps exhibits a strong fluorescence around 400–430 nm in ultraviolet radiation (250 nm), which was observed in a species of Cortinarius sect. Orellani. The new species belongs to the section Orellani. The differences between the new taxon and similar species are briefly discussed.     

Pleosporales in Japan (1): the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lophiostoma</Emphasis>

 Seven species of the genus Lophiostoma were the subject of this study. Among these, Lophiostoma mucosum is described and illustrated as a new species. All other species, L. macrostomum, L. semiliberum, L. arundinis, L. caulium, L. caudatum, and L. winteri, are reported for the first time in Japan. A key to the species of Lophiostoma in Japan is given. Received: August 5, 2002 / Accepted: November 28, 2002 Acknowledgments We are grateful to Dr. Hideki Takahashi (curator of SAPA) for the loan of fungal material. Correspondence to:Y. Harada     

Phylogenetic analyses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Uromyces viciae-fabae</Emphasis> and its varieties on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vicia</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lathyrus</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pisum</Emphasis> in Japan

A pea rust fungus, Uromyces viciae-fabae, has been classified into two varieties, var. viciae-fabae and var. orobi, based on differences in urediniospore wall thickness and putative host specificity in Japan. In principal component analyses, morphological features of urediniospores and teliospores of 94 rust specimens from Vicia, Lathyrus, and Pisum did not show definite host-specific morphological groups. In molecular analyses, 23 Uromyces specimens from Vicia, Lathyrus, and Pisum formed a single genetic clade based on D1/D2 and ITS regions. Four isolates of U. viciae-fabae from V. cracca and V. unijuga could infect and sporulate on P. sativum. These results suggest that U. viciae-fabae populations on different host plants are not biologically differentiated into groups that can be recognized as varieties.Contribution no. 184, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba, Japan     

Pleosporales in Japan (4). The genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Massariosphaeria</Emphasis>

Six species of the genus Massariosphaeria collected from northern Japan are described and illustrated. Massariosphaeria moricola (on dead twigs of Morus australis) and M. megaspora (on submerged dead twigs of an unknown woody plant) are reported as new species. A new combination of M. clavispora (basionym: Hysterium clavispora) is proposed. Three species, M. typhicola, M. roumeguerei, and M. grandispora, are newly added to the mycoflora of Japan.     

Bambusicolous fungi in Japan (3): a new combination, Kalmusia scabrispora

Leptosphaeria scabrispora collected from Phyllostachys bambusoides is reported from Japan. This species was described initially from China and has not been reported subsequently. Based on the morphological features of clypeate ascomata, long stipitate asci, and reddish-brown ascospores with median primary septum, it is transferred to the genus Kalmusia. The fungus produced a Leptodothiorella-like microconidial state in culture.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia calystegiae-soldanellae</Emphasis>, a new rust species on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calystegia soldanella</Emphasis> from Japan

A rust species on Calystegia soldanella in Japan has been treated as Puccinia convolvuli to date. However, morphological characteristics of specimens on C. soldanella collected from Japan are significantly different from those of specimens on other Calystegia and Convolvulus species from different areas of the world. It is proved by inoculation experiment that the rust on C. soldanella is specific to C. soldanella. Based on these results, Puccinia rust on C. soldanella from Japan is described as a new species, Puccinia calystegiae-soldanellae.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brasiliomyces</Emphasis> (Erysiphaceae) on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dalbergia cultrata</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">cultrata</Emphasis> from Thailand

A powdery mildew fungus on leaves of Dalbergia cultrata var. cultrata (Fabaceae) collected at the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden in northern Thailand is proven to be a new species of the genus Brasiliomyces and is described as B. chiangmaiensis sp. nov. with light and SEM micrographs. Differences in known Brasiliomyces species are discussed, and a key to species of this genus is provided.     

Pleosporales in Japan (2): the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lophiotrema</Emphasis>

 Five species of the genus Lophiotrema are reported in this article. Of these, Lophiotrema vitigenum is described and illustrated as a new species. Three species, L. nucula, L. neohysterioides, and L. vagabundum, are newly added to the Japanease mycoflora. Lophiosphaera orientalis, Nodulosphaeria araucariae, and N. rosae, which had been recorded in Japan, are treated as synonyms of Lophiotrema fuckelii. A key to the species of Lophiotrema in Japan is given. Received: October 9, 2002 / Accepted: January 20, 2003 Acknowledgments We are grateful to Drs. Shuhei Tanaka (curator of YAM) and Ken Katumoto for the loan of fungal material. Correspondence to:K. Tanaka     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caenorhabditis</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">briggsae</Emphasis> genome contains active <Emphasis Type="Italic">CbmaT1</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tcb1</Emphasis> transposons

The maT clade of transposons is a group of transposable elements intermediate in sequence and predicted protein structure to mariner and Tc transposons, with a distribution thus far limited to a few invertebrate species. We present evidence, based on searches of publicly available databases, that the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae has several maT-like transposons, which we have designated as CbmaT elements, dispersed throughout its genome. We also describe two additional transposon sequences that probably share their evolutionary history with the CbmaT transposons. One resembles a fold back variant of a CbmaT element, with long (380-bp) inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) that show a high degree (71%) of identity to CbmaT1. The other, which shares only the 26-bp ITR sequences with one of the CbmaT variants, is present in eight nearly identical copies, but does not have a transposase gene and may therefore be cross mobilised by a CbmaT transposase. Using PCR-based mobility assays, we show that CbmaT1 transposons are capable of excising from the C. briggsae genome. CbmaT1 excised approximately 500 times less frequently than Tcb1 in the reference strain AF16, but both CbmaT1 and Tcb1 excised at extremely high frequencies in the HK105 strain. The HK105 strain also exhibited a high frequency of spontaneous induction of unc-22 mutants, suggesting that it may be a mutator strain of C. briggsae.     

A new variety of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cortinarius subalboviolaceus</Emphasis> (Sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sericeocybe</Emphasis>) from Japan

Cortinarius subalboviolaceus var. niigatensis var. nov., which grows in deciduous forests, is described and illustrated from Niigata and Gunma prefectures, Japan. It differs from C. subalboviolaceus var. subalboviolaceus mainly in its more distinct violet coloration and somewhat larger size of the basidiocarp.