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In May 2001, following several years of severe drought, a depressed twig canker was observed on southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) in central Florida. Disease symptoms included twig and branch canker and dieback, distortion of young leaves, and premature leaf drop. Observation of conidia from sporulating acervuli revealed that Coryneum japonicum was associated with the cankers (1,2). The fungus produced abundant, subepidermal, dark brown, linearly arranged acervuli on affected tissues. Conidia were light brown, narrowly fusiform, often curved, and tapered toward an obtuse apex. The conidia had truncate bases and were five to seven distoseptate. Septa were medium to dark brown and sometimes prominent. The length to width ratio of conidia was >4:1. Under normal weather conditions, twig elongation of live oak trees is usually 30 to 60 cm per growing season; however, only 7 to 10 cm was observed on trees affected by C. japonicum. The fungus has been reported on bark and dead twigs of Quercus macrocarpa, Q. gambelii, Q. dilatata, and other species of Quercus in Canada, Pakistan, and the United States (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. japonicum in Florida and on southern live oak trees. A specimen has been deposited in the U.S. National Fungus Collections (BPI number 841441). References: (1) B. C. Sutton. Mycol. Pap. 138:33, 1975. (2) B. C. Sutton. The Coelomycetes, CMI, Kew, England, 1980.

Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim., a species within the gourd family, is cultivated in China for its edible seeds and medicinal roots. Since 2000, heavy losses due to fruit rot have been caused by a new disease with typical anthracnose symptoms, i.e., water-soaked, dark brown-to-black, sunken lesions. Signs of the suspected pathogen were usually seen on near-mature fruits and were especially evident after abundant rainfall. The lesions contained numerous black acervuli with black setae that produced abundant, salmon-colored spore masses under high relative humidity. Dark lesions on leaves and stems could also be found in the field that sometimes led to stem girdling and wilting. Conidia produced in acervuli were 14 to 20 × 3 to 6 μm, straight, cylindrical, hyaline, aseptate, with both ends rounded. Conidiophores were 13 to 22 × 4 to 6 μm, aseptate, and cylindrical, while the setae, usually with three to five septa, measured 60 to 86 × 5 to 6 μm. The pathogen was initially identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on the basis of the morphology (2). In culture, the fungus produced a gray-to-black colony with whitish aerial mycelium on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Pathogenicity was tested by inoculating the equator of 10 fruits of T. kirilowii with a 5-day-old mycelia plug from a single-spore colony (0.5 cm in diameter); fruits inoculated with the plugs of PDA medium served as the control. Inoculated fruits were covered with plastic for 24 h to maintain high relative humidity. After 4 days, 100% of the inoculated fruits showed symptoms identical to those observed on T. kirilowii fruit affected in the field, while all fruits inoculated with PDA medium remained free of symptoms. Reisolation of the fungus from fruit lesions confirmed that the causal agent was C. gloeosporioides. To confirm the pathogen to species, the C. gloeosporioides-specific primers CgInt/ITS4 and C. acutatum-specific primers CaInt2/ITS4 (1) were used to amplify the sequence of internal transcribed spacer regions. A fragment of approximately 500 bp was only amplified with primers CgInt/ITS4 and the sequence (GenBank Accession No. AM491334) was 98 to 100% matched to the sequences of several C. gloeosporioides isolates (e.g., GenBank Accession Nos. AJ301919, AB255249, AJ301908), whereas the sequence shares 86 and 91% identity to that of C. orbiculare (GenBank Accession No. AB042308) and C. acutatum (GenBank Accession No. AJ749675), respectively. Thus, we concluded that C. gloeosporioides is the causal agent of anthracnose fruit rot of T. kirilowii. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. gloeosporioides infecting T. kirilowii. References: (1) A. E. Brown et al. Phytopathology 86:523, 1996. (2) B. C. Sutton. The Coelomycetes. CAB International Publishing, New York, 1980.

Cassia fistula, a member of the Fabaceae, known as the golden shower tree, is native to South Asia. It is now distributed worldwide and is popular as an ornamental plant as well as being used in herbal medicine. In October 2013, symptoms of stem canker were observed on C. fistula in a nursery (108°38′ E, 22°87′ N) in Nanning, Guangxi, China. The symptoms began as small brown lesions, which enlarged over several months to long, striped, slightly sunken lesions, 1 to 9 cm in width and 16 to 135 cm in length. The conspicuous cankers had vertical cracks outlining the canker and evenly spaced horizontal cracks, eventually resulting in whole plants dying back. The cankers were found on 90% of six-year-old plants in this nursery and were also observed in other plantings. On potato dextrose agar (PDA), isolates with similar morphological characteristics were consistently recovered from symptomatic plant tissues after surface sterilization in 75% ethanol for 30 sec and then in 0.1% mercuric chloride for 2 min. Over 100 conidia were examined from three isolates and were found to be elliptical and hyaline when immature, becoming dark brown, one-septate, and longitudinally striate when mature and ranging from 20 to 31 × 11 to 16 μm (average 25.5 × 13.6 μm). The rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of isolate LC-1 was sequenced (GenBank Accession No. KM387285), and it showed 100% identity to Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon & Maubl. (GenBank KC964548), confirming the morphological identification (2) as L. theobromae (also known as Botryosphaeria rhodina (Cooke) Arx). A culture of this isolate has been preserved in the Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences fungal collection. The pathogenicity of the isolate was tested on healthy twigs and branches of C. fistula trees in a field setting at Guangxi Agricultural Vocational-Technical College, Nanning, Guangxi, in June and August 2014. For each treatment, five green twigs and five 2-year-old branches were used. Five adjacent needle punctures were made on each branch with a sterilized needle. A mycelial plug was then placed on the wound of each branch and wrapped with Parafilm. Control twigs were treated with sterile PDA plugs. One week later, typical lesions were observed on the inoculated branches, with symptoms becoming more extensive after two weeks, but no symptoms were seen on the controls. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by re-isolation of L. theobromae from diseased branches. L. theobromae is recognized as an important wood pathogen and has been reported to cause cankers, dieback, and fruit and root rots in over 500 different hosts, including perennial fruit and nut trees, vegetable crops, and ornamental plants (2). The fungus has been reported on C. fistula in India since the 1970s (1); however, to our knowledge, this is the first report of L. theobromae infecting C. fistula in China. References: (1) R. S. Mathur. The Coelomycetes of India. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Delhi, India, 1979. (2) J. R. Úrbez-Torres et al. Plant Dis. 92:519, 2008.

A new species of Neostagonospora associated with Spinifex littoreus was found. Endophytic isolates remained sterile, but a specimen collected on living leaves could be used for morphological characterization and cultivation. The ITS sequences from the cultures as well as from direct total DNA extraction from the plant indicated conspecificity and a broader geographic distribution than the single field collection, but yielded low support on the genus level in phylogenetic analyses. Analysis of the RPB2 sequences, however, sufficiently supported a placement of the species in Neostagonospora. The shape of conidiogenous cells as well as numbers of septa and sizes of conidia are useful characters for distinguishing Neostagonospora species.

Eisenia lucens is an earthworm living in the organic soil layer of decomposing wood. When irritated, the worm expels coelomic fluid through pores in its body wall, exhibiting blue-green bioluminescence. The mechanism of the bioluminescence, which seems to be different from other bioluminescence systems of terrestrial animals, has been studied in this work. Many lines of evidence indicate that riboflavin stored in coelomycetes plays an important role in this glowing reaction.

The taxonomy of the fungi that produce human infections and that develop asexual fruiting bodies in culture has become very complex. Recent molecular studies have produced dramatic changes in their classification. Currently, the coelomycetes traditionally included in Sphaeropsidales and Melanconiales are in fact distributed across at least three different classes of the Phylum Ascomycota. Approximately 1000 genera and 7000 species have been grouped in the classes Dothideomycetes, Leotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes and their proper identification can only be made by analysing their DNA sequences and comparing them with those corresponding to type strains available in the adequate databases. To facilitate this task for scientists and clinicians involved in the study of these complex, and every day more numerous taxa, we have updated the knowledge about the taxonomy of the commonest coelomycetes of clinical interest with the aim of improving their identification and antifungal treatment.

Aims: The study was conducted to identify a non-dermatophytic fungi associated with wool hairs in Erbil city. The common and dominate fungal genera were recorded, as well as the hygienic importance of all isolates were reviewed. Materials and Methods: Wool samples were collected during February 2017. Pieces of wool hair were cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar. Cultured plates were incubated in room temperature. The growing fungi were counted and were identified microscopically. The occurrence % (O%), and the frequency of occurrence % (FQ%) for the identified genera were calculated. Results: A 22 fungal isolates belong to 16 genera beside one isolate of Actinomycetes were recognized. The Hyphomycetes represented in (10 genera 62.5%), they were (Alternaria, Aspergillus (5 sp), Scytelidium, Chrysosporium, Curvelaria, Cladosporium, Penecilium, Scpulariopsis, Fusarium and Ulocladium. Two genera belong to each of Ascomycetes and Zygomycetes (12.5%) include (Chaetomium, Pseudallescheria) and (Mucor, Rhizopus) respectively Basidiomycetes and Coelomycetes represent one genus (6.25%), they were Rhodotorula and phoma. Aspergillus showed the highest O% and FO% (88%; 32.9%) followed by Cladosporium (36%; 13.8%). Conclusion: The results showed that: 1-Hyphomycetes is predominant and Aspergillus is the common genus. 2- All the recorded fungi had an effects on human health. According to the previous studies their infections ranging from mild skin mycoses to serious deep infections. 3-A 81.25% of the recorded fungal genera in this study were previously isolated from upper respiratory tract of individuals have asthma and allergic symptoms in Iraq. 4-It is the first recorded of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa from wool samples in Iraq.

En les darreres tres dècades la micologia mèdica ha dedicat un especial interès als fongs patògens oportunistes, els quals ocasionen un ampli rang de patologies infeccioses (des d'infeccions a nivell superficial com profund), principalment en individus immunocompresos, la qual cosa determina que aquestes infeccions siguin sovint difícils de tractar i, raó per la qual tinguin una alta mortalitat associada. Tot i que els fongs celomicets s'aïllen amb certa freqüència d'espècimens clínics, es desconeix la incidència real de les seves espècies com agents infecciosos per l'home. En el present estudi es van caracteritzar, morfològica i molecularment, 452 aïllats tant clínics com ambientals pertanyents a diversos gèneres de fongs celomicets amb la finalitat d'aclarir la seva taxonomia i posició filogenètica. Els resultats obtinguts van revelar la gran diversitat d'espècies dins dels celomicets sent l'ordre Pleosporales el més prevalent (>; 50% del total dels aïllats), això va permetre la publicació d'un gran nombre de taxons nous per a la ciència distribuïts entre famílies, gèneres i espècies (més de 60 espècies noves). L'estudi de sensibilitat in vitro de diferents gèneres de celomicets enfront dels antifúngics va evidenciar que la majoria d'ells són sensibles als diferents grups d'antifúngics, i només en particular alguns aïllats van presentar una relativa resistència al grup dels azols, poliens o equinocandines. En las últimas tres décadas la micología médica ha dedicado un especial interés a los hongos patógenos oportunistas, los cuales ocasionan un amplio rango de patologías infecciosas (desde infecciones a nivel superficial como profundo), principalmente en individuos inmunocomprometidos, lo cual determina que dichas infecciones sean a menudo difíciles de tratar y, razón por la cual tengan una alta mortalidad asociada. A pesar de que los hongos celomicetos se aíslan con cierta frecuencia de especímenes clínicos, se desconoce la incidencia real de sus especies cómo agentes infecciosos para el hombre. En el presente estudio se caracterizaron, morfológica y molecularmente, 452 aislados tanto clínicos como ambientales pertenecientes a diversos géneros de hongos celomicetos con la finalidad de clarificar su taxonomía y posición filogenética. Los resultados obtenidos revelaron la gran diversidad de especies dentro de los celomicetos siendo el orden Pleosporales el más prevalente (> 50% de total de los aislados), esto permitió la publicación de un gran número de taxones nuevos para la ciencia distribuidos entre familias, géneros y especies (más de 60 especies nuevas). El estudio de sensibilidad in vitro de diferentes géneros de celomicetos frente a los antifúngicos evidenciaron que la mayoría de ellos son sensibles a los diferentes grupos de antifúngicos, y solo en particular algunos aislados presentaron una relativa resistencia al grupo de los azoles, polienos o equinocandinas. In the last three decades, medical mycology has demonstrated a special interest to opportunistic pathogenic fungi, which cause a wide range of infectious pathologies (from superficial and deep infections), mainly in immunocompromised individuals, which determines that these infections are often difficult to treat and, which is why they have a high associated mortality. Although coelomycetes fungi are frequently isolated from clinical specimens, the actual incidence of their species as infectious agents for humans is unknown. In the present study, 452 clinical and environmental isolates belonging to different genera of coelomycetes were characterized, morphologically and molecularly, in order to clarify their taxonomy and phylogenetic placement. The results obtained revealed the large diversity of species within the coelomycetes, with the Pleosporales as the most prevalent order (> 50% of total isolates), this allowed the publication of a large number of new taxa for science distributed among families, genera and species (more than 60 new species). The study of in vitro sensitivity of different genera of coelomycetes against antifungals showed that most of them are sensitive to different antifungal groups, and only, in particular, some isolates showed a relative resistance to the group of azoles, polyenes or echinocandins.

Three collections of coelomycetes producing brown spores have been subjected to morphological and molecular data analyses. Two of them have phragmosporous conidia and are morphologically similar to Camarosporium hederae which has the distinct morphology of Camarosporium sensu stricto. The other collection with muriform conidia is morphologically similar to Camarosporium sensu stricto but has paraphyses. Based on morphology and molecular data analyses of combined LSU and SSU rDNA sequences, two new genera are introduced viz. Phragmocamarosporium (in Lentitheciaceae) and Suttonomyces (in Massarinaceae).

The type species of the genus Tiarosporella, T. paludosa, is epitypified and confirmed as a member of the Botryosphaeriaceae.Based on morphology and DNA sequence data of the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (LSU, 28S) andthe internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and 5.8S rRNA gene of the nrDNA operon, the genus Tiarosporella is shown to bepoly- and paraphyletic. A group of isolates morphologically similar to T. paludosa cluster to the Phacidiaceae (Phacidiales,Leotiomycetes) and we accommodated them in Darkera, a genus associated with needle diseases of conifers, with D. piceaintroduced as a novel taxon. This new taxon includes isolates occurring on needles of Picea spp. in Europe (Finland, Norwayand Switzerland) and differs from D. parca according to a five-locus alignment consisting of ITS, LSU, partial 18Snuclear ribosomal RNA, translation elongation factor 1-alpha and beta-tubulin genes. Four novel genera are introduced fortiarosporella-like fungi, namely Eutiarosporella based on E. tritici on Triticum aestivum from South Africa, Marasasiomycesbased on M. karoo on Eriocephalus sp. from South Africa, Mucoharknessia based on M. cortaderiae on Cortaderia selloanafrom Argentina, and Sakireeta based on S. madreeya on Aristida setacea from India. Together with the genus Botryobambusa,these genera represent a subclade in the Botryosphaeriaceae that is ecologically diverse, occurring on Poaceae, as wellas woody hosts, including endophytes, saprobes, and plant pathogens. Fil: Crous, Pedro W.. Utrecht Univeristy; Países Bajos. Fungal Biodiversity Centre; Países Bajos. University of Pretoria; Sudáfrica Fil: Müller, Michael M.. Natural Resources Institute Finland ; Finlandia Fil: Sanchez, Romina Magali. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida(i); Argentina Fil: Giordano, Lucrecia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida(i); Argentina Fil: Bianchinotti, Maria Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida(i); Argentina Fil: Anderson, Freda E.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida(i); Argentina Fil: Groenewald, Johannes Z.. Fungal Biodiversity Centre; Países Bajos

The taxonomy of Pseudolachnea and Pseudolachnella is controversial. Some authors have regarded them as congeneric, whereas others have considered them to be distinct genera differentiated merely on the number of conidial septa. A total of 26 isolates of Pseudolachnea-like fungi were subjected to morphological examination and phylogenetic analyses of nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 and partial 28S sequences and partial sequence of the translation elongation factor 1α gene. The results indicated that our materials should be classified in four genera: Pseudolachnea, Pseudolachnella, and two new genera, Neopseudolachnella and Pseudodinemasporium. Although the monophyly of both Pseudolachnea and Pseudolachnella was confirmed, it was concluded that differences observed in the conidiomatal structure, such as thickness of basal stroma and the excipulum, were more reliable for their circumscription, instead of conidial septation. Neopseudolachnella was similar to Pseudolachnea and Pseudolachnella in conidial morphology but was characterized by the conidiomata lacking an excipulum, unlike members of the latter two genera. Pseudodinemasporium bore conidia morphologically similar to those of Dinemasporium but was differentiated from the latter by the conidiomata, which was composed of a well developed peridial structure. A total of 12 new species, namely three in Neopseudolachnella (N. acutispora, N. magnispora, N. uniseptata), one in Pseudodinemasporium (P. fabiforme) and eight in Pseudolachnella (P. asymmetrica, P. botulispora, P. brevicoronata, P. campylospora, P. complanata, P. falcatispora, P. fusiformis and P. pachyderma) are described and illustrated.

The taxonomic relationships of three coelomycetous genera, Dinemasporium , Diarimella and Stauronema , were assessed. A total of 43 isolates/specimens of Dinemasporium -like fungi were examined by phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer sequences of the nuclear rRNA gene and morphological comparisons. Species highly consistent with Diarimella or Stauronema generic concepts failed to form monophyletic groups, but were scattered within the Dinemasporium clade. Diarimella and Stauronema are therefore treated as synonyms of Dinemasporium . An expanded generic concept of Dinemasporium is proposed to accommodate species having conidia with bipolar and lateral appendages (formerly Stauronema ) or branched multiple appendages (formerly Diarimella ), as well as typical Dinemasporium species having conidia with bipolar unbranched appendages. Eight new species of Dinemasporium — D . ambiguum , D . bambusicola , D . iriomotense , D . japonicum , D. parastrigosum , D . pseudodecipiens , D . rishiriense and D. sasae — are described and illustrated.

Mycosociological studies on microfungi parasitising vascular plants were carried out on 21 permanent observation plots in 5 phytocoenoses representing beech forests (Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum, Melico-Fagetum, Dentario enneaphyllidis-Fagetum, Carici-Fagetum) and xerothermic grassland (Origano-Brachypodietum pinnati) as well as using route method in other plant communities. The frequency of host plants and fungi occurring on permanent plots was estimated using 5-degree scale. The observations yielded in 478 fungal species belonging to Peronosporales (Oomycota), Dothideales, Erysiphales, Helotiales, Hypocreales, Mycosphaerellales, Phyllachorales, Pleosporales, Xylariales (Ascomycota), Uredinales, Microbotryales, Urocystales (Basidiomycota) and Hyphomycetes and Coelomycetes (anamorphic fungi), which were hosted by 301 species of vascular plants as well as by 19 taxa of Erysiphales and Uredinales. The predominanting group was anamorphic fungi (65% of species), especially members of Sphaeropsidales (39%). This group was however less dispersed on the study area than Uredinales and Erysiphales, which were represented by relatively small number of species. The results provided data on diversi- fied occurrence of fungi depending on abiotic (humidity, temperature, insolation) and biotic factors (e.g. density of host plant population) provided by plant communities. The differences concern species composition and richness of fungi, their distribution as well as frequency of hosts and parasites. In the case of members of Erysiphales, Moniliales and Peronosporales differences in phenology were also noted. The greatest species richness and distribution of the micromycetes was observed in Origano-Brachypodietum and the poorest were plots of Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum. Most frequently the parasites infected small percentage of the individuals in the population of the hosts (about 1%), which occurred with the lowest coverage (below 10%). This type of relationship between frequency of fungi and density of plants dominated in all of the studied phytocenoses. Sixty two species of fungi observed on Wyżyna Częstochowska Upland are new for Polish biota. They belong to anamorphic fungi, mainly to Phyllosticta (32 species) and Ascochyta (15).

Sri Lanka is a country with rich floral and faunal diversity and listed as one of the biodiversity hotpots in the world. However, the diversity of micro-flora, including fungi is not properly documented and the existing data is out-dated. Taxonomic and diversity researches of fungi are quite a few in number compare to other South Asian and South-East Asian countries. Since, Sri Lanka is a tropical island, we determined to compare its micro-fungal diversity with other countries such as India, Malaysia, and Thailand which also have higher fungal diversity. A mangrove forest near Weligama bay in Southern Sri Lanka was selected as the first site for our preliminary survey. Micro-floral diversity in mangrove forests in Sri Lanka was not documented. For the study, samples were collected randomly. Saprobic fungi were observed from the leaf litter and wood litter. In order to observe the pathogenic fungi, leaf spots were also collected. Based on morphology, seven sexual taxa (four bitunicate and three unitunicate) and nine asexual taxa (six coelomycetous and three hyphomycetous taxa) were identified. All the collections were determined up to its generic level and compared with other species of the respective genus. Among these, six are new records from Sri Lanka. The study confirmed that, mangroves and mangrove associated flora provides preferable conditions for both sexual fungi and asexual fungi (i.e. conidial fungi, coelomycetes and hyphomycetes). It is important to carry out further works (including DNA sequence analyses) since it is important to provide taxonomic placement for conidial fungi in natural classification system. Keywords: Conidial fungi, Coelomycetes, Hyphomycetes, Sri Lanka

Human infections by coelomycetous fungi are becoming more frequent and range from superficial to systemic dissemination. Traumatic implantation of contaminated plant material is the most common cause. The typical morphological feature of these fungi is the production of asexual spores (conidia) within fruiting bodies called conidiomata. This study aimed to determine the distribution of the coelomycetes in clinical samples by a phenotypic and molecular study of a large set of isolates received from a U.S. reference mycological institution and by obtaining the in vitro antifungal susceptibility pattern of nine antifungals against a selected group of isolates. A total of 230 isolates were identified by sequencing the D1 and D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) nuclear ribosomal RNA (nrRNA) gene and by morphological characterization. Eleven orders of the phylum Ascomycota were identified: Pleosporales (the largest group; 66.1%), Botryosphaeriales (19.57%), Glomerellales (4.35%), Diaporthales (3.48%), Xylariales (2.17%), Hysteriales and Valsariales (0.87%), and Capnodiales , Helotiales , Hypocreales and Magnaporthales (0.43% each). The most prevalent species were Neoscytalidium dimidiatum , Paraconiothyrium spp., Phoma herbarum , Didymella heteroderae , and Epicoccum sorghinum . The most common anatomical site of isolation was superficial tissue (66.5%), followed by the respiratory tract (17.4%). Most of the isolates tested were susceptible to the majority of antifungals, and only flucytosine showed poor antifungal activity.

Three species of Ascochyta (conidial fungi, Coelomycetes) are described in the paper. Ascochyta urticae A. L. Smith et Ramsbottom (on Urtica dioica L.) and Ascochyta phomoides Saccardo (on Aegopodium podagraria L.) are species new for Poland. Ascochyta podagrariae Bresadola (on A. podagraria L.) is known from one locality only. All species are rarely noted in the world.

The paper presents ihe localities of pyrenomycelous and coelomycetous fungi. Forty three are reported as new to the mycoflora of Lithuania, among them are Discosia faginea, D. strobilina, Eutypa astroidea, Gibbera cassandrae, Gloeosporium saponariae, Hypoxylon atropurpureum, H. mammafum, Myxoeyclus polycistis, Mycosphaerella pontederiae, Phyllosticta coryli, P. lantanae, P. pirina. Microfungi have been collected on 62 species of host plants.

Four species of parasitic microfungi were collected recenUy on Padus serotina (Ehrh.) Borkh. (Rosaceae) in Poland. Three species, Phyllactina guttata (Wallr. ex Fr.) Lév. (Erysiphales), Monilia linhartiana Sacc. (Hyphomycetes), and Microsphaeropsis olivacea (Bonord.) Höhn. (Coelomycetes), have not been reported before on thc plant, and Padus serotina is a new host for them. Monnilia linhartiana Sacc. is a new species for Poland. The fourth species, Podosphaera tridactyla (Wallr.) de Baly var. tridactyla (Erysiphales), is known only from three localities in Europe, and has been collected on the host plant in Poland for the first time.

This paper includes a descriptions of fungi belonging to Pyrenomycetes, Loculoascomycetes,Coelomycetes and Hyphomycetes which were found on Mt. Babia Góra in the years 1983 -1988. Also presented ara comparative studies of thę mycoflora of the selected trees and comparative studies of the vertical ranges of fungi and vascular plants. The investigations show that Pyrenomycetes fungi depend on the plant communities in which they occur.

An annotated checklist and table of the substrate type for the past and updated fungal species recorded from various submerged plant debris in aquatic habitats of Iraq are provided. Sixty seven (67) species of freshwater and marine fungi occurring in different types of plant debris collected from various locations of Iraq were registered. These include: 46 species of ascomycota, 19 species of hyphomycetes and two species of coelomycetes. Of these, 11 species were reported for the first time in Iraq. Brief descriptions of the new records are presented. Key words: Fungi, aquatic habitat, Iraq.

This study shows the conidiomatal development of Pestalotiopsis disseminata (Thuen.) Stey., using light and transmission electron microscope. Light microscopic study showed the presence of non-ostiolate pycnidial conidiomata in culture, whereas it is known to produce only acervular conidiomata on leaves. Interestingly, the fungus showed the ultrastructure of the conidial wall in the coloured cells as well as the basal and apical hyaline cells with the appendages. P. disseminata was studied for the first time on the development of the conidiomata and conidia by light and transmission electron microscopes. Key words: Coelomycetes, Conidiomata, conidium ontogeny, appendages.

Microbial endophytes were isolated from surface sterilised leaf segments of Strychnous nuxvomica L. from forest areas of Malnad region, Southern India. A total of 1271 endophytic isolates belonging to 23 different fungal species and two Pseudomonas species from a total of 1800 segments incubated in two seasons were examined at three sites. Fungi recovered belonged to ascomycetes, coelomycetes and hyphomycetes and mycelia sterilia. Pseudomonas pseudomallei strain YL-1, a Gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria was isolated as dominant endophyte from surface sterilised tissues. Dual culture studies revealed that P. pseudomallei have the potentiality to control some pathogenic fungi in vitro.

Aim: To study the presence of indoor mycoflora in A/c Buses to know the commuters risk of exposure to fungal spores. Place and Duration: Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), Koyambedu, Chennai, India. Study was conducted from November 2011 to April 2012. Methodology: Airborne fungi from 50 A/c buses were studied using Reuter Centrifugal Sampler (Biotest, Germany), fungi from the surfaces of air vents through swab sample and bus seats by rubbing sterile petridishes on the seats. Sabourauds Dextrose Agar (SDA) was used for the isolation of fungi from different buses. The collected data were statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 38 species classified in 21 genera were recorded. Among which, Zygomycetes was represented by 4 species, Ascomycetes and Coelomycetes by single species each and the remaining belongs to Hyphomycetes. The genus, Aspergillus was represented by maximum number of species (11 species) followed by Penicillium (5 species). A total average of 713 CFU/m of air was recorded within the buses. Aspergillus Original Research Article British Microbiology Research Journal, 4(3): 282-292, 2014 283 niger was the first dominant fungi in the order of dominance followed by Chrysonilia sitophila, Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus flavus in that order. From the surface of bus seats, Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Rhizopus stolonifer and A. japonicus were recorded as dominant. However, different mycofloral composition was recorded from air vents. Cladosporium chlorocephalum and Curvularia lunata dominated the surface of air vents. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the presence of potential fungal species which pose exposure risk to the immune compromised commuters.

The endophytic fungus Coelomycetes AFKR-3 isolated from young stems of yellow moonshed plant ( Archangelisia flava (L.) Merr.) has shown the capability to biotransform berberine into its 7- N -oxide derivative. Further investigations showed that the fungus can also biotransform the protoberberine alkaloid , palmatine into a new derivative palmatine 7- N -oxide in liquid medium of glucose-yeast extract-peptone. Berberine 7- N -oxide displayed the same antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and pathogenic fungi as berberine

A total of 616 fungal isolates were obtained from 1600 segments of leaves and stems of the medicinal plant Anisomeles malabarica during four seasons (2009–2010). Fourteen different morphospecies were isolated: Botryodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum dematium, Pestalotiopsis microspora, Phoma betae, Phomopsis arnoldiae, Phomopsis stipata, Phomopsis sp., Phomopsis tersa, Phyllosticta murnadensis, Septoria sp., Penicillium sp., Nigrospora sp. and sterile forms. Phomopsis spp. was the most dominant and frequently isolated taxon. Colonization frequency (%) differed significantly between the seasons. The total colonization frequency of endophytes during south–west monsoon comprised young leaves 6.6%, mature leaves 15.7%, young stems 3.6% and mature stems 13.4%; north–east monsoon comprised young leaves 4.3%, mature leaves 16%, young stems 7% and mature stems 15.9%; winter comprised young leaves 14%, mature leaves 21.7%, young stems 12.5% and mature stems 17.1%; summer comprised young leaves 1.2%, mature leaves 4.4%, young stems 0.9% and mature stems 2.6%. The colonization rate was higher during the winter than in the monsoon and summer seasons. Moreover, the higher colonization frequency was found in mature leaves than in young leaves. The maximum relative percentage occurrence was coelomycetes (97.91%) followed by agnomycetes (1.33%) and hyphomycetes (0.76%).

A total of 143 endophytic fungal isolates were recovered from 1350 bark, twig and leaf segments of Vitex negundo L. which has important traditional medicinal value in the Indian system of medicine. The isolates belonged to ascomycetes (24%), coelomycetes (21%), hyphomycetes (51%) and mycelia sterilia (4%) groups. Lasiodiplodia sp. was the dominant endophyte in all the plant parts. The endophytic taxa were identified on the basis of morphology and DNA sequence data. Twig samples harboured higher number of endophytic taxa than the bark and leaf tissues of V. negundo. Phylogenetic relationships of the endophytic fungi were estimated from the sequences of the ITS region. Our studies indicate that diverse endophytic genera are grouped into six clades with respective fungal endophytes grouped in separate clades.

The paper presents eleven species of Ascochyta recently collected in central and southern part of Poland. Two of them, Ascochyta bondarceviana Melnik and Ascochyta equiseti (Desm.) Grove noted in Poland for the first time, are illustrated with microphotographs. In addition, nine other species are newly reported on their host plants species in the country. Short characteristics of the fungi species based on the collected specimens and the distribution maps of all fungi taxa are presented.