Domestication and element analysis of the giant edible Macrocybe gigantea from Pakistan

During a survey of mushrooms of Pakistan, Macrocybe gigantea was collected from University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan under the Morus species. For the domestication of this wild species, its culturability and cultivation potential was assessed by using different synthetic culture media and substrates. Among these different media used, maximum cultural growth was observed on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium at 30 °C followed by Malt Extract Agar (MEA), Compost Extract Agar (CEA), Glucose Peptone Agar (GPA), and Saboraud Dextrose Agar (SDA). Strains on PDA medium were used for production of spawning material on wheat, sorghum and barleyngrains. Sorghum grains at 30 °C were the best combination for spawn production. A mixed substrate of wheat straw and Tea waste at 30 °C produced the highest yield. Mineral analysis of the wild and cultivated strain revealed that both forms enrich Potassium and Calcium. These findings show that this giant edible mushroom species could be domesticated on the number of media and substrates. Its domestication can provide nutritional, economical, medicinal and tasty food to the growing population that would otherwise be restricted to natural production at a specific time of the year

Pleochaeta indica, a new record of powdery mildew from Pakistan

A comprehensive study of a powdery mildew observed on leaves of Celtis tetrandra Roxb. was carried out by the authors. The symptoms appeared as white mycelium on leaves with embedded small black to brown spherical ascomata. Infected plants were collected from Thandiani (District Abbottabad, Division Hazara) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, during a phytopathogenic survey in 2019. The causal agent was observed and identified on the basis of morphological and molecular analyses, which reveals that this fungus belongs to genus Pleochaeta. Further investigation identified it as Pleochaeta indica. This is the first report of a powdery mildew infection caused by this pathogen in Pakistan. A complete description and illustrations of the fungus are presented

Some new lichen records from Pakistan

During a survey of the lichens in the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, many specimens were collected from the Jhelum and Neelum valley and characterized using morpho-anatomical, molecular and chemical test methods. Two taxa new for Pakistan, i.e., Physciella chloanta and Xanthoparmelia protomatrae s. l., were found in the collection while Physconia enteroxantha represent range extensions within Pakistan. Morpho-anatomical descriptions, ecology and distribution are provided

A new species of Circinaria (Pertusariales, Megasporaceae) from Pakistan

Circinaria pakistanica sp. nov. is described from the Himalayan moist temperate forests in Pakistan. The morphology, chemistry and ITS sequence support its distinction from other species of this genus. The taxon is characterised by a whitish to blackish grey thallus, greyish white epruinose apothecia, flat to slightly concave areoles, a hymenium 110–200 μm high, large ascospores (22–38 × 18–32 μm) and the absence of pycnidia; it also differs from related species in the ITS region

Fungal systematics and evolution : FUSE 7

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Fungal systematics and evolution : FUSE 6

Fungal Systematics and Evolution (FUSE) is one of the journal series to address the “fusion” between morphological data and molecular phylogenetic data and to describe new fungal taxa and interesting observations. This paper is the 6th contribution in the FUSE series—presenting one new genus, twelve new species, twelve new country records, and three new combinations. The new genus is: Pseudozeugandromyces (Laboulbeniomycetes, Laboulbeniales). The new species are: Albatrellopsis flettioides from Pakistan, Aureoboletus garciae from Mexico, Entomophila canadense from Canada, E. frigidum from Sweden, E. porphyroleucum from Vietnam, Erythrophylloporus flammans from Vietnam, Marasmiellus boreoorientalis from Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, Marasmiellus longistipes from Pakistan, Pseudozeugandromyces tachypori on Tachyporus pusillus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Belgium, Robillarda sohagensis from Egypt, Trechispora hondurensis from Honduras, and Tricholoma kenanii from Turkey. The new records are: Arthrorhynchus eucampsipodae on Eucampsipoda africanum (Diptera, Nycteribiidae) from Rwanda and South Africa, and on Nycteribia vexata (Diptera, Nycteribiidae) from Bulgaria; A. nycteribiae on Eucampsipoda africanum from South Africa, on Penicillidia conspicua (Diptera, Nycteribiidae) from Bulgaria (the first undoubtful country record), and on Penicillidia pachymela from Tanzania; Calvatia lilacina from Pakistan; Entoloma shangdongense from Pakistan; Erysiphe quercicola on Ziziphus jujuba (Rosales, Rhamnaceae) and E. urticae on Urtica dioica (Rosales, Urticaceae) from Pakistan; Fanniomyces ceratophorus on Fannia canicularis (Diptera, Faniidae) from the Netherlands; Marasmiellus biformis and M. subnuda from Pakistan; Morchella anatolica from Turkey; Ophiocordyceps ditmarii on Vespula vulgaris (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) from Austria; and Parvacoccum pini on Pinus cembra (Pinales, Pinaceae) from Austria. The new combinations are: Appendiculina gregaria, A. scaptomyzae, and Marasmiellus rodhallii. Analysis of an LSU dataset of Arthrorhynchus including isolates of A. eucampsipodae from Eucampsipoda africanum and Nycteribia spp. hosts, revealed that this taxon is a complex of multiple species segregated by host genus. Analysis of an SSU–LSU dataset of Laboulbeniomycetes sequences revealed support for the recognition of four monophyletic genera within Stigmatomyces sensu lato: Appendiculina, Fanniomyces, Gloeandromyces, and Stigmatomyces sensu stricto. Finally, phylogenetic analyses of Rhytismataceae based on ITS–LSU ribosomal DNA resulted in a close relationship of Parvacoccum pini with Coccomyces strobi.http://www.sydowia.at/index.htmpm2021Medical Virolog

RUST FUNGI ON SOME POACEOUS WEEDS OF WHEAT CROPS IN PAKISTAN

The article enlists common poaceous weeds found in wheat crop sand their specific parasitic rust fungi. In this study, four (04) plant taxa of Poaceae infected with rust fungi are collected from different wheat crops grown in different areas of Pakistan. The rust fungi are isolated, characterized and identified. All these host plants are known weeds of wheat crop in Pakistan. This work would help to identify and enlist the potential rust fungi on weeds of wheat crop that could be utilized to control these noxious weeds in future

Leucoagaricus gujratensis A. Rehman, Usman, Afshan & Khalid 2023, sp. nov.

<p> <i>Leucoagaricus gujratensis</i> A. Rehman, Usman, Afshan & Khalid, <i>sp. nov</i>.</p> <p> <b>(Figures 1–2)</b></p> <p>MycoBank: MB845724</p> <p> <b>Etymology:</b> The specific epithet “ <i>gujratensis</i> ” (Latin) refers to the type locality “Gujrat District”.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis:</b> This species is characterized by milky white pileus surface with brown furfuraceous squamules, lacrymoid to amygdaliform basidiospores (5.4–8.6 × 3.9–5.5 μm) with abundant clavate to slightly fusiform, fabiform cheilocystidia, pileipellis with periclinal hyphae to irregularly ascending, cylindrical and septate hyphae wide as cutis with light brown terminal end.</p> <p> <b>Holotype:</b> PAKISTAN. Punjab Province, Gujrat District (32°52’4.71”N 74° 7’35.85”E), 311 m a.s.l., on soil with leaf litter under <i>Dalbergia sissoo</i> Roxb., August 18, 2021, AG02, <i>Amatu Rehman</i> & <i>Amanat Hussain</i> (LAH37457). GenBank: OP526420 (ITS), OP885328 (LSU).</p> <p>Pileus 52–92 mm in diam., campanulate, expanding to convex to plano-convex or umbonate with small umbo with light brown (7.5YR 6/6) to dark brown (5YR 2/4) and incurved margins, smooth, shiny with brown (5YR 3/4) to light brown (7.5YR 5/4) glabrous around umbo on milky white (7.5Y 9/1) pileus surface that shows radial streaks towards margin. Lamellae milky white, close to distant, 1–3 series of lamellulae, with entire edges. Stipe 3.2–5.0 × 2.8–3.9 mm, pinkish white (10YR 7/3) to slightly brown (5YR 5/6), central, hollow, fibrillose, narrower towards the pileus.Annulus milky white (7.5Y 9/1), prominent, membranous, ascending. Context milky white (7.5Y 9/1). No color change on handling. Odor and taste not tested.</p> <p>Basidiospores [100/6/4] (5.4–)5.5–8.5(–8.6) × (3.9–)4.4–5.4(–5.5) μm, Q = (1.2–)1.3–1.4(–1.5), Qav = 1.35, amygdaliform in side view, narrowly ovoid in frontal view, hyaline in KOH, with refractive guttules, slightly thick walled (less than 3–4 μm), smooth, without a germ pore, dextrinoid. Basidia 12.9–25.4 × 7.6–11.8 μm, clavate, hyaline in KOH, bearing 1–4 sterigmata up to 3–5 μm long. Pleurocystidia absent. Cheilocystidia 7.9–27.2 × 5.7–12.8 μm, abundant, tightly packed, forming a sterile edge, clavate to slightly fusiform, fabiform, hyaline in 5% KOH, without crystal content. Pileipellis as cutis made up of periclinal hyphae to irregularly ascending, cylindrical to sub-cylindrical, slightly overlapping, septate hyphae 5.2–9.2 μm wide, light brown colored terminal ends, thin-walled to slightly thickwalled. Stipitipellis as cutis with repent, cylindrical, septate hyphae 2.4–5.8 μm wide, hyaline, thin walled. Annulus hyphae 4.2–8.2 μm wide, cylindrical to elongate, hyaline elements in 5% KOH. Clamp connections absent in all tissues.</p> <p> <b>Habit and Habitat:</b> Saprotrophic and solitary on sandy soil, rich in leaf litter under <i>Dalbergia sissoo</i> trees. Fruiting during Monsoon.</p> <p> <b>Additional specimens examined:</b> PAKISTAN. PUNJAB, Gujrat District (32°52’16.30”N 74° 7’30.32”E), 315 m a.s.l., August 18, 2021, AG 22, <i>Amatu Rehman</i> & <i>Amanat Hussain</i> (LAH37458), GenBank: OP526421 (ITS), OP885329 (LSU), (32°86’9N 74°13’1E) 313 m a.s.l., July 26, 2022, AR 41, <i>Amatu Rehman</i> & <i>Amanat Hussain</i> (LAH37607), (32°51’58.55”N 74° 7’27.47”E) 314 m a.s.l., August 07, 2022, AR 42, <i>Amatu Rehman</i> & <i>Amanat Hussain</i> (LAH 37608).</p>Published as part of <i>Rehman, Amatu, Usman, Muhammad, Afshan, Najam Ul Sehar & Khalid, Abdul Nasir, 2023, Leucoagaricus gujratensis sp. nov. (Agaricaceae, Agaricales) from Pakistan, pp. 39-50 in Phytotaxa 589 (1)</i> on pages 43-47, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.589.1.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/7755028">http://zenodo.org/record/7755028</a&gt