Flabellascoma lancangense G.C. Ren & K.D. Hyde, 2024

Ren, Guang-Cong, Wanasinghe, Dhanushka N., Chethana, K. W. Thilini, Farias, A. R. G. De, Hyde, Kevin D., Xu, Jianchu, Huang, Yue & Gui, Heng, 2024, A new species of Flabellascoma and a new record of Biappendiculispora japonica (Lophiostomataceae, Dothideomycetes) from Yunnan Province, China, Phytotaxa 634 (2), pp. 103-119 : 110-112

Flabellascoma lancangense G.C. Ren & K.D. Hyde , sp. nov.

Index Fungorum number : IF900599, Facesoffungi number: FoF14068; FIGURE 2

Etymology—The specific epithet “ lancangense ” reflects the Lancang (Yunnan, China), where the holotype was collected.

Holotype —HKAS 122877

Saprobic on dead woody twigs of Castanopsis indica (Roxb. ex Lindl.) A. DC. Sexual morph: Ascomata 360 – 420 μm high, 300 – 400 μm diam. (x̄ = 400 × 370 μm, n = 5), immersed, solitary or scattered, globose to subglobose, uniloculate, coriaceous, dark brown to black, ostiolate. Ostiole 140–170 × 100–120 µm (x̄ = 150 × 112 μm, n = 5), crest-like, central, short papillate, with a pore-like opening, filled with hyaline periphyses, composed of dark brown to black cells. Peridium 15 – 25 µm wide, 3 – 6-layered, composed of several layers of light brown to hyaline, thick-walled cells of textura angularis to textura globulosa indistinguishable from the host tissues. Hamathecium 2 – 3 µm wide, filiform, branched, transversely septate, anastomosing, hyaline, cellular pseudoparaphyses, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 90 – 120 × 10 – 15 μm (x̄ = 100 × 12 μm, n = 20), 8 - spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical to cylindricclavate, slightly curved, with a truncate pedicel, apically rounded with a minute ocular chamber. Ascospores 15 – 20 × 5 – 6.5 μm (x̄ = 18 × 5.7 μm, n = 30), 1 – 2 - seriate, hyaline, ellipsoidal, tapering towards rounded ends, straight to slightly curved, 1 - septate, 2-celled, constricted at the septum, upper cell wider than the lower cell, smooth-walled, large guttules in each cell, without any sheaths or appendages. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Culture characteristics: Ascospores germinating on PDA within 24 hrs at room temperature. Germ tubes are produced from the basal and apical cells of the ascospore. Colonies on PDA, reaching 20 mm diameter after two weeks at 20 – 25 ℃, mycelia superficial, circular, umbonate at the center, with dense mycelia, fimbriate, entire edged, front view grey, greyish-white at the center and at the edge; reverse view atrovirens, pale yellow at the center.

Material examined: China, Yunnan Province, Lancang, lahu Autonomous Prefecture, Hani, on dead woody twigs of Castanopsis indica ( Fagaceae ), 20 July 2020, G.C. Ren, LGY44 (HKAS 122877, holotype), ex - type culture KUMCC 21-0570.

Notes: Flabellascoma lancangense is introduced as a new species based on its distinct morphology and the combined phylogeny of SSU, LSU, ITS, tef 1-α, and rpb 2 sequence data. In the phylogenetic analyses, F. lancangense is closely related to F. fusiforme (MFLUCC 18-1584) with 100 % ML bootstrap support and 1.00 BYPP ( FIGURE 1 ). Furthermore, Flabellascoma lancangense is morphologically similar to other Flabellascoma species in having immersed ascomata with crest-like ostiole and hyaline periphyses, septate, branched, cellular pseudoparaphyses, 8- spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical-clavate asci with an ocular chamber, and hyaline, 1-septate ascospores, constricted at the septum ( Hashimoto et al. 2018; Bao et al. 2019; Yu et al. 2022). However, Flabellascoma lancangense differs from others by having ellipsoidal ascospores and the lack of appendages, while other Flabellascoma species have fusiform ascospores with appendages.

Biappendiculispora japonica Thambug., Wanas., Kaz. Tanaka & K.D. Hyde , in Thambugala et al., Fungal Diversity , 74: 214 (2015)

Index Fungorum Number : IF551529; Facesoffungi number: FoF01097; FIGURE 3

Saprobic on dead woody twigs of Camphora glandulifera (Wall.) Nees (≡ Cinnamomum glanduliferum ). Sexual morph: Ascomata 255 – 290 μm high, 240 – 280 μm diam. (x̄ = 270 × 260 μm, n = 5), immersed, papilla erumpent through the host surface, solitary, scattered, globose to subglobose, uniloculate, coriaceous, dark brown to black, ostiolate. Ostiole 99–114 × 90–110 µm (x̄ = 105 × 103 μm, n = 5), central or sideways, short papillate, globose to subglobose, with a pore-like opening. Peridium 15 – 24 µm wide, 2 – 4-layered, composed of several layers of light brown to brown, thick-walled cells of textura angularis, indistinguishable from the host tissues at the base. Hamathecium 1.5 – 3 µm wide, filiform, branched, transversely septate, hyaline, cellular pseudoparaphyses, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 81 – 115 × 15 – 17 μm (x̄ = 96.2 × 15.6 μm, n = 20), 8 - spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindric - clavate, slightly curved, with a short pedicel, apically rounded with an ocular chamber. Ascospores 35 – 38 × 6.5 – 7 μm (x̄ = 36.6 × 6.8 μm, n = 30), 1 – 2 - seriate, fusiform with acute ends, slightly curved, 7 – 9 - septate, mostly 9 - septate, slightly constricted at the septum, hyaline when young, becoming pale yellowish to brown, guttulate, smooth-walled, with a narrow sheath and appendages. Appendages 9.7 – 12 × 4.1 – 4.6 μm (x̄ = 10.6 × 4.4 μm, n = 30), drawn-out at both ends. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Culture characteristics: Ascospores germinating on PDA within 24 hrs at room temperature. Germ tubes are produced from the basal and apical cells of the ascospores. Colonies on PDA, reaching 30 mm diameter after 2 weeks at 20 – 25 ℃, mycelia superficial, circular, fimbriate, entire edged, front view grey, white at the edge; reverse pale yellow, brown at the center.

Material examined: China, Yunnan Province, Baoshan, on dead woody twigs of Camphora glandulifera ( Lauraceae ), 11 July 2020, G.C. Ren, BS15-1 (HKAS 122872), living culture KUMCC 21-0504.

Known distribution: On culms of Dactylis glomerata ( Poaceae ) and dead unknown herbaceous stems in Japan ( Tanaka & Harada 2003; Thambugala et al. 2015), on decaying wood submerged in a stream from China ( Bao et al. 2019), on dead woody twigs of Camphora glandulifera ( Lauraceae ) in China (This study).

Notes: Biappendiculispora japonica was earlier named Lophiostoma caulium “ var. f” by Tanaka & Harada (2003). Thambugala et al. (2015) introduced a new genus, Biappendiculispora , to accommodate B. japonica ( Lophiostoma caulium “ var. f”) based on morphology and phylogeny. In the present study, our new collection (KUMCC 21-0504) groups with four strains of Biappendiculispora japonica (MFLUCC 17-2450, KT 794, KT 686 and KT 573) with 100 % ML bootstrap support and 1.00 BYPP ( FIGURE 1 ). Morphologically, our fresh collection (KUMCC 21-0504) fits well with Biappendiculispora japonica in having immersed, coriaceous ascomata, papillate ostiole, hyaline to brown, bitunicate, cylindric-clavate asci with an ocular chamber, fusiform, 7–9-septate, pale yellowish to brown ascospores with appendages at both ends. Hence, the new isolate is introduced as a new host record of Biappendiculispora japonica from Camphora glandulifera in China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Phylogram generated from ML analysis based on the combined SSU, LSU, ITS, tef1-α, and rpb2 dataset of Lophiostomataceae species. Bootstrap support values for ML equal to or higher than 75 % and BYPP equal to or greater than 0.95 are shown above the nodes. The ex-type strains are bold, and the new isolates are red. The tree is rooted with Teichospora rubriostiolata (TR7) and T. trabicola (C134).

FIGURE 2. Flabellascoma lancangense (HKAS 122877, holotype). a, b Appearance of ascomata on the host substrate. c Section of the ascoma. d. Vertical section of an ostiole. e Peridium. f Pseudoparaphyses. g–k Asci. l–n Ascospores. o An ascospore stained in Indian ink. p Germinated ascospore. q, r Culture characters on PDA (q = from above, r = from below). Scale bars: c, d = 100 μm, e = 50 μm, f–k = 30 μm, l–o = 10 μm, p = 20 μm, q, r = 20 mm.

FIGURE 3. Biappendiculispora japonica (HKAS 122872, a new host record).a, bAppearance of ascomata on the host substrate. c Section of the ascoma. d. Peridium. e Pseudoparaphyses. f–i Asci. j–n Ascospores. o Ascospore stained in Indian ink. p Germinated ascospore. q, r Culture characters on PDA (q = from above, r = from below). Scale bars: c = 150 μm, d, f–i = 50 μm, e, j–p = 30 μm, q, r = 30 mm.