Seppo Huhtinen

Multiple origins of symbioses between ascomycetes and bryophytes suggested by a five-gene phylogeny

Numerous species of microscopic fungi inhabit mosses and hepatics. They are severely overlooked and their identity and nutritional strategies are mostly unknown. Most of these bryosymbiotic fungi belong to the Ascomycota. Their fruit‐bodies are extremely small, often reduced and simply structured, which is why they cannot be reliably identified and classified by their morphological and anatomical characters. A phylogenetic hypothesis of bryosymbiotic ascomycetes is presented. New sequences of 78 samples, including 61 bryosymbionts, were produced, the total amount of terminals being 206. Of these, 202 are Ascomycetes. Sequences from the following five gene loci were used: rDNA SSU, rDNA LSU, RPB2, mitochondrial rDNA SSU, and rDNA 5.8S. The program TNT was used for tree search and support value estimation. We show that bryosymbiotic fungi occur in numerous lineages, one of which represents a newly discovered lineage among the Ascomycota and exhibits a tripartite association with cyanobacteria and sphagna. A new genus Trizodia is proposed for this basal clade. Our results demonstrate that even highly specialized life strategies can be adopted multiple times during evolution, and that in many cases bryosymbionts appear to have evolved from saprobic ancestors.

Hymenoscyphus ericae : a new record from western Canada

The teleomorphic state of the ericoid mycorrhizal Hymenoscyphus ericae is known only from the type deposition. The production of both the teleomorph and anamorph by an isolate recovered from Ledum groenlandicum collected in an acidic peatland in Alberta, Canada, provided an opportunity to describe and illustrate the holomorph for a North American collection as a new record and as a supplement to the original diagnosis. It also provided further evidence that Hymenoscyphus ericae and Scytalidium vaccinii represent states of a single species, a hypothesis that previously had been tested using nuclear ribosomal DNA analysis. Appropriate cultural conditions and the use of molecular markers are advocated in order to facilitate the identification of mycorrhizal isolates which often remain sterile in pure culture.

Puttea, gen. nov., erected for the enigmatic lichen Lecidea margaritella

Abstract A new genus Puttea S. Stenroos & Huhtinen is described for the lichen species formerly known as Fellhanera margaritella (Hulting) Hafellner. The study was based on phylogenetic analyses of the mtSSU as well as on anatomical and ecological investigations. Puttea is characterized by its inconspicuous thallus, gelatinized exipulum of radiating hyphae, hemiamyloid asci of the Psora-type arising from croziers, non-septate spores and a crystalline layer covering the hymenium and excipulum. The currently monospecific genus grows almost exclusively on the liverwort Ptilidium pulcherrimum and has so far been reported from Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. The taxonomic position of Puttea could not be reliably assessed but in the present analyses it appears, together with Lecidea hypopta, in a clade comprising the Sphaerophoraceae, Psoraceae, Ramalinaceae and Pilocarpaceae.

New Svalbard Fungi

A list of 25 higher fungi is presented from Svalbard (Norway), mostly with detailed descriptions and illustrations. A new genus, Polaroscyphus, is described for a hyaloscyphaceous taxon with rounded ascus apices and disarticulating spores. An undescribed, large spored taxon of Conocybe, belonging to the C. pubescensgroup, is briefly treated. Two collections of Marasmius kallioneusare reported. Brown spores are shown to be a character present in Hyaloscyphaceae. This specimen is conspecific with Psilocistella obsoleta (Vel. )Svrcek, the type of which is shown to have juvenile apothecia only. Most of the material is reported for the first time from Svalbard and many are new to the Arctic. Other species in the list are: Helvella pocillumHarmaja, Leucoscypha hetieri(Boud. ) Rifai, Octospora humosa(Fr.: Fr. ) Dennis, O. melina(Vel. ) Dennis & Itzerott, O. moraveciiKhare, Scutellinia minor(Vel. ) Svrcek, Ciboria polygoni-vivipariEckbl., Crocicreas culmicola(Desm. ) Carpenter, C. cyathoideum(Bull.) Carpenter var. cacaliae(Pers. ) Carpenter, Cudoniella clavus(Alb. & Schw.: Fr.) Dennis, Psilachnum acutum(Vel. ) Svrcek, P. inquilinum(Karst.) Dennis, Trichopezizella nidulus(Schmidt & Kuntze: Fr. ) Raitv. var. hystriculaKarst., Bolbitiuscf. variicolorAtk., Conocybe magnicapitataOrton, Flagelloscypha kavinae (Pilat) W.B. Cooke, Inocybe praetervisa Quel., I. leucoblemaKuhner, Melanoleuca cognata(Fr. ) Konr. & Maubl., Rickenella fibula(Bull.: Fr. ) Raith., and Typhula culmigena(Mont. & Fr.) Berthier.

Observations on two glassy-haired lichenicolous discomycetes

Two lichenicolous species are discussed: the recently described Unguiculariopsis nephromae, which occurs on Nephroma species in Canada, Fennoscandia, North America and Russia, is combined into Protounguicularia ;a ndHyalopeziza rapax sp. nov. is described from Pseudocyphellaria crocata in Alaska. In discussing generic placements, it is concluded that the species now known as Olla transiens is better accommodated in Protounguicularia and the species is combined into that genus. Attention is drawn to variability in general appearance of P. nephromatis, particularly the occurrence of both superficial and erumpent apothecia in the same species.

Hyaloscyphaceae in Japan (7): Hyaloscypha albohyalina var. monodictys var. nov.

Abstract Hyaloscypha albohyalina var. monodictys, a new variety in the family Hyaloscyphaceae, Helotiales with Monodictys anamorph is described and illustrated.

New resinicolous Chaenothecopsis species from China

Four new resinicolous species of Chaenothecopsis are described from China: Chaenothecopsis perforata from exudate of Rhus chinensis (Anacardiaceae), C. pallida from exudate of Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae), C. resinophila from exudate of Kalopanax septemlobus (Araliaceae) and C. hunanensis from resin of Pinus massoniana (Pinaceae). All the new species are compared with previously described resinicolous mycocalicioid taxa, and several new features in these species are presented. The newly described species cannot always be distinguished by any single character, but they all possess unique combinations of morphological, chemical and ecological features. Several aspects in the ecology and evolution of boreal and tropical resinicolous species are briefly discussed.

Multilocus phylogenetic and coalescent-based methods reveal dilemma in generic limits, cryptic species, and a prevalent intercontinental disjunct distribution in Geopyxis (Pyronemataceae s. l., Pezizomycetes)

Abstract Species limits in the small genus Geopyxis are debatable because of problems with interpreting the few phenotypic features and poor documentation of types. To clarify species boundaries and diversity, we studied the morphology of 74 specimens of Geopyxis from the Northern Hemisphere, including five types, and sequenced four loci for 57 representatives: the nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS), D1-D2 domains of nuc 28S rDNA (28S), translation elongation factor (tef1), and (or) part of the second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase II (rpb2) (5–7 region). Eight species are delimited. Six species are shown to be highly supported as reciprocally monophyletic: G. aleurioides sp. nov., G. alpina s. l., G. carbonaria, G. delectans, G. korfii, and G. majalis. In addition, coalescent-based Bayesian species delimitation shows G. alpina s. l. constitutes three cryptic species: G. alpina s. str., G. deceptiva sp. nov., and G. rehmii. ITS-28S sequences of type material show that G. vulcanalis and G. foetida are synonyms of G. carbonaria. A lectotype is designated for Humaria delectans and the name is combined in Geopyxis. Morphological characters that can be used to distinguish Geopyxis species are presence/absence of a long stipe, spore size and shape, and pigmented resinous exudates in medullary and ectal excipulum. Geopyxis carbonaria and G. delectans produce apothecia almost exclusively on burned ground. Bayesian analyses detected highly supported conflicts among different loci regarding generic delimitation and species relationships. Two hypogeous genera, Stephensia and Hydnocystis, are confirmed to nest within Geopyxis. The relationships between species of Geopyxis and Tarzetta, Stephensia shanorii and Paurocotylis pila, are unresolved. Six out of eight species of Geopyxis recognized in this study have intercontinental disjunct distributions.

Coccocarpia melloniorum (Ascomycota: Peltigerales), a new lichen discovered through the Global Plants Initiative project

Abstract The new foliicolous lichen Coccocarpia melloniorum Lücking from the Philippines is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to C. epiphylla but differs in the formation of disc-shaped isidia and dark rhizines. The species was discovered as part of a type digitization project through the Global Plant Initiative (GPI), as part of a syntype collection of Leptogium phyllogenum f. subsinuatum Vain.

Three common bryophilous fungi with meristematic anamorphs and phylogenetic alliance to Teratosphaeriaceae, Capnodiales.

Bryophilous ascomycetes are an overlooked and poorly known fungal group. In this study, the extreme and small-sized niche of Polytrichum piliferum hyaline leaf tips was screened for the presence of these fungi in Finland. Three closely related species were found. Bryochiton perpusillus and Bryochiton monascus were identified from several samples, and DNA isolations revealed a third closely related species, Bryochiton sp. In addition, melanised hyphae, typical to the Bryochiton species, were present in all the samples. According to phylogenetic analyses consisting of combined small subunit (SSU), large subunit (LSU), and 5.8S rDNA sequences, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences, the species showed affinity with Teratosphaeriaceae within Capnodiales, and especially with black, meristematic species often inhabiting rock substrate in extreme environments. The connection was supported by meristematic growth of the Bryochiton species in culture. Bryochiton is the second sexual genus associated within the family Teratosphaeriaceae, and B. perpusillus, and B. monascus constitute examples of teleomorphs within a group of meristematic anamorphs. These findings emphasize the multiform diversity underlying poorly researched fungal groups, such as the bryophilous fungi.