Hong-Yan Su

Towards a natural classification of Astrosphaeriella-like species; introducing Astrosphaeriellaceae and Pseudoastrosphaeriellaceae fam. nov and Astrosphaeriellopsis, gen. nov.

Astrosphaeriella sensu lato is a common genus occurring on bamboo, palms and stout grasses. Species of Astrosphaeriella have been collected from various countries in tropical, subtropical or temperate regions. In Asia, species have been collected in Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines and Vietnam. There have been several morphological studies on Astrosphaeriella, but molecular work and phylogenetic analyses are generally lacking. Taxa included in Astrosphaeriella were characterized in three main groups 1) typical Astrosphaeriella species (sensu stricto) having carbonaceous, erumpent, conical ascostromata 2) atypical Astrosphaeriella species (sensu lato) having immersed, coriaceous ascostromata with short to long papilla and 3) lophiostoma-like species having immersed ascostromata with slit-like openings. Some of the latter Astrosphaeriella species, having slit-like openings, have been transferred to Fissuroma and Rimora in Aigialaceae. In this study five type specimens of Astrosphaeriella were loaned from herbaria worldwide and re-examined and are re-described and illustrated. Collections of Astrosphaeriella were also made in Thailand and morphologically examined. Pure cultures were obtained from single spores and used in molecular studies. The asexual morph was induced on sterile bamboo pieces placed on water agar. Phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, SSU and TEF1 sequence data of astrosphaeriella-like species using Bayesian, Maximum parsimony (MP) and Randomized Accelerated Maximum Likelihood (RAxML) analyses were carried out. Phylogenetic analyses show that species of Astrosphaeriella can be distinguished in at least three families. Species of Astrosphaeriellasensu stricto with erumpent, carbonaceous ascostromata, form a strongly supported clade with Pteridiospora species and a new family, Astrosphaeriellaceae, is introduced to accommodate these taxa. The genera are revised and Astrosphaeriella bambusae, A. neofusispora, A. neostellata, A. thailandica, A. thysanolaenae and Pteridiospora chiangraiensis are introduced as new species. Astrosphaeriella exorrhiza is reported on a dead stem of Thysanolaena maxima and is the first record for Thailand. Reference specimens for A. fusispora and A. tornata are designated to stabilize the taxonomy of Astrosphaeriella. The coelomycetous asexual morph of A. bambusae is reported and forms hyaline, globose to subglobose, aseptate conidia. Species of Astrosphaeriellasensu lato with immersed, coriaceous ascostromata, with short to long papilla and striate ascospores, form a sister clade with Tetraplosphaeriaceae. The genus Pseudoastrosphaeriella is introduced to accommodate some of these taxa with three new species and three new combinations, viz. P. aequatoriensis, P. africana, P. bambusae, P. longicolla, P. papillata and P. thailandensis. A new family Pseudoastrosphaeriellaceae is introduced to accommodate this presently monotypic lineage comprising Pseudoastrosphaeriella. The asexual morph of P. thailandensis is described. Astrosphaeriella bakeriana forms a distinct clade basal to Aigialaceae. Astrosphaeriella bakeriana is excluded from Astrosphaeriella and a new genus Astrosphaeriellopsis, placed in Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis, is introduced to accommodate this taxon. Fissuroma aggregata (Aigialaceae) is re-visited and is shown to be a cryptic species. Three new species of Fissuroma and a new combination are introduced based on morphology and phylogeny viz. F. bambusae, F. fissuristoma, F. neoaggregata and F. thailandicum. The asexual morph of Fissuroma bambusae is also reported.

The families Distoseptisporaceae fam. nov., Kirschsteiniotheliaceae, Sporormiaceae and Torulaceae, with new species from freshwater in Yunnan Province, China

During a north–south latitudinal survey of aquatic fungi on submerged wood and herbaceous material in streams in the Asian region, we collected several hyphomycetous taxa. This paper is part of a series where we provide illustrated accounts of these taxa and place them in a natural classification in the fungi. DNA sequence based phylogenies in recent literature have shown that Dendryphion, Sporidesmium and Torula-like species are polyphyletic in the phylum Ascomycota and their taxonomyhas been problematic due to a lack of understanding of the importance of morphological characters used to delimit taxa, as well as the lack of ex-type or reference strains. Based on multi-locus phylogenies together with morphology, we propose the novel family Distoseptisporaceae (Sordariomycetes) and three novel genera Neotorula (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes), Distoseptispora (Sordariomycetes) and Pseudosporidesmium (Sordariomycetes). In addition, Dendryphion aquaticum, D. submersum, Distoseptispora fluminicola, D. aquatica, Kirschsteiniothelia submersa, Neotorula aquatica, Sporidesmium aquaticum, S. submersum and S. fluminicola are introduced as new species. Pseudosporidesmium knawiae comb. nov. is proposed to accommodate Sporidesmium knawiae in Sordariomycetes. The polyphyletic nature of Dendryphion, Sporidesmium and Torula-like species are partially resolved, but further sampling with fresh collections and molecular data of species are needed to obtain a natural classification.

Molecular Phylogeny and Morphological Characterization of Asexual Fungi (Tubeufiaceae) from Freshwater Habitats in Yunnan, China

Abstract The diversity of lignicolous freshwater fungi along a north-south latitudinal gradient are currently being studied in Asia. In this paper, we report on 18 collections of asexual morphs of Tubeufiaceae from submerged wood in rivers, streams and a lake in Yunnan Province, China. Taxa are characterized based on morphological characters and analyses of ITS, LSU and TEF1α sequence data. The new genera, Muripulchra with a single species, M. aquatica and Neohelicomyces with three new taxa (N. aquaticus, N. grandisporus, N. submersus) are introduced. Muripulchra is characterized by micronematous conidiophores and obpyriform, septate to muriform conidia. Neohelicomyces is characterized macronematous conidiophores and multi-septate, helicoid conidia. Tubeufia aquatica is introduced as a new species and its phylogenetic relationships with other taxa is discussed. The phylogenetic analyses of a concatenated ITS, LSU and TEF1α dataset place all collections in the family Tubeufiaceae (Tubeufiales) and provide evidence to support the establishment of our new taxa. The asexual morph of Tubeufia cylindrothecia, the type species of Helicomyces (H. roseus) are described herein, phylogenetic relationships assessed and reference specimens are given for these two species. Descriptions and illustrations for the new genera and species are provided with notes on their taxonomy and phylogeny.

Dactylella qiluensis, a New Species of Aquatic Hyphomycete from China

Abstract A new Dactylella species lacking nematode-trapping devices was isolated from submerged wood during a survey of aquatic fungi in Qilu Lake, Yuxi, Yunnan province, China. Conidiophores are long and repetitive branched, forming 1–3 short conidia in sympodial arrangement at the apex. Conidia are commonly elongated fusoid, rostrate, slightly inflated at the middle, straight or curved, 5–9 septate, tapering evenly towards base, end cell elongate, tapering to a point at the distal, 88.9–143.1(120.8) × 8.2–11.2(9.9) µm, end cell long 22.4–40.2 µm. The new species is introduced, characterized and illustrated in this paper.

Morphological and molecular taxonomy of novel species Pleurotheciaceae from freshwater habitats in Yunnan, China

The diversity of lignicolous freshwater fungi of the Greater Mekong Subregion are currently being studied. In this paper, 18 fresh collections of Pleurotheciaceae from submerged wood in freshwater are characterized based on morphological characters and analyses of ITS, LSU, SSU and RPB2 sequence data. Six new species of Pleurotheciella (P. aquatica, P. fusiformis, P. guttulata, P. lunata, P. saprophytica, P. submersa), one new Phaeoisaria species (Ph. aquatica) and one new Pleurothecium species (Pl. aquaticum) are introduced based on their distinct morphology and evidence from molecular phylogeny. Pleurotheciella uniseptata, Phaeoisaria clematidis and Pleurothecium pulneyense are also redescribed and phylogenetic relationships assessed herein, these species are the first records for China.

Sporoschisma from submerged wood in Yunnan, China

We are studying the lignicolous freshwater fungi along a north–south latitudinal gradient in Asia. In this paper, fresh collections of Sporoschisma from submerged wood in Yunnan Province, China, are characterized by morphology and ITS and nuclear large subunit 28S rDNA sequences. The phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS and LSU sequence data placed the isolates within the family Chaetosphaeriaceae, order Chaetosphaeriales. The collections were identified as Sporoschisma hemipsilum, S. mirabile, S. nigroseptatum, S. phaeocentron, and S. taitense, while S. mirabile, S. nigroseptatum, S. phaeocentron, and S. taitense are the first records in China. Sporoschisma aquaticum is described as new species. The conidial characters of Sporoschisma species obtained in this study are summarized. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for the six species of Sporoschisma with notes on their taxonomy.