Chlorociboria solandri P.R.Johnst., 2021

Johnston, Peter R., Park, Duckchul, Smith, Matthew E., Mujic, Alija B. & May, Tom W., 2021, Brahmaculus gen. nov. (Leotiomycetes, Chlorociboriaceae), MycoKeys 80, pp. 19-43 : 19

Chlorociboria solandri P.R.Johnst. sp. nov. Figure 8

Typification.

New Zealand - Fiordland • Fiordland National park, Kepler Track, Rainbow Reach; -45.4429, 167.6802; on Fuscopora solandri fallen leaves; P.R. Johnston (D686) leg.; 17 Mar 1991; PDD 58580 - holotype; ICMP 23686 - ex-type culture.

Etymology.

Refers to the host substrate of the holotype.

Diagnosis.

Phylogenetically a Chlorociboria , developing on fallen leaves rather than wood, differs from Chlorociboria metrosideri in having flexuous, coiled hairs and lanceolate paraphyses.

Description.

Apothecia developing on fallen leaves, not associated with any pigmentation of substrate. Apothecia less than 1 mm diam., short-stipitate, receptacle densely covered with short, white hairs, hymenium pale yellow. Hairs 30-40 × 3-4 µm, short-cylindric, undifferentiated to apex, septate, thin-walled, roughened all over, flexuous, coiled and tangled. Apothecia in vertical section with ectal excipulum 45 µm wide, comprising short-cylindric to subglobose cells 5-8 µm diam. oriented at high angle to receptacle surface, with walls hyaline, thickened, agglutinated, amyloid in some specimens. Medullary excipulum non-gelatinous, comprising narrow-cylindric hyphae with thin walls. Tissue at base of stipe of gelatinous textura intricata. Paraphyses up to 5 µm diam., lanceolate, tapering to narrow rounded apex, extending 20-30 µm beyond asci, wall distinctively thickened at base, amyloid in some specimens. Asci 40-55 × 4.5-5.5 µm, cylindric, tapering gradually to small, subtruncate apex, wall thickened at apex, amyloid pore extending through wall, flaring towards outside of wall, crozier present, 8-spored. Ascospores 8-11.5 × 1.5-2 µm (average 10.0 × 1.7 µm, n = 20), oblong-elliptic to subfusoid, widest point slightly towards the upper end, taper to narrow-rounded ends, 0-septate, hyaline.

Additional specimens examined.

New Zealand - Taupo • Kaimanawa Forest Park, Tree Trunk Gorge; on Fuscopora solandri fallen leaves; P.R. Johnston (D877), I. Gamundí leg.; 1 Feb 1993; PDD 61833 - Mid Canterbury • Craigieburn, Cave Stream ; on Fuscopora solandi fallen leaves; E. Horak leg.; 31 Mar 1983; PDD 92925 .

Notes.

Chlorociboria solandri is micromorphologically distinctive in having scattered, large, lanceolate paraphyses, short-cylindric to more or less globose, thick-walled excipular cells, excipular tissue reacting either blue or red to Melzer’s reagent, and coiling, rough-walled hairs. Known from two specimens from Fuscopora solandri leaves. A third specimen in poor condition, PDD 92925, could be the same species; it is morphologically similar but has longer hairs than the other two specimens. Cultures on agar are very slow growing (10 cm after 4 weeks), have little aerial mycelium and pale yellow brown pigments, remaining sterile.

Figures

Figure 8. Chlorociboria solandri A dried apothecium B fresh apothecium C margin of receptacle in vertical section D ascospores E paraphyses F amyloid paraphysis G base of paraphysis with thick wall H details of coiling, rough-walled excipular hairs. Images: PDD 58580 (A, C, D, F-H); PDD 61833 (B, E). Scale bars: 0.1 mm (A, B); 20 µm (C); 10 µm (D-H).