Nigrograna acericola W. L. Li & Jian K. Liu

Du, Hong-Zhi, Lu, Yu-Hang, Cheewangkoon, Ratchadawan & Liu, Jian-Kui, 2024, Morpho-phylogenetic evidence reveals novel species and new records of Nigrograna (Nigrogranaceae) associated with medicinal plants in Southwestern China, MycoKeys 110, pp. 1-33 : 1-33

Nigrograna acericola W. L. Li & Jian K. Liu , Mycosphere, 14 (1): 1496–1500 (2023)

Fig. 4

Description.

Saprobic on dead branches of Gymnosporia acuminata ( Celastraceae ). Sexual morph: Ascomata 524–647 × 341–475 μm (x ̅ = 586 × 424 μm, n = 20), solitary, scattered, immersed, ostiolar necks visible on the host surface or erumpent, subglobose to ellipsoid, coriaceous, brown to dark brown, with an ostiole. Ostioles 86–138 μm long, 64–119 μm wide (x ̅ = 113 × 96 μm, n = 20), mostly central, some eccentric, with a crest-like apex, central, filled with hyaline periphyses. Peridium 15–58 μm (x ̅ = 40 μm, n = 20) μm wide, composed of 4–5 layers of flattened, brown to dark brown, thin-walled cells of textura angularis, the inner layer is dense, the outer layer sparse. Hamathecium 1.5–3 μm (x ̅ = 2 μm, n = 20) wide, composed of numerous, filamentous, hyaline, unbranched pseudoparaphyses. Asci 70–87 × 12–14 μm (x ̅ = 77 × 13 μm, n = 30), 8 - spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical to clavate, short pedicellate, apically rounded, with a minute ocular chamber. Ascospores 16–19 × 5–7 μm (x ̅ = 17 × 6 μm, n = 50), 1–2 - seriate, biseriate or partially overlapping, fusoid to ellipsoid, with obtuse ends, tapering towards the ends, guttulate, smooth-walled, 1 - septate, subhyaline to yellowish-brown when young; becoming 3 - septate, slightly constricted at the middle septum, brown to dark brown when mature, without appendages. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Culture characteristics.

Ascospores germinated on PDA within 24 h, and germ tubes produced from basal cell. Colonies growing on PDA reached 38–40 mm in diameter after three weeks at 25 ° C in dark, white in the whole colony from above, circular, edge entire, margin well-defined; in reverse, light brown in the center, olive gray at the margin, no pigmentation on PDA.

Material examined.

China • Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences . 21°55'54′′N, 101°15'16′′E, elevation 511 m, on dead branches of medicinal plant Gymnosporia acuminata Hook. f. ( Celastraceae ), 10 November 2022, H. Z. Du, D 03 ( HUEST 23.0208 ), living culture UESTCC 23.0208 ; ibid., Sichuan Province, Zigong City , Rong County, 29°29'1"N, 104°14'19"E, elevation 850 m, on dead branches of medicinal plant Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Ktze . ( Theaceae ), 3 November 2022, Y. H. Lu & Y. Xiao, CS 11 ( HUEST 23.0191 ), living culture UESTCC 23.0191 .

Notes.

Nigrograna acericola was introduced by Li et al. (2023) from Acer truncatum ( Aceraceae ) in China. Our collections are identical to N. acericola based on morphology and phylogeny. We reported it as new host records from Camellia sinensis and Gymnosporia acuminata in China.

Figures

Figure 4. Nigrograna acericola (HUEST 23.0208, new host record) a host Gymnosporia acuminata b branch of Gymnosporia acuminata c – e appearance of ascomata on host surface f vertical section through ascoma g peridium h hamathecium i, j colony on PDA, above (i) and below (j) k – o asci. p – u ascospores. Scale bars: 200 µm (f); 50 µm (g); 10 µm (h, p – u); 20 µm (k – o).