Joost A. Stalpers

A without-prejudice list of generic names of fungi for protection under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants

As a first step towards the production of a List of Protected Generic Names for Fungi, a without-prejudice list is presented here as a basis for future discussion and the production of a List for formal adoption. We include 6995 generic names out of the 17072 validly published names proposed for fungi and invite comments from all interested mycologists by 31 March 2014. The selection of names for inclusion takes note of recent major publications on different groups of fungi, and further the decisions reached so far by international working groups concerned with particular families or genera. Changes will be sought in the Code to provide for this and lists at other ranks to be protected against any competing unlisted names, and to permit the inclusion of names of lichen-forming fungi. A revised draft will be made available for further discussion at the 10th International Mycological Congress in Bangkok in August 2014. A schedule is suggested for the steps needed to produce a list for adoption by the International Botanical Congress in August 2017. This initiative provides mycologists with an opportunity to place nomenclature at the generic level on a more secure and stable base.

MycoBank gearing up for new horizons.

MycoBank, a registration system for fungi established in 2004 to capture all taxonomic novelties, acts as a coordination hub between repositories such as Index Fungorum and Fungal Names. Since January 2013, registration of fungal names is a mandatory requirement for valid publication under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (ICN). This review explains the database innovations that have been implemented over the past few years, and discusses new features such as advanced queries, registration of typification events (MBT numbers for lecto, epi- and neotypes), the multi-lingual database interface, the nomenclature discussion forum, annotation system, and web services with links to third parties. MycoBank has also introduced novel identification services, linking DNA sequence data to numerous related databases to enable intelligent search queries. Although MycoBank fills an important void for taxon registration, challenges for the future remain to improve links between taxonomic names and DNA data, and to also introduce a formal system for naming fungi known from DNA sequence data only. To further improve the quality of MycoBank data, remote access will now allow registered mycologists to act as MycoBank curators, using Citrix software.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 281-319.

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from South Africa: Alanphillipsia aloeicola from Aloe sp., Arxiella dolichandrae from Dolichandra unguiscati, Ganoderma austroafricanum from Jacaranda mimosifolia, Phacidiella podocarpi and Phaeosphaeria podocarpi from Podocarpus latifolius, Phyllosticta mimusopisicola from Mimusops zeyheri and Sphaerulina pelargonii from Pelargonium sp. Furthermore, Barssia maroccana is described from Cedrus atlantica (Morocco), Codinaea pini from Pinus patula (Uganda), Crucellisporiopsis marquesiae from Marquesia acuminata (Zambia), Dinemasporium ipomoeae from Ipomoea pes-caprae (Vietnam), Diaporthe phragmitis from Phragmites australis (China), Marasmius vladimirii from leaf litter (India), Melanconium hedericola from Hedera helix (Spain), Pluteus albotomentosus and Pluteus extremiorientalis from a mixed forest (Russia), Rachicladosporium eucalypti from Eucalyptus globulus (Ethiopia), Sistotrema epiphyllum from dead leaves of Fagus sylvatica in a forest (The Netherlands), Stagonospora chrysopyla from Scirpus microcarpus (USA) and Trichomerium dioscoreae from Dioscorea sp. (Japan). Novel species from Australia include: Corynespora endiandrae from Endiandra introrsa, Gonatophragmium triuniae from Triunia youngiana, Penicillium coccotrypicola from Archontophoenix cunninghamiana and Phytophthora moyootj from soil. Novelties from Iran include Neocamarosporium chichastianum from soil and Seimatosporium pistaciae from Pistacia vera. Xenosonderhenia eucalypti and Zasmidium eucalyptigenum are newly described from Eucalyptus urophylla in Indonesia. Diaporthe acaciarum and Roussoella acacia are newly described from Acacia tortilis in Tanzania. New species from Italy include Comoclathris spartii from Spartium junceum and Phoma tamaricicola from Tamarix gallica. Novel genera include (Ascomycetes): Acremoniopsis from forest soil and Collarina from water sediments (Spain), Phellinocrescentia from a Phellinus sp. (French Guiana), Neobambusicola from Strelitzia nicolai (South Africa), Neocladophialophora from Quercus robur (Germany), Neophysalospora from Corymbia henryi (Mozambique) and Xenophaeosphaeria from Grewia sp. (Tanzania). Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.

FREEZE-DRYING OF FUNGAL HYPHAE

Methods of long-term preservation in which metabolism is inhibited during storage are preferable to maintenance on agar slants. The last mentioned method is laborious because regular transfers onto fresh media are required. In addition, repeatedly subcultured strains may undergo mutations. Current methods for long-term preservation are freeze-drying and preservation at temperatures below 130 C. Cryopreservation methods give high survival rates and are universally applicable. However, some disadvantages are encountered. Methods using nitrogen are rather expensive. Regular supply of liquid nitrogen is not always guaranteed. The dependence of ultra-deep freezers on electricity may be problematic in developing countries. Organisms must be dispatched under frozen conditions or activated before transport. Freeze-drying is a good alternative. Ampoules can be stored easily in dense packing without any special requirements. Cultures need not be revived on agar slants prior to dispatch. The product is light, inactive and dry, enabling easy distribution by mail. However, so far only conidia or spores can be freeze-dried successfully. Most attempts to revitalize dehydrated hyphae have failed, except for some successes reported for vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Tommerup, 1988), Claviceps (Pertot et al., 1977) and some Basidiomycetes (Bazzigher, 1962). Previous studies have shown that the survival rate of frozen fungal cells increases considerably when cells are cooled at a rate of1 C/min (Mazur et al., 1972; Hwang et al., 1976; Grout and Morris, 1987). Several authors have stressed the beneficial effect of trehalose (Crowe et al., 1984, 1990; van Laere, 1990; Wiemken, 1990). Addition of peptides to the resuscitation medium is aimed to improve recovery (MacLeod and Calcott, 1976). After optimization of these parameters, hyphae of a test series of Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes were freeze-dried. Trehalose was added to the growth medium rather than to the protectant to allow absorption by the cell. Absorption would result in protection of cellular membranes as well as membranes of organelles.

Studies in Perenniporia: Polyporus unitus, Boletus medulla-panis, the nomenclature of Perenniporia, Poria and Physisporus, and a note on European Perenniporia with a resupinate basidiome

The status and identities of Polyporus unitus, type of Perenniporia Murrill, of Boletus medulla-panis, their supposed synonymy, and the nomenclatural status of Perenniporia, Poria, and Physisporus are discussed. It is demonstrated, based on the study of its type, that Pol. unitus is not a synonym of B. medulla-panis even in the historically wider context than that recognised here. Although not precisely identifiable, the type of Pol. unitus does not belong to Perenniporia in its current sense, which is based on B. medulla-panis. Poria Pers. and Physisporus Chevall. are discussed as possible generic names for B. medulla-panis and related taxa. However, in view of the need for nomenclatural stability, it is proposed to maintain Perenniporia as currently accepted, with B. medulla-panis as conserved type. This name is epitypified and Perenniporia medulla-panis redefined. Based on a study of European specimens, two species are recognized within the historical circumscription of P. medulla-panis, Perenniporia meridionalis being described as new. Both species are compared with other European taxa with resupinate basidiomes and a key to all these taxa is presented.

Field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy of septal pore caps of selected species in the Rhizoctonia s. l. complex

Techniques of freeze-fracturing and cyto- plasmic maceration were combined to reveal the sep- tal pore cap in some members of the Rhizoctonia s.l. complex by the use of field emission gun-scanning

The taxonomic position of Asterodon, Asterostroma and Coltricia inferred from the septal pore cap ultrastructure

The ultrastructure of the septal pore cap (SPC) of Asterodon, Asterostroma and Coltricia were examined to establish the taxonomic position of these genera. Asterostroma has dolipores with perforate SPCs and is classified in the Lachnocladiaceae. In contrast, Asterodon and Coltricia have dolipores with imperforate SPCs and belong to the Hymenochaetaceae. Other selected species of genera belonging to the Hymenochaetaceae like Hydnochaete, Coltriciella, Inonotus, Onnia, and Cyclomyces also contained imperforate SPCs. Coltriciella, Inonotus and Cyclomyces moreover presented a lamella of endoplasmic reticulum above the imperforate SPC after chemical fixation. Such a lamella could rarely be observed in Coltricia only after high-pressure freezing and freeze substitution. Cryofixed fungal cells of Cyclomyces and Coltricia showed dierences in the architecture of the matrix of the SPC. Coltricia showed a more layered matrix structure than the SPC of Cyclomyces. In addition, transmission- and scanning electron microscopy revealed an indent in the centre of the imperforate SPC of Cyclomyces, indicating a reduced thickness, and resulting into a tented profile in crosssections.

Microscopical observations on the influence of the cooling rate during freeze-drying of conidia

The behavior of fungal conidia during freeze- drying at various cooling rates was studied microscop- ically. Rates that resulted in osmotic dehydration of the conidia prior to freeze-drying produced the high? est survival. Size as well as wall thickness ofthe conidia proved to be important parameters. Species with thin- walled small conidia dehydrated quickly and, conse- quently, tolerated fast cooling.

Freeze-Drying Fungi Using a Shelf-Freeze Drier

Lyophilization, the removal of water by freezing and then volatilization at low pressure and temperature, has been employed as a standard long-term preservation method for many filamentous fungi. The method outlined involves the use of standard shelf freeze-drying and skimmed milk as a suspending solution/lyoprotectant. This approach has been employed to freeze-dry the majority of the 50,000 fungal strains that have been successfully lyophilized at the Centraal bureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) culture collection (http://www.cbs.knaw.nl/).

Proposal to conserve the name Perenniporia against Physisporus with a conserved type (Basidiomycota)

Decock & Stalpers discuss the current taxonomic situation in Perenniporia and the subsequent nomenclatural problems in detail. The current lectotype of Perenniporia, Polyporus unitus Pers., long considered to be identical with Boletus medulla-panis Jacq., is neither conspecific nor congeneric with the latter. Hence the current, well-known concept of Perenniporia, developed around Perenniporia medulla-panis (Jacq. : Fr.) Donk, does not include the actual type of the generic name.