Sphaerosporella microspora (Pyronemataceae, Pezizales), a novel species from Southern China

Sphaerosporella microspora is described as a new species based on morphological and molecular data. It is characterized by its sessile apothecia, surface smooth, ectal excipulum composed of cylindrical and angular cells, globose and smooth ascospores, and unmodified paraphyses. A detailed description, photographs of the fruit body and microstructure diagrams are provided.

Taxonomy and systematics of Hyaloscyphaceae and Arachnopezizaceae

The circumscription and composition of the Hyaloscyphaceae are controversial and based on poorly sampled or unsupported phylogenies. The generic limits within the hyaloscyphoid fungi are also very poorly understood. To address this issue, a robust five-gene Bayesian phylogeny (LSU, RPB1, RPB2, TEF-1α, mtSSU; 5521 bp) with a focus on the core group of Hyaloscyphaceae and Arachnopezizaceae is presented here, with comparative morphological and histochemical characters. A wide representative sampling of Hyaloscypha supports it as monophyletic and shows H. aureliella (subgenus Eupezizella) to be a strongly supported sister taxon. Reinforced by distinguishing morphological features, Eupezizella is here recognised as a separate genus, comprising E. aureliella, E. britannica, E. roseoguttata and E. nipponica (previously treated in Hyaloscypha). In a sister group to the Hyaloscypha-Eupezizella clade a new genus, Mimicoscypha, is created for three seldom collected and poorly understood species, M. lacrimiformis, M. mimica (nom. nov.) and M. paludosa, previously treated in Phialina, Hyalo­scypha and Eriopezia, respectively. The Arachnopezizaceae is polyphyletic, because Arachnoscypha forms a monophyletic group with Polydesmia pruinosa, distant to Arachnopeziza and Eriopezia; in addition, Arachnopeziza variepilosa represents an early diverging lineage in Hyaloscyphaceae s.str. The hyphae originating from the base of the apothecia in Arachnoscypha are considered anchoring hyphae (vs a subiculum) and Arachnoscypha is excluded from Arachnopezizaceae. A new genus, Resinoscypha, is established to accommodate Arachnopeziza variepilosa and A. monoseptata, originally described in Protounguicularia. Mimicoscypha and Resinoscypha are distinguished among hyaloscyphoid fungi by long tapering multiseptate hairs that are not dextrinoid or glassy, in combination with ectal excipulum cells with deep amyloid nodules. Unique to Resinoscypha is cyanophilous resinous content in the hairs concentrated at the apex and septa. Small intensely amyloid nodules in the hairs are furthermore characteristic for Resinoscypha and Eupezizella. To elucidate species limits and diversity in Arachnopeziza, mainly from Northern Europe, we applied genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition (GCPSR) using analyses of individual datasets (ITS, LSU, RPB1, RPB2, TEF-1α) and comparative morphology. Eight species were identified as highly supported and reciprocally monophyletic. Four of these are newly discovered species, with two formally described here, viz. A. estonica and A. ptilidiophila. In addition, Belonium sphagnisedum, which completely lacks prominent hairs, is here combined in Arachnopeziza, widening the concept of the genus. Numerous publicly available sequences named A. aurata represent A. delicatula and the confusion between these two species is clarified. An additional four singletons are considered to be distinct species, because they were genetically divergent from their sisters. A highly supported five-gene phylogeny of Arachnopezizaceae identified four major clades in Arachnopeziza, with Eriopezia as a sister group. Two of the clades include species with a strong connection to bryophytes; the third clade includes species growing on bulky woody substrates and with pigmented exudates on the hairs; and the fourth clade species with hyaline exudates growing on both bryophytes and hardwood. A morphological account is given of the composition of Hyaloscyphaceae and Arachnopezizaceae, including new observations on vital and histochemical characters.

A new species of Chlorociboria (Helotiales, Ascomycota) on herbaceous stems from China

A new species, namely Chlorociboria herbicola, is discovered on herbaceous stems in central China. Morphologically, the new fungus is distinctive by the combination of light blue-green apothecia, rectangular cells in ectal excipulum, and elongate-ellipsoidal ascospores with rounded ends. Phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer and large subunit of nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences confirm its ascription in Chlorociboria and distinction from the known species of the genus.

Two new species of Crocicreas (Helotiaceae, Ascomycota) revealed by morphological and molecular data

Two new species of Crocicreas are established based on morphological features and DNA sequence data. Crocicreas luteolum is distinct by combination of the following features: caulicolous, hymenium surface yellow, margin plane, ectal excipulum of textura prismatica, asci J+, 62−81 × 6.0−7.7 µm, and ascospores fusoid, biguttulate, 11−14 × 2.2−3.3 µm. Crocicreas pseudobambusae is featured by combination of bambusicolous, hymenium surface white to beige, margin plane, ectal excipulum of textura intricata, asci J+, 36−58 × 3.5−5.5 µm, and ascospores ellipsoid, eguttulate, 4.5−7.7 × 1.8−2.5 µm. Description, illustration and comparison with related fungi are provided for each species. Sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA are used to confirm their generic positions.

A new species of Roseodiscus (Ascomycota, Fungi) from tropical China

A new species, Roseodiscus sinicus is described and illustrated. The fungus, collected on stems of an unknown monocotyledon, is characterized by dirty white apothecia, large and thin-walled ectal excipulum cells, Calycina-type ascus apical ring, and ellipsoid, multiguttulate ascospores. The placement of the new species in Roseodiscus was also supported by ITS rDNA sequence analysis. The distinctions between the new species and related taxa are discussed.

A monographic revision of the genus Myriosclerotinia

The genus Myriosclerotinia (Helotiales, Sclerotiniaceae) is redefined to include only those species producing tuberoid sclerotia within the culms of host plants, not producing a disseminative conidial anamorph, producing a Myrioconium microconidial anamorph within locules in the culms of host plants, and developing an apothecial microanatomy characterized by an ectal excipulum composed of inflated angular to globose cells and a medullary excipulum of granularly roughened prosenchymatous cells. The taxonomy and nomenclature of 34 epithets which have been referred to Myriosclerotinia, or which have been suspected by us or by other authors as possibly belonging there, are reviewed. Nine species are retained in the genus: M. scirpicola, M. caricis-ampullaceae, M. curreyana, M. dennisii, M. duriaeana, M. juncifida, and M. longisclerotialis; M. sulcatula (=M. sulcata (Whetzel) Buchw.) and M. luzulae are described as new. Eight epithets are placed in synonymy under accepted species, 5 are treated as imperfectly known, and 12 epithets are excluded and either assigned to other genera or accepted in generic accommodations made by other authors.

Pyropyxis, a new pyrophilous operculate discomycete with a Dichobotrys anamorph

The monotypic genus Pyropyxis is described based upon the type species, Peziza rubra Peck. Pyropyxis is distinguished by deeply cupulate, sessile, pink to reddish-orange apothecia. The ectal excipulum is composed of thick-walled cells forming a textura angularis tissue with the outer layer of cells occasionally giving rise to hyaline, moniliform hairs. The hymenium contains two types of paraphyses; most are hyaline, but some are filled with orange, crystalline pigments. The ascospores are eguttulate when fully mature but contain two small polar guttules when immature. A Dichobotrys anamorph is produced in axenic culture.

A new species of Moellerodiscus from India

A new species of Moellerodiscus, M. dennisii, is described from India. This species, growing on rotting leaves of an unidentified angiospermic plant, has poorly developed stroma and biguttulate ascospores. The ectal excipulum is composed of flattened textura globulosa with large excipular hairs.

Apothecial ontogeny in Saccobolus versicolor (Pezizales: Ascomycetes)

Apothecial ontogeny in Saccobolus versicolor was followed by scanning electron and light microscopy from ascogonial coil initiation through spore discharge. Several slender, recurved branches functioned as ascogonia and initiated apothecium formation. Since antheridia were never observed, development was assumed to be parthenogenetic. Soon after ascogonia appeared, slender investing hyphae grew up from nearby vegetative hyphae and from the ascogonium. Subsequently, the basal cells in the ascogonia greatly increased in diameter and their septa broke down. Apothecium ontogeny was either eugymnohymenial with a poorly developed ectal excipulum or paragymnohymenial opening in the prehymenial phase. As a result of the presence of several functional ascogonia, asci developed by typical crozier formation and exhibited a strong positive phototrophic response as they protruded before spore discharge.

The psilopezioid fungi. IV. The genus Pachyella (Pezizales)

Pachyella, characterized by amyloid asci, globose cells in the ectal excipulum, hyphoid hairs, and gelatinous tissue, is treated monographically. A total of six species are discussed. The new combinations P. adnata, P. violaceonigra, and P. megalosperma are proposed and one new species, P. punctispora, is described.