Chalarodes McKenzie, Mycotaxon 42: 89. 1991.

Reblova, Martina, Nekvindova, Jana & Miller, Andrew N., 2021, Phylogeny and taxonomy of Catenularia and similar fungi with catenate conidia, MycoKeys 81, pp. 1-44 : 1

Chalarodes McKenzie, Mycotaxon 42: 89. 1991.

Description.

Colonies on natural substrate effuse, hairy, mycelium partly superficial, partly immersed; colonies composed of conidiophores and sometimes ascomata. Anamorph. Setae present, mostly associated with ascomata, simple, brown, apically rounded. Conidiophores mononematous, macronematous, solitary, erect, septate, unbranched, brown. Conidiogenous cells integrated, terminal, monophialidic, extending percurrently, cylindrical-lageniform to urceolate, brown; collarettes funnel-shaped, pale brown. Conidia obpyramidal, in side view cuneiform, obovoid to obtriangular, with angular outline when viewed from above, truncate at the basal scar, with a simple setula inserted apically at each corner, aseptate, hyaline, adhered in basipetal chains. Teleomorph. Ascomata non-stromatic, perithecial, papillate, dark brown, sparsely covered by setae and conidiophores. Ostiole periphysate. Ascomatal wall fragile, carbonaceous, two-layered. Paraphyses persistent, septate, hyaline, longer than the asci. Asci unitunicate, 8-spored, cylindrical-clavate, ascal apex with a non-amyloid apical annulus. Ascospores fusiform, hyaline, transversely septate.

Habitat and geographical distribution.

Saprobes on dead leaves of Freycinetia spp. ( Pandanaceae ) and decaying wood, known only in Australasia in New Caledonia and New Zealand ( McKenzie 1991; this study).

Notes.

The genus Chalarodes , typified with Cha. bisetis , was erected for dematiaceous hyphomycetes observed on leaf litter of Freycinetia spp. in New Zealand and New Caledonia ( McKenzie 1991). It is characterised by mononematous, simple, dark brown conidiophores with terminal monophialidic conidiogenous cells extending percurrently and hyaline, aseptate, cuneiform, obconical to obtriangular conidia with setulae, adhered in short basipetal chains. In the protologue ( McKenzie 1991), the conidia were described only in the side view with two simple setulae at the apical end. Based on the examination of newly collected material, the conidia have angular outline when viewed from above; they have (3-)4 corners with a setula inserted in each corner. Additionally, we observed sterile setae growing among the conidiophores or on the ascomatal wall. They resemble capitate hyphae of Catenularia , but the mucilaginous sheath around the apex was lacking.

To date, two species, Cha. bisetis and Cha. obconica , have been placed in Chalarodes ( McKenzie 1991). A new species, Cha. obpyramidata , inhabiting decaying wood and originating from New Zealand is introduced below. The teleomorph-anamorph connection of Chalarodes is described for the first time. Based on the results of the phylogenetic study, Cha. obpyramidata is closely related to Catenularia .