Nawawia antennata Reblova, 2021

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

Nawawia antennata Reblova sp. nov. Fig. 9

Etymology.

Antennatus (L) meaning 'having antenna(s)', referring to the presence of conidial appendages resembling insect antennas.

Type.

Thailand - Nakhon Nayok Province • Khao Yai National park, Phakrajai trail, on decaying wood and bark of a twig; 17 Aug. 2001; M. Réblová & N. Hywel-Jones M.R. 2056/TH 219 (PRA-20374) .

Description.

Colonies on natural substrate effuse, hairy, dark brown, mycelium partly superficial, partly immersed, brown. Anamorph. Conidiophores forming two distinct layers; conidiophores of the upper layer 142-282 μm long, conidiophores of the lower layer 44-90 μm long, 5-6 μm wide, 6-8.5 wide above the base, basal cell bulbose with dark brown, thick-walled stromatic cells around the base, mononematous, macronematous, solitary or fasciculate in a group of 2-6, erect, straight or flexuous, unbranched, thick-walled, dark brown, paler towards the apex. Conidiogenous cells 19.5-29 × 5.5-7.5(-8) μm tapering to 3-5 μm below the collarette, integrated, terminal, monophialidic, extending percurrently, subcylindrical to lageniform, pale brown; collarettes 5.5-6.5 μm wide, 1.5-2.5 μm deep, funnel-shaped, pale brown. Conidia 14-17(-18) μm long, 11-14.5(-15.5) μm wide, 2.5-3.5 μm wide at the basal hilum (mean ± SD = 15.5 ± 1.2 × 12.9 ± 1.7 × 2.9 ± 0.3 μm), turbinate to obpyramidal, in side view cuneiform to obtriangular, truncate at the basal scar, flattened to slightly concave at the apical end, with (3-)4 corners when viewed from above, aseptate, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, with simple setulae inserted at each corner, 17-43 μm long, 7.5-20 μm long when the ends are coiled, conidia accumulate in slimy droplets. Teleomorph. Not observed.

Habitat and geographical distribution.

Saprobe on decaying wood, known only in Thailand.

Notes.

We were unsuccessful in obtaining N. antennata in axenic culture. The species exhibits diagnostic characteristics of Nawawia such as pigmented, mononematous conidiophores with stromatic cells around the base, terminal monophialides extending percurrently and hyaline, aseptate, obtriangular conidia with an angular outline and several simple setulae at the apex. Conidia accumulate in a slimy head. Conidiophores forming two distinct layers were also documented in N. quadrisetulata ( Goh et al. 2014: figs 2, 3).

Among Nawawia species, N. antennata is well distinguished by coiled appendages and the size of conidia. Nawawia quadrisetulata is similar to the new species in conidia with mostly four angles at the apex but differs in larger conidia (30-37.5 × 22.5-32.5 μm) with longer setulae (30-57.5 μm). Nawawia antennata resembles N. filiformis ( Marvanová 1980) but the latter species has conidia wider at the apex (14-18 μm) and straight appendages.

Figures

Figure 9. Nawawia antennata (PRA- 20374 holotype) A, B colony C-G conidiophores H stromatic cells I-P conidia. Images: on natural substrate (A-P). Scale bars: 250 μm (A, B); 20 μm (C, F, G); 25 μm (D, E); 10 μm (H-N).