Freshwater ascomycetes: two new species of Lindgomyces (Lindgomycetaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) from Japan and USA

During independent surveys of freshwater ascomycetes in Japan and USA two new species of Lindgomyces were collected from submerged wood in freshwater. These species are described and illustrated based on morphological data and phylogenetic relationships based on analyses of nuclear ribosomal sequence data (partial SSU and LSU, and ITS). Lindgomyces apiculatus, collected in Japan, is characterized by immersed to erumpent, globose to subglobose ascomata; fissitunicate, cylindrical to clavate asci; and fusiform, one-septate ascospores with acute ends and short terminal appendages. Lindgomyces lemonweirensis, collected in Wisconsin, USA, differs from L. apiculatus in having clavate to cymbiform asci and oblong to fusiform ascospores that are distinctively multiguttulate and surrounded by an oval, ephemeral gelatinous sheath. The new species formed a strongly supported clade within the family Lindgomycetaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) based on analyses of combined SSU and LSU sequence data. In addition phylogenetic analyses with ITS sequence data support the establishment of the new taxa as separate species within Lindgomyces because they were separated from each other and other Lindgomyces species based on maximum likelihood bootstrap and Bayesian analyses.     

中国小球腔菌属三新记录种

从采自黄山、武夷山和九寨沟的真菌标本上分离、鉴定出小球腔菌属3个中国新记录种：布赖顿小球腔菌Leptosphaeria brightonensis,蓍小球腔菌L. millefolii和山萝花小球腔菌L. suffulta。并对它们进行了形态特征描述、图示、比较和讨论。标本均保存在青岛农业大学菌物标本室。     

Two new setae-lessPhellinus species with large coloured spores (Fungi,Hymenochaetaceae)

Two new species ofPhellinus rimosus complex are described, viz.Phellinus coffeatoporus Kotl. etPouz. from Florida (U.S.A.) characterized by globose spores andPhellinus resinaceus Kotl. etPouz. from Papua-New Guinea and Australia which is distinguished by a very thick and faintly yellowish tinted spore wall.     

Achrysocharoides Girault (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) new to tropical America, with eight new species

The genus Achrysocharoides Girault is here reported for the first time from tropical America. Included are ten species, eight newly described: Achrysocharoides asperulus, Achrysocharoides callisetosus, Achrysocharoides cuspidatus, Achrysocharoides foveatus, Achrysocharoides infuscus, Achrysocharoides mediocarinatus, Achrysocharoides purpureus, Achrysocharoides sulcatus, and two already known: Achrysocharoides ecuadorensis (Hansson) and Achrysocharoides gliricidiae (Hansson & Cave). All species are included in an identification key, diagnosed, described and illustrated. Only one of the species, Achrysocharoides gliricidiae, has a host record, an endoparasitoid in a leafmining Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) on Gliricidia sepium (Fabaceae), thus conforming to the biology of extralimital Achrysocharoides species. The genus Kratoysma Bouček is here established as a junior synonym of Achrysocharoides, and the following species previously in Kratoysma are here recombined to Achrysocharoides: Kratoysma citri Bouček, Kratoysma ecuadorensis Hansson, Kratoysma gliricidiae Hansson & Cave, Kratoysma longifacies Hansson, Kratoysma nepalensis Hansson, Derostenus usticrus Erdös.     

Fungi on grasses: new species of Ascotaiwania,Diaporthe and Oxydothis (Ascomycetes)

Four new species of ascomycetes, Ascotaiwania pennisetarum sp. nov., Diaporthe appendiculata sp. now., Diaporthe minutis sp. nov., and Oxydothis miscanthiecola sp. nov., are described from senescent culms of grasses in Hong Kong. Ascotaiwania pennisetarum is distinctive from other species in the genus as ascospores are narrower. Diaporthe minutis differs from the most similar Diaporthe species in having ascospores with bipolar mucilaginous pads, while Diaporthe appendiculata differs from other species in having ascospores with both a mucilaginous pad and appendages at both ends. Oxydothis miscanthicola differs from other species in the genus in having long fusiform ascospores, which taper to rounded apices or otherwise differ in shape and size. These new species are compared with existing species and illustrated with interference light micrographs. The Diaporthe species known to posses mucilaginous ascospore appendages are listed.     

Lindgomyces angustiascus, (Lindgomycetaceae,Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes), a new lignicolous species from freshwater habitats in the USA

In this paper, we describe and illustrate a new species, Lindgomyces angustiascus, from submerged wood in lotic and lentic habitats from Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin, USA. The new species is characterized by black, partially immersed, flattened, globose ascomata; fissitunicate, long, slender, obclavate asci; and one-septate, hyaline, fusiform ascospores with bipolar appendages, each covered with a gelatinous cap. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses of partial 18S nrDNA and 28S nrDNA, as well as the entire nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2) region support the placement and establishment of this new species in the Lindgomycetaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes. Chemical analysis of the organic extract of L. angustiascus revealed the presence of 6E,9E-octadecadienoic acid and ergosterol peroxide as major secondary metabolites.     

New species of Hypocreales (Fungi,Ascomycetes)

The new ascomycetes Hypomyces succineus, Podostroma eperuae, and Nectria phialotrichi are proposed. Hypomyces succineus occurs on basidiomata of Pholiota sp. in New York; its anamorph is described as the new species Cladobotryum succineum. Podostroma eperuae occurs on decaying pods of a species of Eperua found in French Guiana and Guyana. Its anamorph is unknown. Nectria phialotrichi occurs on perithecia of Nectria sp. and bark in Guyana; its anamorph is referred to the anamorph genus Onychophora.     

A new species of Momordica (Cucurbitaceae) from tropical Africa

Momordica littorea , sp. nov., a dioecious climber with succulent 3-foliolate leaves and conspicuously bracteate flowers from coastal regions of southern Somalia and Kenya, is described and illustrated.     

Four new species of Chlorophytum (Anthericaceae) from tropical Africa

Four new species of Chlorophyrum from tropical Africa are described: C. graniticola from Zimbabwe, C. minor and C. perfoliatum from Zambia, and C. velutirzum from Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zaire.     

Phylogenetic placement and anatomical characterisation of two new West African Tomentella (Basidiomycota, Fungi) species

Tomentella amyloapiculata and T. agbassaensis are described as new species within the genus Tomentella based on materials we collected in the West African, northern Guinean seasonal forests. We used a combination of anatomical characters, sequence analyses and phylogenetic inference of 71 ITS rDNA sequences to characterise the two new species. Anatomically, T. amyloapiculata is characterised by simple septate brown to dark brown, thick-walled subicular and subhymenial hyphae and triangular to slightly lobed brown basidiospores (in frontal view), with isolate aculei of 1–2 μm. Phylogenetically, T. amyloapiculata forms a sister species of T. fuscocinerea with a moderate bootstrap support of 70%. T. amyloapiculata deviates from T. fuscocinerea by 10.07–11.73% in their sequence similarities. As far as T. agbassaensis is concerned, it clusters phylogenetically together with T. bryophila with a strong bootstrap support of 99%. The species is characterised by slightly differentiated rhizomorphs with yellowish hyphae, clamped, thick-walled and yellow to dark yellow subicular hyphae and pale yellow, small basidiospores of 6–8(8.5) μm with aculei of up to 0.5 μm. Both new species deviated from each other by 11.0–11.60% with regard to the ITS rDNA nucleotides.     

Four new species of Commicarpus (Nyctaginaceae) from NE tropical Africa

The new species Commicarpus hiranensis from the inland of central Somalia, C. mistus from Somalia, SE Ethiopia, NE Kenya and S Arabia, C. parviflorus from the coastal and subcoastal parts of central Somalia, and C. ramosissimus from NE Somalia are described and illustrated.     

A new species of Isoglossa (Acanthaceae) from NE tropical Africa

The first species of Isoglossa known from Somalia, I. congesta is described om material from central Somalia and SE Ethiopia. It is related to I. parvifolia Rendle, occurring in E Ethiopia, but differs in the contracted inflorescences and long calyx lobes with long glandular hairs.     

Three new species of Melhania (Sterculiaceae) from north-eastern tropical Africa

Melhania annua , sp. nov., from coastal or subcoastal dunes in Somalia and Kenya, M. hiranensis , sp. nov., from Acacia-Commiphora bushland on sand in south-central Somalia, and M. quercifolia , sp. nov., from coastal dunes in Somalia, are described and illustrated.     

Three new species of Eryngium (Umbelliferae) from tropical South America

Three new monocotyloid Eryngia,E. rochei, E. brasiliense. andE. irwinii from Brazil and Paraguay, are described, illustrated, and contrasted with related taxa.     

A new species of Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae) from northeast tropical Africa

The new species Kalanchoe subrosulata from deciduous bushlands in southwestern Somalia and northeastern Kenya is described and illustrated.     

Molecular taxonomy and morphological characterization reveal new species and new host records of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Torula</Emphasis> species (Torulaceae,Pleosporales)

Four new species and two new host records of Torula (Torulaceae, Pleosporales) are described and illustrated from herbaceous litter collected in Italy and Thailand. The new species possess colony, conidiophore and conidial characteristics that fit within the generic concept of Torula. Detailed morphological observations clearly demarcate four of these from extant species and are hence described as new (Torula chiangmaiensis sp. nov., Torula pluriseptata sp. nov., Torula chromolaenae sp. nov., Torula mackenziei sp. nov.). Details of asexual morphs are described, and justifications for establishing these new species are provided. The nuclear are sequenced ribosomal RNA genes as well as protein coding genes to infer phylogenetic relationships and discuss phylogenetic affinities with morphologically similar species. Our morphological distinction is further supported by phylogenetic discrimination. In particular, phylogenies depict a close relationship of Torula chiangmaiensis and T. pluriseptata to T. hollandica, while T. chromolaenae and T. mackenziei constitute an independent phylogenetic lineage basal to T. herbarum and T. ficus. Torula ficus and T. masonii are also described and their phylogeny investigated as new host records from Bidens pilosa and Iris germanica, respectively.     

中国热带和亚热带地区乳菇属的5个新种及1个新记录种

通过形态学比较和对ITS-nrDNA序列的分析,本文描述了产自我国热带及亚热带地区乳菇属的5个新种和1个中国新记录种。新种缘囊体乳菇Lactarius cheilocystidiatus和多囊体乳菇L. polycystis由于具有真正的囊状体而与变红乳菇亚属L. subg. Plinthogalus的绝大多数种相异,它们与泰国的L. crassiusculus关系密切。新种粘果乳菇L. gloeocarpus和多见乳菇L. vulgaris是乳菇亚属L. subg. Lactarius的新成员,其典型特征为淡黄色胶粘菌盖、孢子具网状纹饰和较大的囊状体,它们与原初描述自中国的淡黄褐乳菇L. pallido-ochraceus、淡环纹乳菇L. pallidizonatus以及印度的L. thindii形成种复合群。新种湖南乳菇L. hunanensis与温带物种具有较强的亲缘关系,它的典型特征为粘不规则交织型的盖表皮中具橄榄色被壳物质以及具斑马纹纹饰的孢子,属L. blennius种复合群。南方窝柄黄乳菇L. austroscrobiculatus原初描述自印度尼西亚,具有强烈的热带性质,这是在中国首次发现该种。本研究的标本采集自安徽、海南、河南、湖南、江西和云南。这些物种是中国-日本森林植物亚区的代表性乳菇类真菌。     

Freshwater ascomycetes: Wicklowia aquatica, a new genus and species in the Pleosporales from Florida and Costa Rica

During a latitudinal survey of freshwater ascomycetes, an unidentified fungus with bitunicate asci was found on submerged wood and herbaceous material from Florida and Costa Rica. Based on morphological characteristics and 28S rDNA large subunit (LSU) sequence data, this fungus is described as a new genus and species, Wicklowia aquatica, and placed in the Pleosporales (Pleosporomycetidae, Dothideomycetes). Phylogenetic analyses based on LSU sequences did not resolve the familial placement of W. aquatica within the Pleosporales. The characteristic features of W. aquatica are subglobose, dorsiventrally flattened, ostiolate, immersed to erumpent, black ascomata; a peridial wall composed of 4–5 layers of darkened pseudoparenchymatic cells; cellular pseudoparaphyses immersed in a gel matrix; broadly clavate, bitunicate asci; and cylindrical, hyaline, one-septate ascospores with rounded apices and surrounded by a gelatinous sheath that expands in water; ascospore sheath attached at the ascospore base with a gelatinous curtain extending from the base that fragments into basal filamentous appendages which radiate from the base of the ascospore.