Four freshwater dematiaceous hyphomycetes in Sordariomycetes with two new species of Parafuscosporella

A collection of lignicolous freshwater fungi in the Greater Mekong Subregion resulted in four interesting dematiaceous hyphomycetes with similar morphology. The taxa had sporodochial colonies, micronematous to semi-macronematous conidiophores and subglobose, ellipsoidal to broadly pyriform, 0–1-septate, dark brown to black conidia. Based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, SSU, ITS and RPB2 sequence data, Parafuscosporella aquatica sp. nov., P. pyriformis sp. nov., Conioscypha tenebrosa and Vanakripa minutiellipsoidea are identified. Parafuscosporella aquatica and P. pyriformis cluster within Fuscosporellaceae (Fuscosporellales), while C. tenebrosa and V. minutiellipsoidea are placed within Conioscyphales. This is the first report on the phylogenetic placement of Vanakripa. Descriptions and illustrations of the new collections are provided.

Diversity of lichen-associated filamentous fungi preserved in European Paleogene amber

ABSTRACTA diversity of filamentous microfungi was discovered from thallus surfaces of epiphytic lichens preserved in Bitterfeld and Baltic amber. We report seven distinct morphologies of dematiaceous hyphomycetes, some of which closely resemble species of the extant genera Sporidesmium, Taeniolella s. lat. and Taeniolina. Both the placement of the fungi on their substrates and the exquisite preservation of delicate structures indicate that the fungi were fully developed before they were engulfed by fresh resin. The lichens probably grew on the trunks of resin producing trees and became embedded in resin flows together with their fungal associates. The findings demonstrate that a wide range of presumably specialised fungi have lived on living and decomposing lichen thalli at least since the Paleogene. The findings add an interesting new component to the as yet poorly known mycota of the ancient European amber forests.

Stimulation of Armillaria rhizomorph growth by oak root fungi

Thirty one different genera of fungi were isolated from the wood of roots of 5O·year·old oak (<i>Quercus robur</i>). The most frequently isolated fungi were: <i>Mycelium radicis atrovirens alpha (MRAA), Clonostachys</i> sp. and <i>Penicillium daleae, Beauveria bassiana, Clonostachys sp., Cryplosporiopsis rodicicolo, Geotrichum candidum, Mortierella vinacea, MRAA, P. daleae, P. janczewskii P. spinulosum, Sporothrix schenckii</i> and <i>Tolypocladium niveum</i> significantly enhanced <i>Armillaria mellea</i> rhizomorph initiation and growth from oak branch segments <i>in vitro</i>. The biggest stimulation effect was noticed when the dematiaceous hyphomycetes, e.g. <i>MRAA, P. dimorphospora</i> and <i>S. schenckii</i> were studied.

Wood-inhabiting dematiaceous Hyphomycetes in the Kampinos National Park

In this work the results of investigations of wood-inhabiting fungal communities in several forest associations arę presented. The populations of these fungi on the wood of <i>Carpinus betulus, Quercus robur, Betula verrucosa, Tilia cordata</i> and <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> are also analyzed.

Microfungi in the soil beneath common oak and their effect on Armillaria occurrence

Microfungal assemblages in a soil beneath 30- and 50·year-old oaks and their 2-year-old stumps were studied using the soil dilution plate method. A total of 98 culturable microfungi were isolated. Compared to the living oaks before felling and the control living oaks, the density of <i>Mortierella macrocystis, Penicillium jonczewskii, Pseudogymnoascus roseus Sporothrix schenckii, Tolypoccladiumum inflatum</i> and <i>Umbelopsis vinacea</i> sigificantly inacased in the soil beneath slumps in the 32- and 52-year-old stands. Density of <i>Aspergillus kanagawaensis, Monodictys lepraria, P. daleae</i> and sterile dematiaceous hyphomycetes increased significantly in the 32-year-old stand and <i>Chrysosporium merdarium</i> in the 52·year-old stand. These fungi are known 'stimulants' of <i>Armillaria</i> rhizomorph formation. It is suggested that the increase in density of <i>Armillaria</i> rhizomorph 'stimulants' in a soil beneath oak stumps may increase the possibility of colonization of stumps by <i>Armillaria</i>.