Search

Four new resinicolous species of Chaenothecopsis are described from China: Chaenothecopsis perforata from exudate of Rhus chinensis (Anacardiaceae), C. pallida from exudate of Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae), C. resinophila from exudate of Kalopanax septemlobus (Araliaceae) and C. hunanensis from resin of Pinus massoniana (Pinaceae). All the new species are compared with previously described resinicolous mycocalicioid taxa, and several new features in these species are presented. The newly described species cannot always be distinguished by any single character, but they all possess unique combinations of morphological, chemical and ecological features. Several aspects in the ecology and evolution of boreal and tropical resinicolous species are briefly discussed., (© 2014 by The Mycological Society of America.)

A new endoconidial taxon, Endophoma elongata gen. et sp. nov., isolated from bat-cave soil, is reported from Alberta, Canada. It is morphologically unique in producing two forms of unilocular, endoconidial conidiomata (i.e. a superficially Phoma-like spherical, often ostiolate form and a cylindrical, non-ostiolate, often setose cleistopycnidial form). Locules of both forms are pseudoparenchymatous, filled with hyaline, thin-walled, endoconidial conidiogenous cells. Endoconidia are hyaline and unicellular. One- or two-celled chlamydospores are abundant in culture. Phylogenetic analysis of the LSU, ITS and β-tubulin regions indicates Endophoma is a member of the Didymellaceae and remote from all other endoconidial genera. Endoconidiogenesis has not been reported previously within the Didymellaceae, and Endophoma represents the first report of a coelomycetous, endoconidial genus in the Pleosporales.

Papulaspora sepedonioides produces large multicellular gemmae with several, thick-walled central cells enclosed within a sheath of smaller thin-walled cells. Phylogenetic analysis of the large subunit rDNA indicates P. sepedonioides has affinities to the Melanosporales (Hypocreomycetidae). The development of gemmae in P. sepedonioides was characterized by light and scanning and transmission electron microscopy and was similar to previous ontogenetic studies of ascoma development in the Melanosporales. However instead of giving rise to ascogenous tissues the central cells of the incipient gemma became darkly pigmented, thick walled and filled with lipid globules while the contents of the sheath cells autolysed, leaving them empty and deflated at maturity. Both central cells and pre-autolytic sheath cells produced both germ tubes and new gemmae primordia, suggesting microcyclic conidiogenesis occurs in this species. Mature gemmae were non-deciduous or seceded by schizolytic secession and appear to have both perennating and disseminative potential. The evolution of these neotenous perithecial propagules may be driven by life-history and ecological factors selecting for functional versatility.