Echidnodella vagamonensis J. Thomas & Hina, 2021

Mohamed, Hina & Thomas, Jacob, 2021, A new species of Echidnodella (Asterinales, Lembosiaceae) from Western Ghats of Kerala State, India, Phytotaxa 496 (3), pp. 275-280 : 276

Echidnodella vagamonensis J. Thomas & Hina sp. nov. ( Figs.1 and 2 )

Mycobank No.: MB 836775

Type:— INDIA. Kerala, Vagamon Hills, 1051m, 9°40’30.1”N 76°54’24.8”E, 27 August 2017, J. Thoma s & H. Mohamed MTCHT! 149 (holotype); MTCHT! 150 (isotype) on the leaves of Xanthophyllum arnottianum (Polygalaceae) .

Present on adaxial and abaxial surface of living leaves. Colonies subdense, spreading up to 5 mm diameter, confluent, amphigenous, mostly epiphyllous; Surface mycelium black. Surface hyphae straight to substraight, not undulating, septate, branching opposite to irregular at acute to wide angles, loosely reticulate, cells cylindrical 9–21 × 1–3 μm. Appressoria absent. Thyriothecia elongated, ‘X’ or ‘Y’ shaped, scattered, forked, 192–471 × 96–198 μm, dark brown, longitudinally dehiscing at the center, margin fimbriate, fringed hyphae straight and parallel; asci conspicuous, many, globose, bitunicate, 46–50 μm in diameter, eight spored; ascospores 2-celled, conglobate, 1-septate, straight, ends rounded, lower cell sometimes slightly tapering, constricted at the septum, cinnamon brown, smooth-walled, 12–14 × 5–7 μm, upper cell ovate to globose, large; lower cell smaller, germinating ascospores not observed.

Etymology:—The specific epithet is named after its type locality, i.e. Vagamon Hills in Kerala

Known distribution:—Vagamon Hills, Kerala, India

Figures

FIGURE 1. Echidnodella vagamonensis (A) Living leaf infected with Echidnodella vagamonensis; (B) Microphotograph of Colony with Thyriothecia (C) Pattern of mycelial branching; (D) Longitudinally dehiscing mature thyriothecium; (E) Octosporous asci with ascospores; (F) Mature ascospores in dehisced thyriothecium. [Photographs by Jacob Thomas & Hina Mohamed].

FIGURE 2. Echidnodella vagamonensis (A) Mycelial branching; (B) Mature thyriothecium with asci; (C) Ascus with ascospores; (D) Mature ascospores. [Drawn by Hina Mohamed].