Herpotrichia xiaokongense 2021

Herpotrichia xiaokongense G.C. Ren & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov.2021

MycoBank Index Fungorum number: IF558482; Facesoffungi number: FoF 09902

Holotype: HKAS 112726.

Morphological description

Sexual morph：Ascomata 340–500 μm high, 270–480 μm diameter (x̅= 390 × 330 μm, n = 5), immersed or superficial, black, coriaceous, globose to oval, with brown, septate tomentum, rounded apex broadly cap-like, opening by broad pore. Peridium 29–44 μm (x̅= 37.7 μm, n = 10) thick at the base and both sides, 15–24 μm (x̅= 17.5 μm, n = 10) thick at apex light brown to brown, composed of 2–5 layers of thick-walled cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising 2.5–3.5 μm wide, sparse, septate, branched pseudoparaphyses, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 100–155 × 12–17 μm (x̅= 133.5 × 14.3 μm, n =15), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, clavate to cylindrical, pedicellate rounded with an ocular chamber. 1117 Ascospores 31–41 × 4.5–7 μm (x̅= 38.1 × 5.5 μm, n = 30), uni-seriate or overlapping bi-seriate, hyaline, fusoid with narrowly rounded ends, 1-septate, straight to slightly curved, constricted at the septum, with large guttules, surrounded by an expanded gelatinous sheath.  

Asexual morphs: 

Cultures: Colonies on PDA, reaching 20–30 mm diam, after one week at 20–25°C, circular, white, crenate margins, fluffy, reverse white.

Habitat: on dead wood of Prunus sp. (Rosaceae).

Distribution: China, Yunnan Province, Kunming City, Xiaokong Mountain.

Notes: Herpotrichia xiaokongense is introduced as a new species based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses. Herpotrichia xiaokongense is distinct from extant species in Melanommataceae and formed a sister clade to H. macrotricha with 100% ML, 1.00 PP bootstrap support (Fig. 10). Herpotrichia xiaokongense is similar to H. macrotricha in having broad cap-like ascomatal apex with a thick inner layer of hyaline pseudoparenchymatous cells (Mugambi & Huhndorf 2009). However, Herpotrichia xiaokongense differs from H. macrotricha in having 1-septate, hyaline ascospores with an expanded gelatinous sheath, while H. macrotricha has 1–(3–5)-septate, hyaline to brown ascospores with narrow sheath often elongate over tips (Barr 1984, Chen & Hsieh 2004, Tanaka & Hosoya 2006).

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

Herpotrichia xiaokongense (HKAS 112726, holotype). a, b Appearance of ascomata on the host surface. c Vertical section through ascoma. d Tomentum. e, f Peridium. g Pseudoparaphyses. h–k Asci. l–p Ascospores with visible mucilaginous sheath. q Ascospore stained in Indian ink to show the mucilaginous sheath. r Germinated ascospore. s, t Culture 1119characters on PDA after one week (s = from above, t = from below). Scale bars: c = 100 μm, d = 20 μm, e = 40 μm, f = 50 μm, g = 15 μm, h–k = 50 μm, l–r = 20 μm, s, t =15 mm.