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This chapter discusses the genus Mixia. It provides a systematic discussion of the species and concludes with comments on the genus. The diagnosis of the genus is done on the basis of asexual, sexual, physiology and biochemistry, and phylogenetic placement. In asexual reproduction colonies on corn meal agar (KM-30) are white to cream and become pale pinkish-cream upon age. Cells are oblong, cylindrical to pyriform, and reproduce mainly by enteroblastic budding. The cell wall is multilayered. Hyphae or pseudohyphae are not formed. Ballistoconidia do not occur. In sexual reproduction basidiospores are not observed to occur in pure culture. However, putative sexual spores are produced exogenously, enteroblastically, and simultaneously from sporogenous cells on the surface of the host plant, namely, fronds of the fern Osmunda japonica. Diagnosis on the basis of physiology and biochemistry reveals that fermentation is absent. Soluble starch is weakly assimilated. Extracellular starch-like compounds are not formed. Nitrate is not assimilated. Carotenoid pigments are formed. Staining with diazonium blue B is negative, but the colony turns yellowish. Urease activity is present. The major ubiquinone system is Q-10. © 2011 Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Publisher Summary This chapter studies the genus Saitoella. The asexual reproduction is mainly by multipolar enteroblastic budding. The cells are ovoid to ellipsoidal, and occur singly or in pairs. True hyphae and well-differentiated pseudohyphae are absent. Ballistoconidia are not formed. In sexual reproduction it is found that a sexual state is unknown. The chapter also discusses physiology/biochemistry and phylogenetic placement of the genus in which sugars are not fermented, nitrate is assimilated, starch-like compounds are not synthesized, carotenoid pigments are formed, and xylose is absent in the cell walls. The diazonium blue B reaction is negative and the major ubiquinone system is Q-10. The type species taken is Saitoella complicata. The anamorphic genus Saitoella is discussed and summarized.