Morphological and Phylogenetic Analyses Reveal a New Species of Ceratocystiopsis (Ophiostomataceae, Ophiostomatales) Associated with Ips subelongatus in Inner Mongolia (China) with Weak Host Pathogenicity

Ophiostomatoid fungi are known for their associations with bark beetles, and some species are important sources of tree diseases. Ceratocystiopsis is a genus of the ophiostomatoid fungi in order Ophiostomatales. The shortage of DNA barcodes for many species in this genus has resulted in the presence of many unnamed cryptic species. In this study, Ceratocystiopsis subelongati sp. nov. associated with Ips subelongatus infesting Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in Inner Mongolia, China, was identified and described based on phylogenetic inference of multi-gene DNA sequences and morphological characteristics. The species is characterized by a hyalorhinocladiella- to sporothrix-like asexual state and an optimal growth temperature of 30 °C. Artificial inoculation tests in the field showed that it is mildly pathogenic to five-year-old larch trees, the main host of I. subelongatus. It is also the first described Ceratocystiopsis species associated with I. subelongatus in China. This discovery should provide new avenues for studying the symbiosis between bark beetles and ophiostomatoid fungi.

Molecular phylogeny of Aplosporella abexaminans: a novel species revealing the second report of sexual-asexual connection in Aplosporellaceae (Botryosphaeriales) from India

Aplosporella abexaminans, a new sexual morph fungus belongs to family Aplosporellaceae, was discovered on the bark of stem of Murraya koenigii (Rutaceae) and identified by morphological characteristics and analysis of combined ITS and LSU sequence data. This is the second report of a sexual morph with molecular evidence for this genus and the second record of conidiogenesis and chlamydospores associated with the asexual state of this family. It is characterized by its larger ascostromata, locules without ostioles, thinner locule peridium, two to multi-layered, larger asci, surrounded by an additional hyaline sac like structure, larger and hyaline to light olivaceous ascospores, asexual state without conidiomata formation, conidiogenous cells light brown to brown, conidia brown without granular content, smooth and presence of chlamydospores. The sexual morph of Aplosporella abexaminans resembles Bagnisiella and the asexual morph resembles Aplosporella, thus proving the sexual-asexual connection for the second time for this family.

Notes on lichenicolous Pleosporales, with two new species, Didymocyrtis azorica and Pseudopyrenidium epipertusariae (Phaeosphaeriaceae)

The identity and phylogenetic placement of some lichenicolous Pleosporales were studied using morphological and molecular data. Two new species are described, Didymocyrtis azorica on Hypotrachyna rockii, from the Azores, and Pseudopyrenidium epipertusariae on Pertusaria pertusa, from Spain in oceanic montane woods, with a Phoma-like asexual state. This is the second species of Pseudopyrenidium, and the morphological similarities with P. tartaricola are discussed. In addition, Evernia prunastri is a new host for Didymocyrtis ramalinae, and Heterodea muelleri is a new host for D. cladoniicola, which is newly reported for Australia.

A new species of Sarcopodium (Hypocreales, Nectriaceae) from China

A new species, Sarcopodium tibetense, is described on rotten stem base of maize straw from the Tibet Autonomous Region. The anatomy of perithecia, which covered with septate, curved hairs on the surface, striate ascospores, and penicillate conidiophores indicate that the fungus belongs to Sarcopodium. It is characterized by solitary to gregarious perithecia that are globose to subglobose or pyriform, not becoming cupulate upon drying, and with hyaline hairs on surface; cylindrical to clavate asci with eight ascospores that are fusiform to ellipsoidal and striate. The asexual state is penicillium-like and with subglobose, ellipsoidal, oblong to rod-shaped, aseptate, smooth, hyaline conidia aggregated in a slimy mass. Sarcopodium tibetense is distinguished from its morphologically similar species, S. circinosetiferum, by narrower conidiophores and the presence of 50 bp and 9 bp sequence divergences in the ITS and LSU regions. Sequence analysis of the combined act, ITS, LSU and tub genes confirm its taxonomic position in Sarcopodium as a species new to science.

Uromyces acori (Uredinales) Penyebab Nekrosis pada Daun Tanaman Jeringau (Acorus calamus) di Indonesia

Uromyces acori (Uredinales) A Causal Agent of Rust Disease of Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus) in Indonesia In Indonesia, an asexual state of a rust fungus namely Uredo acori has been considered as the causal agent rust disease of the sweet flag. No report according sexual state is available in Indonesia. The objectives of the present study are confirming the fungal identity morphologically and determine its optimal germinating temperature. An artificial inoculation was conducted by dusting the urediniospore onto detached leaves of sweet flag. Only leaves showed uredinia were selected. The tip bases of the leaves were dipped into a 4% sucrose solution, incubated in a room condition at 25 °C for inducing telial state with teliospore formations. Based on morphological characters of the teliospore and urediniospore, the rust fungus of sweet flag was identified as Uromyces acori. The fungus is germinating optimally at 25 °C.

A new fungicolous species of Hydropisphaera (Bionectriaceae, Hypocreales) from central China

A new fungicolous species, Hydropisphaera spinulosa, is described and illustrated based on a collection from central China. It is characterized by non-stromatic perithecia that are solitary to gregarious, globose to subglobose, and becoming cupulate upon drying. The asci are clavate, without an apical ring, and with ascospores that are ellipsoidal to fusiform, uniseptate, and with a spinulose surface. The asexual state is acremonium-like. Comparisons are made between the new species and morphologically similar taxa. Its taxonomic position in Hydropisphaera is confirmed by sequence analysis of the large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal DNA.

A multiple gene genealogy reveals phylogenetic placement of Rhopalostroma lekae

Rhopalostroma lekae was collected on bark of wood in Chiang Rai Province, Northern Thailand and isolates from the sexual state produced a nodulosporium-like asexual state in culture. A combined multigene sequence analysis was used to infer the phylogenetic position of R. lekae and its affinities with other xylariaceous genera. Rhopalostroma is confirmed to have particularly close affinities with the genera Phylacia and Thamnomyces. Secondary metabolite profiling of R. lekae showed the species to produce binaphthalene tetrol (BNT) as a major metabolite and several minor undetermined metabolites. The phylogenetic placement of R. lekae was resolved using a polythetic approach. Herbarium material and living cultures representing an authentic specimen of R. lekae are deposited in publically accessible collections that can be used in future studies.

The status of Myriangiaceae (Dothideomycetes)

The family Myriangiaceae is relatively poorly known amongst the Dothideomycetes and includes genera which are saprobic, epiphytic and parasitic on the bark, leaves and branches of various plants. The family has not undergone any recent revision, however, molecular data has shown it to be a well-resolved family closely linked to Elsinoaceae in Myriangiales. Both morphological and molecular characters indicate that Elsinoaceae differs from Myriangiaceae. In Elsinoaceae, small numbers of asci form in locules in light coloured pseudostromata, which form typical scab-like blemishes on leaf or fruit surfaces. The coelomycetous, “Sphaceloma”-like asexual state of Elsinoaceae, form more frequently than the sexual state; conidiogenesis is phialidic and conidia are 1-celled and hyaline. In Myriangiaceae, locules with single asci are scattered in a superficial, coriaceous to sub-carbonaceous, black ascostromata and do not form scab-like blemishes. No asexual state is known. In this study, we revisit the family Myriangiaceae, and accept ten genera, providing descriptions and discussion on the generic types of Anhellia, Ascostratum, Butleria, Dictyocyclus, Diplotheca, Eurytheca, Hemimyriangium, Micularia, Myriangium and Zukaliopsis. The genera of Myriangiaceae are compared and contrasted. Myriangium duriaei is the type species of the family, while Diplotheca is similar and may possibly be congeneric. The placement of Anhellia in Myriangiaceae is supported by morphological and molecular data. Because of similarities with Myriangium, Ascostratum (A. insigne), Butleria (B. inaghatahani), Dictyocyclus (D. hydrangea), Eurytheca (E. trinitensis), Hemimyriangium (H. betulae), Micularia (M. merremiae) and Zukaliopsis (Z. amazonica) are placed in Myriangiaceae. Molecular sequence data from fresh collections is required to confirm the relationships and placement of the genera in this family.

Clavatispora thailandica gen. et sp. nov., a novel taxon of Venturiales (Dothideomycetes) from Thailand

An unusual wood-inhabiting fungus was found in northern Thailand. The combination of characters of this taxon, viz. setose, ostiolate ascomata, bitunicate asci, dark brown, wedge-shaped to clavate, muriform ascospores, and a hyphomycetous asexual state producing ellipsoidal, septate, highly constricted, holoblastic conidia is not found in any hitherto described genus of Dothideomycetes. An LSU phylogeny showed this taxon to be clearly placed in the family Sympoventuriaceae, Venturiales. The name Clavatispora thailandica gen. and sp. nov., is introduced to accommodate this taxon, which is described and illustrated and compared with other genera in this family.