Apiospora marianiae sp. nov. Pintos & P. Alvarado

Pintos, Angel & Alvarado, Pablo, 2022, New studies on Apiospora (Amphisphaeriales, Apiosporaceae): epitypification of Sphaeria apiospora, proposal of Ap. marianiae sp. nov. and description of the asexual morph of Ap. sichuanensis, MycoKeys 92, pp. 63-78 : 63

Apiospora marianiae sp. nov. Pintos & P. Alvarado

Fig. 3

Etymology.

The epithet refers to Marian Mateu, the person who found the holotype collection and beloved wife of the first author.

Holotype.

Spain: Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, on Phleum pratense , 18 February 2019, leg. Marian Mateu AP18219 (holotype CBS 148710).

Asexual morph.

Mycelium branched, septate, brown to dark brown. Conidiomata sporodochial, punctiform, scattered or confluent, black, (150-)169-203(-220) µm long × (70-)76-88(-100) µm wide (n = 30). Conidiophore mother cells on the surface of the stroma lageniform to ellipsoidal or doliiform, hyaline to brown, measuring (12-)13.4-14.2(-15) × (4-)6-7.2(-8) µm (n = 10). Conidiophores arising from conidiogenous mother cells, basauxic, cylindrical, straight to flexuous, hyaline except the thin transverse septa, smooth, measuring (19-)28-44(-55) × 3-3.6(-4) µm (n = 25). Conidiogenous cells monoblastic, integrated, terminal and intercalary, cylindrical. Conidia brown, solitary; face view: globose to ovate or ellipsoidal, with pale germ slit, (11-)12.1-13.5(-18) µm in diam. (n = 70); side view: lenticular, (8-)8.4-9.2(-10) µm in diam. (n = 30). Sterile cells only seen in culture, brown, granulate, irregularly lobed, (19-)25-31(-35) × (6-)8.15-8.45(-12) µm diam. (n = 40).

Culture characteristics.

colonies in MEA white and cottony, with gray patches, reverse gray. Reaching 80-90 mm in diam, in 14 days at room temperature, sporulating after 5 weeks.

Other specimens examined.

Spain: Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Establiments , on Phleum pratense , 30 November 2019, leg. Angel Pintos, AP301119 .

Notes.

According to phylogenetic inference, Ap. ovata is the species most closely related to Ap. marianiae , but their ITS rDNA sequences are only 94% similar (including gaps). Their conidia are both oval to broadly ellipsoid, but those of Ap. marianiae measure 11-15 µm in diam., while those of Ap. ovata are longer, measuring about 18-20 µm in diam. in surface view.

Figures

Figure 3. Apiospora marianiae (AP 18219) A colony on culture B-E conidiophore mother cell with septate conidiophore giving rise to conidia, in C irregularly lobate sterile cell F conidia in face and side view G conidiophore mother cell with irregular conidia from agar. Scale bars: 100 µm (A); 5 µm (B-G).