Neolentithecia changchunensis C. Phukhams. & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov. 2021
MycoBank Index Fungorum number: IF558400; Facesoffungi number: FoF 09842
Holotype: HMJAU 58777.
Morphological description
Sexual morph：Ascomata 170–370 × 105–280 μm (x̅= 260 × 195 μm, n = 5), solitary, gregarious, scattered, immersed, black shiny dots visible on the host surface, uniloculate, globose, dark brown to black, coriaceous, papillate, ostiolate. Ostioles 86 × 76 μm, central, black, semi-carbonaceous. Peridium 18–30 µm wide, composed of 9–12 layers of cells arranged in textura angularis, brown to dark brown, inner layer lined with sub-hyaline cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium composed of numerous, 1.6–3.5 µm wide (x̅= 2.3 μm, n = 25), filamentous, cellular pseudoparaphyses, with distinct septa, embedded in a mucilaginous matrix, anastomosing at the apex. Asci 105–152 × 17–24 µm (x̅ = 125 × 20 μm, n = 30), 8-spored, bitunicate, clavate, with furcate pedicel, apically rounded, with well-developed ocular chamber. Ascospores 19–26 × 9–15 µm (x̅= 23 × 12 μm, n = 50), biseriate, partially overlapping, hyaline when young, yellowish-brown at maturity, oval or obovoid, ends rounded, with 3–6 longitudinal eusepta, one-transverse eusepta, with an oblique or longitudinal septum in the first cell from the apex, cell above median septum slightly enlarged, constricted at the septa, smooth-walled, without a mucilaginous sheath.
Asexual morphs:
Cultures: Colonies on PDA reaching 20 mm diameter after 4 weeks at 25°C. Culture from above dense, with aerial white and brown mycelium, umbonate at the centre, circular, cream at the margin, rough, with black mucous on the surface, lobate at the edge, cream at the margin, colony from below white at the centre, radiating cream outwardly.
Habitat: dried twigs of Sorbus sp. (Rosaceae).
Distribution: China, Jilin Province, Changchun District, Jilin Agricultural University.
GenBank Accession: (LSU) MZ518790, (SSU) MZ518820, (ITS) MZ519071, (tef-1) MZ514140 and (rpb2) MZ514139.
Notes: MegaBLAST searches of LSU, ITS and tef-1 sequences in GenBank of strain HMJAU 58777 showed the closest hit was Lentithecium aquaticum (CBS 123099). Neolentithecia changchunensis shows a close affinity to Lentithecium aquaticum (Fig. 6). Based on the distinct morphological traits and phylogeny, N. changchunensis is introduced as a new species. As L. aquaticum did not cluster within the clade of the type species of Lentithecium, thus fresh collections are required to verify the phylogenetic affiliation of L. aquaticum.
Reference: Hyde KD, Suwannarach N, Jayawardena RS, Manawasinghe IS, Liao CF, Doilom M, Cai L, Zhao P, Buyck B, Phukhamsakda C, Su WX, Fu YP, Li Y, Zhao RL, He MQ, Li JX, Tibpromma S, Lu L, Tang X, Kang JC, Ren GC, Gui H, Hofstetter V, Ryoo R, Antonín V, Hurdeal VG, Gentikaki E, Zhang JY, Lu YZ, Senanayake IC, Yu FM, Zhao Q, Bao DF 2021 – Mycosphere notes 325-344 – Novel species and records of fungal taxa from around the world. Mycosphere 12(1), 1101–1156, Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/12/1/14
Neolentithecia changchunensis (HMJAU 58777, holotype). a, b Ascomata scattered on the surface of Sorbus sp. c Section through ascoma. d Peridium. e Pseudoparaphyses. f–h Asci. i–l Ascospores. m Germinated ascospores. n, o Culture characters on PDA. Scale bars: b = 500 μm, c = 200 μm, d–h = 50 μm, i–l = 20 μm.
