Group F: Sugarcane-associated Daldinia spp. from Asia and further taxa with unclear affinities (Figs 68-72)
The species treated in this chapter are difficult to accommodate in either of the foregoing ones, because cultures, anamorphs, and molecular data are not yet available, and partly because their known characteristics point towards their having intermediate status between two or more of the groups defined earlier on. Aside from two apparently endemic species from South Asia and one new species collected in Ecuador, we have also accommodated two yet unnamed species that are so far only known from one or few herbarium collections and provide preliminary descriptions that illustrate the diversity within the genus and may facilitate re-collection of these interesting taxa. A complete compilation of chorological and biogeographic data of all accepted taxa of Daldinia is given in Table 12.
Daldinia graminis Dargan & K.S. Thind, Kavaka 12(2): 115. 1985 [1984]. Fig. 68.
Etymology: For the "graminaceous", i.e. poaceaeous, host.
Typus: India, Punjab (Union Territory), Chandigarh, on burnt stems of Saccharum, 20 Aug. 1966, H.S. Chahal 69(PAN-holotype, n.v., K(M) 36396-isotype).
Selected illustrations: Dargan & Thind (1984, from holotype), Plate II, figs 8-15; Ju et al. (1997, from isotype), figs 65-68 (stromata and ascospores).
Known distribution/host preference of stromata: Only known from the type; from sugarcane in India.
Teleomorph: Stromata turbinate, sessile or with narrow connective, with inconspicuous perithecial outlines, 0.5-0.7 x 5-7 x 0.25-0.35 cm; surface Violaceous Grey (116) to Sepia (63), dull reddish brown granules immediately beneath surface, without apparent KOHextractable pigments; tissue between perithecia whitish or grey, pithy; tissue below perithecial layer composed of alternating zones, darker zones dark brown, pithy, 0.1-0.2 mm thick, lighter zones cream, pithy to loculate, persistent, 0.2-0.5 mm thick (Ratio darker/ lighter zones 1:2-5). Perithecia obovoid to lanceolate, 0.7-0.85 x 0.3-0.35 mm. Ostioles inconspicuous. Asci with spores arranged partially biseriately, 190-215 [micro]m x 16-19 [micro]m, p. sp. 95-110 [micro]m, stipes 90-110 [micro]m, with amyloid, discoid apical apparatus 1 x 4-4.5 [micro]m. Ascospores brown, ellipsoid-inequilateral, with narrowly rounded, sometimes almost acute ends, 20-26(-30) x 7.5-9 [micro]m, with straight germ slit much less than spore length on convex side; perispore indehiscent in 10% KOH; appearing smooth by LM, not yet studied by SEM.
Stromatal metabolites: Large amounts of cytochalasins and traces of BNT
Notes: See Ju et al. (1997) for teleomorphic characters (the above description is largely in accordance with them) and Stadler et al. (2004d) for HPLC profiles. Daldinia graminis mainly differs from D. sacchari in ascospore morphology. The biology and anamorphic characters remain to be evaluated when further material becomes available.
Daldinia sacchari Dargan & K. S. Thind, Kavaka 12(2): 114. 1985 [1984]. Fig. 69.
Etymology: For the host Saccharum (sugarcane).
Types: India, Punjab (Union Territory), Haryana, Chandigarh, burnt stems of Saccharum munja, 20 Aug. 1966, H.S. Chahal 70 (PAN holotype n.v., K(M) 36398-isotype).
Selected illustrations: Dargan & Thind (1984, from holotype), Plate II, figs 1-7 (stromata and ascospores); Ju et al. (1997, from isotype), figs 62-64 (stromata) and 69 (ascospores).
Known distribution/host preference of stromata:...