New species of Hughesinia and Stachybotryna and new records of anamorphic fungi from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico Gabriela Heredia, Rosa Maria AriasMota, Rafael F. Castañeda-Ruiz & Marcela Gamboa-Angulo Mycological Progress ISSN 1617-416X Mycol Progress DOI 10.1007/s11557-012-0808-z 1 23 Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by German Mycological Society and Springer. This eoffprint is for personal use only and shall not be self-archived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your work, please use the accepted author’s version for posting to your own website or your institution’s repository. You may further deposit the accepted author’s version on a funder’s repository at a funder’s request, provided it is not made publicly available until 12 months after publication. 1 23 Author's personal copy Mycol Progress DOI 10.1007/s11557-012-0808-z ORIGINAL ARTICLE New species of Hughesinia and Stachybotryna and new records of anamorphic fungi from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico Gabriela Heredia & Rosa Maria Arias-Mota & Rafael F. Castañeda-Ruiz & Marcela Gamboa-Angulo Received: 13 December 2011 / Revised: 6 February 2012 / Accepted: 8 February 2012 # German Mycological Society and Springer 2012 Abstract During an investigation of anamorphic fungi on tropical plant debris from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, two new species in the genera Hughesinia and Stachybotryna were described. Additionally, 15 other anamorphic fungi were determined; five of them are newly recorded for Mexico. Hughesinia heterospora sp. nov. is characterized by conidiophores macronematous light brown, conidiogenous cells monotretic and dark brown, muriform conidia which differ from other species of Hughesinia in having great morphological heterogeneity. Stachybotryna variegata sp. nov. is characterized by conidiophores macronematous light brown, variegated setae, brown below and hyaline towards the apex, conidiogenous cells monophialidic and ellipsoidal to broadly fusiform, guttulate, hyaline conidia. Descriptions, illustrations and keys are provided. Keywords Conidial fungi . Tropical fungi . Taxonomy . Microfungi . Hyphomycetes G. Heredia (*) : R. M. Arias-Mota Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Km. 2.5 Carretera Antigua Xalapa-Coatepec No. 351. Col. Congregación El Haya, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, México e-mail: gabriela.heredia@inecol.edu.mx R. F. Castañeda-Ruiz Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical “Alejandro de Humboldt” (INIFAT), C. Habana, Calle 1 Esq. 2, Santiago de Las Vegas, Cuba, C.P. 17200 Introduction Mexico is one of the 17 countries of the word that are considered to be megadiverse. Taking into account the wide range of climate and topography found within its territory (almost 2 million km2 and 9, 330 km of coastline), it is likely that Mexico harbours a considerable diversity of fungi. Tropical ecosystems in particular offer suitable habitats for saprobic microfungi, among which, the anamorphic are the most abundant and diverse. Several tropical anamorphic species have been recorded in certain Mexican rainforests over the past two decades (Heredia et al. 1997a,b; Heredia and Mercado-Sierra 1998) and in some cases new taxa have been described (Mercado-Sierra et al. 1997; Castañeda-Ruiz et al. 2010a,b; Heredia et al. 2011). However, most of these tropical areas remain unexplored, as is the case with those located in the Yucatan Peninsula, where approximately 10% of the plant species are endemic (Estrada-Loera 1991). During a visit to The Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, in the Yucatan Peninsula in June 2009, plant debris were collected and examined in order to detect microfungi. The Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’ covers an area of 2.7 ha located north of the city of Merida (21° 02′ 38″ N; 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl) and is composed of low deciduous forest. The climate is warm subtropical with summer rains and a marked dry season from November to April. The annual average rainfall is 940 mm and the annual average temperature is 26° C (CICY 1993). Materials and methods M. Gamboa-Angulo Unidad de Biotecnología, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C., Calle 43 No.130, Col. Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida, 97200 Yucatán, México Samples of plant debris were collected from the ground surface. Individual samples were placed into paper bags, taken to the laboratory and incubated in moist chambers at Author's personal copy Mycol Progress room temperature. The incubated samples were periodically examined under the stereo microscope for sporulating microfungi. Mounts were prepared in polyvinyl alcohol-glycerol (8 g in 100 ml of water, plus 5 ml of glycerol) and measurements were made at a magnification of ×1000. Whenever possible fungi were isolated from single conidia captured under a stereo microscope, transferred to Petri dishes with potato dextrose agar (PDA) BD Bioxon and incubated at 25° C. Colour notations in parentheses are from Kornerup and Wanscher (1984). Photographs were obtained using a Nikon microscope with differential interference contrast (Eclipse E600) and a JEOL (JSM-S600LV) scanning electron microscope. All specimens are deposited in the Herbarium of the Instituto de Ecología (XAL) in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Cultures are maintained in the Micromycetes Laboratory of the Instituto de Ecología A.C. Taxonomy Hughesinia heterospora Heredia G., R.M. Arias & R.F. Castañeda, anam. sp. nov. Figs. 1 and 2 MycoBank MB561729 Etymology: Greek, heterospora, meaning having conidia of variable form. Coloniae in substrato naturali effusae, granulosae, atrobrunneae vel nigrae. Mycelium plerumque in substrato immersum ex hyphis septatis, ramosis, 1.5–2.5 μm.diam, laevibus, brunneis, compositum. Hyphopodia absentia. Stromata absentia. Conidiophora macronematosa, mononematosa, erecta, recta, simplicia, 1- ad 6-septata, 22–50 (56)×3–5 μm, laevia, brunnea ad basim, interdum dilute brunnea ad apicem. Cellulae conidiogenae monotreticae, indeterminatae, cum 1–4 proliferationibus enteroblasticis percurrentibus doliiformibus vel cylindricis praeditae, dilute brunneae, 4–10×4–4.5 μm, in conidiophoris incorporatae. Conidia solitaria, acrogena, heteromorpha, 24–50 (52)×(10) 15–29 (31) μm, plus minusve digitiformia vel appendiculata, subglobosa usque ad irregularia et obtriangularia, verruculosa ad basem et levia ad apicem, atrobrunnea vel nigra, sicca, 2–6 (8) seriebus cellularum ad basem valde compactarum, plus minusve cylindricarum, ad apicem rotundatarum, plerumque curvatis et divergentibus, interdum digitis similibus et parallelis, 3 ad 6 (7)-septatis, brunneis vel atrobrunneis, 18–32×4–8 μm. Cellulis basalibus obconicis, 5–14×9– 14 μm. Teleomorfosis ignota. Specimens examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21°02′38″ N, 89°38′22″W, 8 m asl., on decaying bark of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. Holotype: (XAL) CB900. Colonies on the natural substrate effuse, granulose, dark brown or black. Mycelium mostly immersed. Hyphae septate, branched, smooth, brown, 1.5–2.5 μm diam. Hyphopodia absent. Stroma absent. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, erect, straight, simple, 1- to 6-septate, smooth, 22– 50 (56)×3–5 μm, brown at the base, pale brown towards the apex. Conidiogenous cells monotretic, indeterminate, integrated, terminal, pale brown, 4–10×4–4.5 μm, with 1–4 doliiform to cylindrical percurrent proliferations. Conidia solitary, acrogenous, heteromorphic, 24–50 (52)×(10) 15–29 (31) μm, somewhat digitate to appendiculate, subglobose to irregular and obtriangular, verruculose at the base, smooth towards the apex, composed of 2–6 (8) rows of cells, closely packed, more or less cylindrical, rounded at the apex, frequently curved or more or less parallel, finger-like, sometimes divergent toward the apex, 3 to 6 (7)-septate, brown or dark brown, 18–32×4– 8 μm. Basal cell obconical, 5–14×9–14 μm. Teleomorph unknown. Colonies on PDA at 25° C, growing slowly, attaining a diameter of 10–15 mm in 30 days, velvety, dark green (30/F3), margin irregular, reverse black, pigmented agar blue deep (23/E8). Sporulation obtained after 4 weeks, producing conidia similar to those observed on the natural substratum, but verruculose or tuberculate and slightly smaller (19–35×11–18 μm). Comments: The studied material matches with the generic concept of Hughesinia J.C. Lindq. & Gamundí in having monotretic conidiogenesis (Fig. 1n), percurrent proliferating conidiogenous cells (Fig. 1k–m) and solitary, acrogenous, appendaged, obovoid, pyriform or turbinated, pale to mid golden brown conidia (Figs. 1a–j, 2a, b). To date, only two species of Hughesinia had been described: Hughesinia chusqueae J.C. Lindq. & Gamundí, the type species (Lindquist and Gamundi 1970), originally found on leaves of Chusquea sp. collected in Chile, and H. verrucosa Delgado, J. Mena & Gené, found on a dead stem of Arthrostylidium sp. from Cuba (Delgado et al. 2005). The new species most closely resemble Hughesinia chusqueae. The conidial basal cell is similarly shaped in both species, and mature spores rows are irregular. Some conidia also form “shallow furrows between columns” (Figs. 1h–j, 2b) as described by Ellis (1971). Several immature conidia of the studied material are slightly similar to those illustrated by Ellis (1971) as H. chusqueae. However, the mature spores clearly differ in terms of the appendages as they are always divergent in H. chusqueae, while in the new species they assume different forms. Young conidia of Hughesinia heterospora are broadly ellipsoidal and simple (Figs. 1a, m, 2a, c). As they mature, they form rows or columns of different sizes and at different levels (Figs. 1b–j, 2b). In several conidia the rows appear as protuberances (Fig. 1g), while in mature conidia they often separate slightly at the top forming finger-like appendages (Figs. 1f, h, i, j, 2b). In a few conidia, groups of 2-3 rows are Author's personal copy Mycol Progress Fig. 1 a–n. Hughesinia heteromorpha,MycoBank MB561559. a. Immature conidia. b–j. Muriform conidia. k. Conidiophores with conidiogenous cell attached. l. Conidiophore and conidia. m. Conidiophores with immature conidia. n. Monotretic conidiogenous cell. Scale bars: a–m 10 μm; n 2 μm separated into irregular, divergent appendages (Fig. 1j). Some conidia are reminiscent of those of to the genus Carrismyces R.F. Castañeda & Heredia (Castañeda-Ruíz and Heredia 2000), especially those conidia with obconical Author's personal copy Mycol Progress Fig. 2 a–d. Hughesinia heteromorpha, MycoBank MB561559. a. Immature conidia with rows primordia. b. Conidia mature. c. Conidiophores without and with conidia at different stages of development. Scale bar 15 μm shape (Fig. 1g). However the conidia in Carrismyces are dictyoseptate and the conidiophores with adventitious hyphae are clearly different from those of the new species here proposed. The wide variety of conidial shapes (all mature conidia are different) clearly distinguishes Hughesinia heterospora from any other previously described species, particularly H. verrucosa which has an uniform morphological pattern composed of 3-4 obclavated rows with transverse septa. Moreover, the conidial basal cells of H. verrucosa are protuberant, cylindrical to obconical and truncate. The morphological characters of the three accepted Hughesinia species are keyed out below: Key to Hughesinia species 1 Conidia smooth, obovoid, pyriform to turbinate, 36– 48 × 19–27 μm, with 2–4 rows of cells divergent towards the apex, 24–38 × 5–7 μm. Hyphopodia, sometimes present H. chusqueae 1* Conidia verruculose or verrucose 2 2 Conidia verruculose, heteromorphic, somewhat digitate to appendiculate, subglobose to irregular, 24–50 (52)× (10) 15–29 (31) μm, brown or dark brown; composed of 2–6 (8) rows of cells closely packed, frequently curved, finger-like, 18–32×4–8 μm μm, basal cell obconical, Author's personal copy Mycol Progress not protuberant, 5–14×9–14 μm. Hyphopodia absent H. heterospora sp. nov. 2* Conidia verrucose, obclavate or obpyriform, appendiculate, 40–64×16–24 μm, golden brown to dark brown; with 3–4 rows of cells, 16–44 × 6–8 μm, basal cell obconical to cylindrical, protuberant, 4–8 × 3–6 μm. Hyphopodia absent H. verrucosa Stachybotryna variegata R.M. Arias, R.F. Castañeda & G. Heredia anam. sp. nov. Figs. 3 and 4 Mycobank MB561730 Etymology: Latin, variegata, meaning exhibiting different colors, referring to the pigmentation of the setae. Coloniae in substrato naturali effusae, mucosae, aureae. Mycelium plerumque in substrato immersum et aliquot superficiale, ex hyphis septatis, ramosis, 2–3.5 μm diam., laevibus, subhyalinis, compositum. Setae erectae, cylindricae, attenuatae circa apicem et clavatae, obtusae vel rotundatae in apicem, 4 ad 10-septatae, laeves, (123) 147–220× 6–9 μm, variegatae, brunneae infra sed prope apicem hyalinae vel subhyalinae supra. Conidiophora macronematosa, mononematosa, consociata vel fasciculata, erecta, recta vel flexuosa, penicillata ad apicen, guttulata, 1 ad 5-septata, 50–185×5–7 μm, laevia, hyalina. Cellulae conidiogenae monophialidicae, late subulatae vel lageniformes, discretae, determinatae, interdum guttulatae, hyalinae, 11–13 (15)× 3.5–4 (5) μm, in fasciculis penicillatis ad apicem, dispositae. Conidia solitaria, acrogena, ellipsoidea vel late fusiformia, unicellularia, guttulata, laevia, 14–18×5–6 μm, seriata, in massas aurea, mucosa conglomerata. Teleomorfosis ignota. Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, on decaying leaf of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. Holotype: (XAL) CB889. Colonies on the natural substratum effuse mucous, yellowish. Mycelium mostly immersed. Hyphae septate, branched, smooth, hyaline, 2– 3.5 μm diam. Setae erect, cylindrical, attenuate near the apex, clavate, obtuse or rounded at the apex, 4 to 10-septate, smooth, (123) 147–220×6–9 μm, variegated, brown below and near the apex, hyaline, subhyaline or very pale brown towards the apex. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, grouped or fasciculate, erect, straight or slightly flexuous, penicillate, 1 to 5-septate, 50–185×5–7 μm, smooth, hyaline, sometimes guttulate. Conidiogenous cells monophialidic, broadly subulate to lageniform, discrete, determinate, sometimes guttulate, hyaline, 11–13 (15)×3.5–4 (5). Conidia seriate, acrogenous, ellipsoid or broad fusiform, unicellular, guttulate, smooth, 14–18×5–6 μm, forming yellowish-white, mucous masses. Teleomorph unknown. Colonies on PDA at 25° C, growing slowly, attaining a diameter of 13–15 mm in 21 days, cottony yellowish white (4/A2), with tiny olive brown spots (4/E3), margin irregular, reverse brown (7/E7), with a yellowish white (4/A2) margin. Sporulation obtained after 2 weeks. Setae cylindrical, obtuse to rounded at the apex, smooth, brown below, hyaline towards the apex, 164–206×6–8 μm. Conidia similar to those observed on the natural substratum. Comments: Since the genus Stachybotryna was established by Tubaki and Yokoyama (1971), with S. columare as the type species, three species have been described so far; S. splendida R.F. Castañeda (Castañeda-Ruiz 1987), S. hachijoensis Ts. Watan. (Watanabe 1990) and S. excentrica Gené, M. Calduch, Abdullah & Guarro (Calduch et al. 2002). The genus Stachybotryna is morphologically very close to Stachybotrys Corda but the difference between them is the presence of setae which develop connected or independently of the conidiophores. With the exception of S. hachijoensis, which was isolated from soil (Watanabe 1990), all other taxa have been associated with decaying leaves from tropical and subtropical ecosystems. Besides the setae color, the new species can be distinguished from the remaining species of the genus by the shape and size of its structures. Stachybotryna variegata has setae similar in size and shape to those of S. excentrica (Calduch et al. 2002). However, the former has longer conidiophores (50–185 μm vs 36-50 μm) and conidia are quite different in shape and size. Conidia of S. variegata are also similar in shape to those of S. splendida (Castañeda-Ruiz 1987). However, they are much longer (14–18 μm vs 8–10 μm), and the latter has shorter setae (40–60 μm vs 147–220 μm) with globose apical cells. The species S. columare and S. hachijoensis are easily distinguishable from the new species; the former has setae with a lanceolate apical cell while the latter, in addition to its lanceolate simple or branched setae, has a different conidial shape (clavated, ovoid or pyriform). Below is a key considering the morphological characters of the Stachybotryna species known to date: Key to Stachybotryna species 1 Setae with lanceolate or globose apical cell 2 2 Apical cell lanceolate 3 3 Apical cell with acute apex. Setae 94–120 long; apical cell 32–50×3–4 μm long. Conidia long cylindrical or clubshaped, narrowed in the middle, 14–18×1.5–1.7 μm S. columare 3* Apical cell without acute apex, simple or branched. Setae 162 μm long; apical cell 90 μm long. Conidia clavate, ovoid, pyriform, 12.5–27.5 (42.5)×5–5.5 μm S. hachijoensis Author's personal copy Mycol Progress Fig. 3 a–m. Stachybotryna variegata, Mycobank MB561730. a–f. Mature conidia. g. Conidiophore with conidiogenous cells. h. Conidiophore with conidiogenous cells and immature conidia. i–k. Conidiophores with conidiogenous cells and conidia. l–m. Conidiophores with conidiogenous cells, variegated setae and conidia. Scale bars10 μm Author's personal copy Mycol Progress Fig. 4 a–c. Stachybotryna variegata, Mycobank MB561730: a. Conidiophores with conidiogenous cells and conidia. b. Variegated setae with rounded apex. c. Conidia biguttulate. Scale bar 10 μm 2* Apical cell globose. Setae 40–60×5–6 μm; apical cell 3.5–4 μm diam. Conidia ovoid, fusiform to ellipsoid, guttulate, 8–10×3–4 μm S. splendida 1* Setae without lanceolate or globose apical cell 4 4 Setae hyaline, obtuse at the apex, 165–220×2.5–3 μm. Conidia cylindrical or ellipsoidal, with an eccentric protuberant subbasal scar, 3.5–5.5×1.5–2 μm S. excentrica 4* Setae variegated, brown below, very pale brown or hyaline towards the apex, obtuse or rounded at the apex, 147–220×6–9 μm. Conidia ellipsoid or broad fusiform, guttulate, 14–18×5–6 μm S. variegata sp. nov. Additional records of anamorphic fungi from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico *New records for Mexico Beltrania rhombica Penz., Michelia 2 (no. 8):474 (1882) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on decaying leaves of unidentified plant, 20/06/ 2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB903 *Beltraniopsis ramosa R.F. Castañeda, Revta Jardín bot. Nac., Univ. Habana 6(1):53 (1985) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, Author's personal copy Mycol Progress on decaying leaves of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB904 *Corynespora longispora A.K. Sarbhoy & Saikia, Indian Phytopath. 33(3):469 (1980) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on dead herbaceous stems, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB905 *Dendryphiosphaera taiensis Lunghini & Rambelli, G. bot. ital., n.s. 112(3):186 (1978) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on decaying bark of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB906 Dendryphiella vinosa (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Reisinger, Bull. trimest. Soc. mycol. Fr. 84(1):27 (1968) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on dead branches, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB907 *Diplococcium laxusporum R.F. Castañeda & W.B. Kendr., Univ. Waterloo Biol. Ser. 35:47 (1991) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on decaying leaves of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB908 Junewangia globulosa (Tóth) W.A. Baker & MorganJones, Mycotaxon 81:308 (2002) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on decaying bark of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB909 Periconia byssoides Pers., Syn. meth. fung. (Göttingen) 1:18 (1801) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on dead herbaceous stems, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB910 Sporidesmiella hyalosperma var. hyalosperma (Corda) P. M. Kirk, Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 79:481(1982) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on decaying bark of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB911 Stachybotrys kampalensis Hansf., Proc. Linn. Soc. London 155:45 (1943) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on dead twigs of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB913 Stachybotrys elegans (Pidopl.) W. Gams, Compendium of Soil Fungi (London):746 (1980) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on fallen leaves and twigs of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB912 Stachylidium bicolor Link, Mag. Gesell. naturf. Freunde, Berlin 3(1-2):15 (1809) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on dead herbaceous stems, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB914 Thozetella cubensis R.F. Castañeda & G.R.W. Arnold, Revta. Jardín bot. Nac. Univ. Habana 6(1):51 (1985) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on decaying leaves of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB916 Tretopileus sphaerophorus (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) S. Hughes & Deighton, Mycol. Pap. 78:2 (1960) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on dead twigs of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB915 *Vermiculariopsiella immersa (Desm.) Bender, Mycologia 24(4):412 (1932) Specimen examined: Mexico, Merida, Regional Botanical Garden Xíitbal neek’, 21° 02′ 38″ N, 89° 38′ 22″ W, 8 m asl, on decaying leaves of unidentified plant, 20/06/2009, coll. G. Heredia. (XAL) CB917 Acknowledgments This study was supported by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, Mexico (CONABIO/IE004 project) and the Instituto de Ecología A.C., Mexico. We acknowledge the facility provided by the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture. The authors thank Drs. U. Braun, L. Carris, D. Li, F. Wartchow, M. Mardones, C. Decock, S. Pennycook, W. Gams, R. Kirschner, P. Crous, A. Hernández-Gutiérrez, X. Zhang, D.J. Bhat, S.K. Singh and G. Delgado for their generous and valued assistance with literature not otherwise available. We are also grateful to Mr. E. Saavedra for making line-drawing pictures and Mr. T. Laez (both from the Instituto de Ecolgía A.C.) for assistance in obtaining electron microscopy images. 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