Morphological and molecular characterisation of a new anamorphic genus Cheirosporium, from freshwater in China

Cheirosporium gen. nov. is characterised by the production of sporodochial conidiomata, semi-macronematous to macronematous conidiophores that possess several distinct sterile branches, and cheiroid, smooth-walled conidia with rhexolytic secession. The 28S rDNA and ITS rDNA operon of this taxon were amplified and sequenced. A BLAST search revealed low homology between Cheirosporium triseriale and existing sequences in public databases, supporting the hypothesis that the species is new to science. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. triseriale groups with Dictyosporium and allied species, and nests within the Pleosporales (Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota). Cheirosporium is morphologically distinct from the cheirosporous genera Cheiromyces, Cheiromycina, Dictyosporium, Digitomyces, Digitodesmium and Pseudodictyosporium and these differences are discussed

Myrtaceae, a cache of fungal biodiversity

Twenty-six species of microfungi are treated, the majority of which are associated with leaf spots of Corymbia, Eucalyptus and Syzygium spp. (Myrtaceae). The treated species include three new genera, Bagadiella, Foliocryphia and Pseudoramichloridium, 20 new species and one new combination. Novelties on Eucalyptus include: Antennariella placitae, Bagadiella lunata, Cladoriella rubrigena, C. paleospora, Cyphellophora eucalypti, Elsinoë eucalypticola, Foliocryphia eucalypti, Leptoxyphium madagascariense, Neofabraea eucalypti, Polyscytalum algarvense, Quambalaria simpsonii, Selenophoma australiensis, Sphaceloma tectificae, Strelitziana australiensis and Zeloasperisporium eucalyptorum. Stylaspergillus synanamorphs are reported for two species of Parasympodiella, P. eucalypti sp. nov. and P. elongata, while Blastacervulus eucalypti, Minimedusa obcoronata and Sydowia eucalypti are described from culture. Furthermore, Penidiella corymbia and Pseudoramichloridium henryi are newly described on Corymbia, Pseudocercospora palleobrunnea on Syzygium and Rachicladosporium americanum on leaf litter. To facilitate species identification, as well as determine phylogenetic relationships, DNA sequence data were generated from the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1, 5.8S nrDNA, ITS2) and the 28S nrDNA (LSU) regions of all taxa studie

A new species of bird’s nest fungi: characterisation of Cyathus subglobisporus sp. nov. based on morphological and molecular data

Recent collections of bird’s nest fungi (i.e. Crucibulum, Cyathus, Mycocalia, Nidula, and Nidularia species) in northern Thailand resulted in the discovery of a new species of Cyathus, herein described as C. subglobisporus. This species is distinct by a combination of ivory-coloured fruiting bodies covered with shaggy hairs, plications on the inner surface of the peridium and subglobose basidiospores. Phylogenetic analyses based on ITS and LSU ribosomal DNA sequences using neighbour-joining, maximum likelihood and weighted maximum parsimony support Cyathus subglobisporus as a distinct species and sister to a clade containing C. annulatus, C. renweii and C. stercoreus in the Striatum group

Phyllosticta citriasiana sp. nov., the cause of Citrus tan spot of Citrus maxima in Asia

Guignardia citricarpa, the causal agent of Citrus Black Spot, is subject to phytosanitary legislation in the European Union and the U.S.A. This species is frequently confused with G. mangiferae, which is a non-pathogenic, and is commonly isolated as an endophyte from citrus fruits and a wide range of other hosts. Recently, necrotic spots similar to those caused by G. citricarpa were observed on fruit of Citrus maxima intercepted in consignments exported from Asia. In these spots, pycnidia and conidia of a Guignardia species closely resembling G. citricarpa were observed, and therefore measures were taken for the consignments in line with the European Union legislation for G. citricarpa. To determine the identity of the causal organism on this new host, fungal isolates were subjected to DNA sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) and actin genes. A combined phylogenetic tree resolved three species correlating to G. citricarpa, G. mangiferae and a previously undescribed species, Phyllosticta citriasiana sp. nov., closely related to G. citricarpa. Morphologically P. citriasiana can be distinguished from G. citricarpa by having larger conidia, longer conidial appendages, and in not producing any diffuse yellow pigment when cultivated on oatmeal agar (OA). Furthermore, it is distinguishable from G. mangiferae by having smaller conidia, with a narrower mucoid sheath. In culture, colonies of P. citriasiana can also be distinguished from G. citricarpa and G. mangiferae by being darker shades of grey and black on OA, malt extract agar (MEA), potato-dextrose agar, and cornmeal agar. Furthermore, cultures of P. citriasiana achieved optimal growth after 2 weeks at 21-27°C, and ceased to grow at 30-33°C. In contrast, colonies of G. citricarpa and G. mangiferae achieved optimal growth at 27-30°C, and ceased to grow at 30-36°C Colonies of P. citriasiana also grew faster than those of G. citricarpa and G. mangiferae on OA and MEA. Phyllosticta citriasiana appears to be a harmful pathogen of Citrus maxima, causing a tan spot on fruit, underlining the need for further surveys and research to determine its distribution and host range

Re-evaluation of Cryptosporiopsis eucalypti and Cryptosporiopsis-like species occurring on Eucalyptus

Cryptosporiopsis eucalypti is a common follicolous pathogen of Eucalyptus species in tropical and temperate regions where these trees are grown in plantations. The taxonomy of C. eucalypti is confused by the fact that it is phylogenetically unrelated to the type species of Cryptosporiopsis (Cryptosporiopsis nigra = C. scutellata, Helotiales). The aim of this study was to resolve the taxonomic position of C. eucalypti based on morphology and phylogenetic inference. Thirty-two Eucalyptus leaf samples with symptoms typical of C. eucalypti infection were collected from 10 tropical and temperate countries across four continents. Cultures were established from single conidia, as well as from ascospores of a previously unreported teleomorph state. DNA sequences were obtained for the 28 S nrDNA, the internal transcribed spacers of the nrDNA operon, and beta-tubulin regions to determine generic and species-level relationships. DNA-sequence analysis showed that conidial and ascospore isolates of C. eucalypti have low intraspecific variation, although two collections from Australia and one from Uruguay represented two novel taxa. Based on the newly collected teleomorph stage, as well as the phylogenetic data, C. eucalypti is shown to represent a new genus closely related to Plagiostoma (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales) for which the names Pseudoplagiostoma gen. nov. and Pseudoplagiostomaceae fam. nov. (Diaporthales) are introduced. Two new species of Cryptosporiopsis (Dermateaceae, Helotiales) on Eucalyptus from Australia and California (USA) are also described

Species of Mycosphaerella and related anamorphs on Eucalyptus leaves from Thailand

Species of Mycosphaerella and their related anamorphs represent potentially serious foliar pathogens of Eucalyptus. The fungi treated in the present study were isolated from symptomatic Eucalyptus leaves collected in Thailand during June–October 2007. Species were initially identified based on morphological and cultural characteristics. Identifications were confirmed using comparisons of DNA sequence data of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1, 5.8S nrDNA, ITS2) and the 28S nrDNA (LSU) regions. To help distinguish species of Pseudocercospora, the dataset was expanded by generating partial sequences of the translation elongation factor 1-α and actin genes. By integrating the morphological and molecular datasets, five new taxa were distinguished, namely Mycosphaerella irregulari, M. pseudomarksii, M. quasiparkii, Penidiella eucalypti and Pseudocercospora chiangmaiensis, while M. vietnamensis represents a new record for Thailand

Multi-locus phylogeny of Pleosporales: a taxonomic, ecological and evolutionary re-evaluation

Five loci, nucSSU, nucLSU rDNA, TEF1, RPB1 and RPB2, are used for analysing 129 pleosporalean taxa representing 59 genera and 15 families in the current classification of Pleosporales. The suborder Pleosporineae is emended to include four families, viz. Didymellaceae, Leptosphaeriaceae, Phaeosphaeriaceae and Pleosporaceae. In addition, two new families are introduced, i.e. Amniculicolaceae and Lentitheciaceae. Pleomassariaceae is treated as a synonym of Melanommataceae, and new circumscriptions of Lophiostomataceae s. str, Massarinaceae and Lophiotrema are proposed. Familial positions of Entodesmium and Setomelanomma in Phaeosphaeriaceae, Neophaeosphaeria in Leptosphaeriaceae, Leptosphaerulina, Macroventuria and Platychora in Didymellaceae, Pleomassaria in Melanommataceae and Bimuria, Didymocrea, Karstenula and Paraphaeosphaeria in Montagnulaceae are clarified. Both ecological and morphological characters show varying degrees of phylogenetic significance. Pleosporales is most likely derived from a saprobic ancestor with fissitunicate asci containing conspicuous ocular chambers and apical rings. Nutritional shifts in Pleosporales likely occured from saprotrophic to hemibiotrophic or biotrophic

Preliminary Survey of Conidial Fungi in Weligama Mangrove Forest Indicates Higher Micro-Flora Diversity

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 Lank

Microcyclospora and Microcyclosporella: novel genera accommodating epiphytic fungi causing sooty blotch on apple

Recent studies have found a wide range of ascomycetes to be associated with sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) blemishes on the surfaces of pomaceous fruits, specifically apples. Based on collections of such fungi from apple orchards in Germany and Slovenia we introduce two novel genera according to analyses of morphological characters and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences (large subunit and internal transcribed spacer regions). Microcyclosporella is represented by a single species, M. mali, and is presently known from Germany and Slovenia. Microcyclosporella is Pseudocercosporella-like in morphology, but genetically and morphologically distinct from Pseudocercosporella s.str., for which an epitype is designated based on a fresh collection of P. bakeri from Laos. Furthermore, Pseudocercosporella is shown to be paraphyletic within the Capnodiales. Microcyclospora gen. nov. is Pseudocercospora-like in morphology, but is genetically and morphologically distinct from Pseudocercospora s.str., which is based on P. vitis. Three species, Microcyclospora malicola, M. pomicola (both collected in Germany), and M. tardicrescens (collected in Slovenia) are described. Finally, a new species of Devriesia, D. pseudoamericana, is described from pome fruit surfaces collected in Germany. Devriesia is shown to be paraphyletic, and to represent several lineages of which only Devriesia s.str. is thermotolerant. Further collections are required, however, before the latter generic complex can be resolved