Polyneura latissimicola J.M.Freese & C.E.Lane, 2021

Freese, Jillian M. & Lane, Christopher E., 2021, Reorganizing parasitic Delesseriaceae: taxonomic revision of Asterocolax, Phytotaxa 525 (2), pp. 124-136 : 130

Polyneura latissimicola J.M.Freese & C.E.Lane sp. nov. ( Figs 2–4 )

DESCRIPTION: Thallus parasitic on Polyneura latissima (Harvey) Kylin. The parasitic thallus is yellow in color, 3.5 mm in diameter, with numerous irregular conical branches, no longer than 1 mm in length, emerging from a hemispherical base. The carposporophyte is 150 x 190 µm, located on the basal ends of parasite branches, and contains spherical to ovoid carposporangia. Typically, there is only one carposporophyte per branch. Carposporangia are 10 µm in diameter. Male gametophytes and tetrasporangia unknown.

TYPE LOCALITY: Collected from the Friday Harbor Laboratories dock on 14 June 2016 at Friday Harbor 43˚38.19 ’ N, 116˚14.28’ W, San Juan Island , Washington, USA, deposited NY03684215 (coll. J. M. Freese, 2016, JF01 )

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet refers to the organism’s host and uses “-cola” (dweller or inhabitant) to maintain recognition of the parasitic nature of the organism.

REFERENCES: Wagner 1954; Goff et al. 1997

DNA SEQUENCES: U59797.1 , Goff et al. 1997, San Mateo Co., California, USA; MH 754749

REMARKS: This species has been previously referred to as Asterocolax gardneri (see Goff et al. 1997), but was never formally described.

Figures

FIGURES 2–4: Polyneura latissimicola FIGURE 2: Mature parasitic pustule of Polyneura latissimicola on its host Polyneura latissima. Thallus is yellow in color with numerous conical branches. Scale bar = 1 mm. FIGURE 3: 5 µm cross section of plastic embedded Polyneura latissimicola carposporophyte, stained in aniline blue. Cystocarps occur at the basal ends of Polyneura latissimicola branches. Released carpospores are spherical to ovoid in shape and average 10 µm in diameter. Scale bar = 100 µm. FIGURE 4: 5 µm cross section through Polyneura latissimicola and its host, Polyneura latissima stained in aniline blue. It is difficult to determine the spread of the infection throughout the host and differentiate between parasite and host cells. Much of the parasite thallus is composed of large cells many of which contain numerous floridean starch granules. The cortical cells of the parasite thallus are notably smaller than other cells composing the parasite structure or uninfected host cells and lack many of the starch granules found in the medullary cells. Scale bar = 100 µm.