Etymology. Name reflects the host genus Sansevieria, from which the species was isolated.

Classification — Stachybotriaceae, Hypocreales, Sordariomycetes.

Conidiophores simple, macronematous, mononematous, single or in groups, mostly unbranched, erect, straight to slightly flexuous, 1–3-septate, smooth, hyaline, 40–70 × 3–5 μm, bearing a whorl of 3–8 phialides. Phialides terminal, clavate to broadly reniform or subcylindrical, hyaline, becoming pale brown, 10–15 × 4–5 μm, smooth with conspicuous collarettes. Conidia acrogenous, aggregated in slimy masses, aseptate, globose to ellipsoid with truncate hilum, 3 μm diam, smooth, 7–9 × 6–8 μm (av. 8 × 7 μm), containing one or two guttules.

Culture characteristics — Colonies spreading, erumpent, with sparse aerial mycelium on OA and PDA, but with fluffy aerial mycelium on MEA, margin smooth, lobate, and surface folded. On MEA surface dirty white, reverse sienna in centre, orange in outer region. On PDA surface dirty white with luteous pigment, similar in reverse. On OA dirty white.

Typus. TANZANIA, Olduvai Gorge, on leaves of Sansevieria ehrenbergii (Asparagaceae), Feb. 2014, M.J. Wingfield (holotype CBS H-22220, culture ex-type CPC 24316 = CBS 138872; ITS sequence GenBank KR476717, LSU sequence GenBank KR476752, TEF sequence GenBank KR476793, TUB sequence GenBank KR476794, MycoBank MB812416); CPC 24317.

Notes — Stachybotrys sansevieriicola is closely related to S. theobromae, a species easily differentiated by its black, ovate to limoniform conidia (Hansford 1943). However, the conidia of S. sansevieriicola are much smaller than those of S. theobromae (21–28 × 15–18 μm). Another species, S. sansevieriae, has been reported from decayed leaves of Sansevieria roxburghiana in India, and is characterised by ellipsoid or boat-shaped, dark brown conidia (Ellis 1976), distinct from S. sansevieriicola.

Open in a separate window

Single most parsimonious tree (TL = 523, CI = 0.704, RI = 0.635, RC = 0.447) obtained from a heuristic search with 1 000 random addition sequences of the internal transcribed spacer and intervening 5.8S (ITS) gene regions. Scale bar shows 20 changes and bootstrap support values (1 000 repetitions) are shown at the nodes. The species described here is indicated in bold face. The tree was rooted to Fusarium sambucinum.

Colour illustrations. Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania; symptomatic leaf, colony, conidiophores and conidia. Scale bars = 10 μm.

Etymology. Name reflects the host genus Grevillea, from which the species was isolated.

Classification — Phacidiaceae, Phacidiales, Leotiomycetes.

Conidiomata stromatic, pycnidioid, scattered, black, subepidermal, multiloculate, up to 400 μm diam, with papillate ostioles. Conidiophores arising from inner layers of cavity, subcylindrical, hyaline, smooth but pale brown at base, extensively branched, 2–7-septate, 15–35 × 3–4 μm, invested in mucus. Conidiogenous cells integrated, subcylindrical with prominent periclinal thickening or percurrent proliferation, hyaline, smooth, 5–8 × 2–3 μm. Conidia hyaline, smooth, granular, subcylindrical, tapering at both ends, apex subobtuse, base truncate, hilum 1–2 μm diam, bearing a funnel-shaped mucoid appendage, (15–)17–19(–22) × (2.5–)3 μm.

Culture characteristics — Colonies spreading, covering dish after 1 mo at 25 °C, lacking aerial mycelium, with feathery margins. On PDA surface hazel, with patches of honey; isabelline in reverse. On OA mouse grey. On MEA surface vinaceous buff, reverse hazel.

Typus. UGANDA, Kabat, on leaves of Grevillea robusta (Proteaceae), Jan. 2014, M.J. Wingfield (holotype CBS H-22221, culture ex-type CPC 24326 = CBS 139892; ITS sequence GenBank KR476718, LSU sequence GenBank KR476753, MycoBank MB812417); CPC 24327.

Notes — Phacidium grevilleae is closely related to a sequence deposited as Ceuthospora pinastri (= Phacidium lacerum) (GenBank FR717225), although its conidia are longer and somewhat narrower than those of P. lacerum (10–18 × 2.5–4 μm) (Crous et al. 2014a), which is a species commonly isolated from needles of Pinus sylvestris in Europe. It is also related to Phacidium pseudophacidioides (conidia 11–13 × 2–2.5 μm), although it has much larger conidia than the latter species (Crous et al. 2014a).

Colour illustrations. Grevillea robusta trees in the background, growing in Uganda; colony, conidiophores and conidia. Scale bar = 10 μm.

Etymology. Name reflects the host genus Eucalyptus, from which the species was isolated.

Classification — Schizoparmeaceae, Diaporthales, Sordariomycetes.

Ascomata perithecial, foliicolous, associated with brown leaf spots. On OA initially pale brown and solitary, becoming aggregated in clusters of up to 15, erumpent to superficial, subglobose, up to 250 μm diam, prominently papillate, dark brown; wall up to 50 μm diam, consisting of three regions, namely a conspicuously scaly to warty outer layer, prominent at the apical part of perithecium, 20–30 μm diam, an intermediate layer of medium brown textura angularis, and an inner layer of thin-walled, flattened hyaline cells; ostiolum central, circular, up to 40 μm diam; ostiolar channel lined with septate, hyaline, thinwalled periphysoids. Asci clavate, 8-spored, bi-seriate, 40–55 × 10–14 μm, with inconspicuous apical apparatus. Ascospores ellipsoidal, hyaline, thin-walled, granular, with terminal mucoid caps or lateral appendages up to 5 μm diam, or ascospore entirely encased in sheath; sheath disappearing with age, and ascospores becoming pale brown and surface appearing roughened (possibly remnants of sheath), (10–)12–13(–14) × (4–)5–6 μm.

Culture characteristics — Colonies spreading, covering dish with moderate aerial mycelium, and lobed, smooth margins. On MEA surface rosy buff, reverse cinnamon. On PDA surface and reverse salmon. On OA surface rosy buff.

Typus. MALAYSIA, Sabah, on leaves of Eucalyptus brassiana (Myrtaceae), May 2014, M.J. Wingfield (holotype CBS H-22222, culture ex-type CPC 24793 = CBS 139893; ITS sequence GenBank KR476725, LSU sequence GenBank KR476760, MycoBank MB812418); CPC 24794.

Notes — Ascospores of P. eucalyptigena are similar in size to those of P. destruens, but ascomata are different in that they are aggregated in clusters, and are conspicuously scaly and warty. Furthermore, ascospores have conspicuous sheaths (even in lactic acid), and are much more prominent than in P. destruens (mounted in water, Samuels et al. 1993), or in lactophenol or lactic acid (Van Niekerk et al. 2004). It appears, therefore, that P. destruens probably resides in a species complex, with P. eucalyptigena representing one of these cryptic lineages.

Colour illustrations. Eucalyptus leaf with primarily Teratosphaeria leaf blotch; ascomata in leaf and in culture; ascomatal wall, asci with ascospores. Scale bars = 10 μm.

Etymology. Name reflects the host genus Acacia, from which the species was isolated.

Classification — Chaetosphaeriaceae, Chaetosphaeriales, Sordariomycetes.

Conidiophores erect, brown, flexuous, smooth, unbranched, arising from superficial mycelium, mononematous, macronematous, cylindrical, 1–3-septate, 30–55 × 3–4 μm. Setae absent. Conidiogenous cells terminal, pale to medium brown, mono- to commonly polyphialidic, with 1–2 lateral apertures, 15–30 × 3–3.5 μm; collarette funnel-shaped, 5–6 μm diam, 2–4 μm deep, pale brown. Conidia aseptate, (15–)16–19(–23) × (3–)3.5(–4) μm, solitary, aggregating in a globose mucoid mass, hyaline, smooth, granular, fusoid, slightly curved or straight, widest in middle, tapering towards acute apices that give rise to setulae at each end, (4–)10–13(–16) μm.

Culture characteristics — Colonies spreading, with sparse aerial mycelium and folded surface, with smooth, lobed margins, reaching 40 mm diam after 1 mo at 25 °C. On MEA surface and reverse olivaceous grey. On PDA surface and reverse greenish grey. On OA surface olivaceous grey.

Typus. MALAYSIA, Sarawak, from leaf spots on Acacia mangium (Leguminosae), May 2014, M.J. Wingfield (holotype CBS H-22236, culture ex-type CPC 24912 = CBS 139907; ITS sequence GenBank KR476732, MycoBank MB812419); CPC 24913.

Notes — The genus Codinaea (setulate conidia) was separated from Dictyochaeta (asetulate conidia) by Réblová & Winka (2000). Using the keys provided by Kuthubutheen & Nawawi (1991) and Whitton et al. (2000), Codinaea acaciae appears to be distinct from presently known taxa.

Open in a separate window

First of five equally most parsimonious trees obtained from the ITS alignment based on a heuristic analysis with 100 random taxon additions and tree-bisection-reconnection algorithm using PAUP v. 4.0b10 (Swofford 2003; TL = 538, CI = 0.690, RI = 0.613, RC = 0.422). GenBank accession numbers are indicated behind the species names. Bootstrap support values > 50 % from 1 000 replicates are shown at the node and the scale bar indicates the number of changes. The tree was rooted to Infundibulomyces cupulata (GenBank EF113976) and the novel species described in this study is indicated in bold face. The alignment and tree were deposited in TreeBASE (Submission ID 17580).

Colour illustrations. Acacia mangium tree; conidiophores and conidia. Scale bars = 10 μm.

Etymology. Name reflects its morphological similarity to the genus Soloacrospora.

Classification — Incertae sedis, Dothideomycetes.

Mycelium consisting of hyaline, smooth, septate, branched hyphae. Setae erect, solitary, flexuous, distributed throughout the colony, foot cell swollen or T-cell lacking rhizoids, stipe brown, smooth, multiseptate, apex obtusely rounded. Conidiophores erect, solitary, arising from superficial hyphae, subcylindrical, pale brown, smooth, straight to flexuous. Conidiogenous cells integrated, terminal or intercalary, proliferating sympodially, subcylindrical, pale brown, smooth; loci slightly thickened and darkened. Conidia in branched chains, pale brown, smooth, guttulate, fusoid-ellipsoid to subcylindrical. Ramoconidia fusoidellipsoid, septate, base obtusely rounded, apex with 1–3 sympodial loci that are slightly thickened and darkened. Conidia in chains of up to 20, acropetal in development, fusoid-ellipsoid, 1-septate, frequently slightly constricted at septum, loci thickened and darkened.

Type species. Soloacrosporiella acaciae.

MycoBank MB812420.

Etymology. Name reflects the host genus Acacia, from which the species was isolated.

Mycelium consisting of hyaline, smooth, septate, branched, 1.5 μm diam hyphae. Setae erect, solitary, flexuous, distributed throughout the colony, foot cell swollen or T-cell lacking rhizoids, stipe brown, smooth, uniformly 2–2.5 μm diam, up to 300 μm long, multiseptate, apex obtusely rounded. Conidiophores erect, solitary, arising from superficial hyphae, subcylindrical, pale brown, smooth, straight to flexuous, 15–80 × 2–3 μm. Conidiogenous cells integrated, terminal or intercalary, proliferating sympodially, subcylindrical, pale brown, smooth, 5–20 × 1.5–2 μm; loci slightly thickened and darkened, 0.5–1 μm diam. Conidia in branched chains, pale brown, smooth, guttulate, fusoid-ellipsoid to subcylindrical. Ramoconidia fusoid-ellipsoid, 1(–3)-septate, base obtusely rounded, apex with 1–3 sympodial loci that are slightly thickened and darkened, 0.5–1 μm diam, 17–25 × 2.5–4 μm. Conidia in chains of up to 20, acropetal in development, fusoid-ellipsoid, 1-septate, frequently slightly constricted at septum, loci thickened and darkened, 0.5–1 μm diam, (5–)10–13(–15) × (2–)2.5–3 μm.

Culture characteristics — Colonies spreading, reaching 40 mm diam after 1 mo at 25 °C, lacking aerial mycelium with smooth margin. On PDA surface honey, reverse isabelline in centre, honey in outer region. On OA centre honey, outer region rosy vinaceous due to diffuse pigment. On MEA surface greyish rose, reverse salmon to ochreous.

Typus. MALAYSIA, Sabah, on seed pods of Acacia mangium (Leguminosae), May 2014, M.J. Wingfield (holotype CBS H-22223, culture ex-type CPC 24871 = CBS 139894; ITS sequence GenBank KR476729, LSU sequence GenBank KR476764, MycoBank MB812421); CPC 24872.

Notes — Soloacrosporiella is morphologically similar to Soloacrospora, but differs in that it has a much more complex arrangement of conidia, occurring in branched chains with ramoconidia and terminal conidia. Furthermore, conidiogenous loci and conidial hila are slightly thickened and darkened, features which are absent in Soloacrospora (Castañeda Ruiz et al. 1997). Phylogenetically it is allied to the genus Neocladophialophora (Crous et al. 2014c), but is morphologically distinct in that its colonies produce numerous brown setae, produces well-defined conidiophores and ramoconidia, which are absent in Neocladophialophora.

Colour illustrations. Symptomatic leaf of Acacia mangium; setae, conidiophores and conidial chains. Scale bars = 10 μm.

Etymology. Name reflects the fact that although morphologically similar, it is distinct from the genus Camarosporium.

Classification — Montagnulaceae, Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes.

Conidiomata separate, pycnidial, brown, globose; wall consisting of 2–3 layers of brown cells of textura angularis. Conidiogenous hyaline, smooth, phialidic with periclinal thickening, rarely with percurrent proliferation at apex. Conidia ellipsoidal to subcylindrical, with obtuse apex and obtusely rounded to truncate base, initially hyaline, smooth, becoming golden-brown and verruculose, septate, thick-walled.

Type species. Xenocamarosporium acaciae.

MycoBank MB812422.