Mycosphere Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/3/2/10 Two remarkable xylariaceous ascomycetes associated with elephant dung Deepna Latha KP and Manimohan P* Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala, 673 635, India Deepna Latha KP, Manimohan P 2012 – Two remarkable xylariaceous ascomycetes associated with elephant dung. Mycosphere 3(2), 261–265, Doi 10.5943 /mycosphere/3/2/10 A continuing survey of coprophilous fungi associated with elephant dung in Kerala State, India has resulted in the discovery of two lesser known xylariaceous fungi. This forms the second record worldwide of Podosordaria elephanti and the first record of Poronia pileiformis on elephant dung. Both fungi are described, illustrated and discussed based on the Kerala collections. Key words – Ascomycota – coprophilous fungi – new records– Xylariaceae Article Information Received 20 April 2012 Accepted 23 April 2012 Published online 30 April 2012 *Corresponding author: P. Manimohan – e-mail – pmanimohan@gmail.com Introduction Most xylariaceous species produce stromata on decaying dicot wood, although some fruit on decaying monocot wood, fallen fruits and seeds, fallen leaves and petioles and termite nests (Hsieh et al. 2010). However, several genera of the Xylariaceae such as Areolospora, Hypocopra, Podosordaria, Poronia and Wawelia are coprophilous. Podosordaria and Poronia are closely related genera containing species that are sometimes considered as belonging to Xylaria but are differentiated from the latter by their capitate stromata and coprophilous nature. While Poronia has a rather flattened, nailhead-like fertile part, Podosordaria has a subglobose head (Dennis 1957). According to Rogers et al. (1998), Podosordaria has anamorphs assignable to Geniculosporium while Poronia has Lindquistia anamorphs. During our studies on fungi associated with elephant dung in Kerala State, India, we came across, on several occasions, two remarkable species of Podosordaria and Poronia, which are described, illustrated and discussed here. This is the second instalment of our observations on fungi associated with elephant dung, the first being an account of agarics on this substratum (Manimohan et al. 2007). Methods Stromata were collected from natural forests (wildlife sanctuaries and national parks) of Kerala State, India. Conventional morphology based mycological methods were employed to examine the material. Microscopic examinations were carried out on specimens mounted in water, Congo red, and Melzer's reagent. Ascospore length and width were calculated on twenty ascospores discharged from mature asci. The examined collections are deposited at Kew (Mycology) Herbarium and the Kew accession numbers (e.g., K(M) 175512) are indicated. Results and Discussion Podosordaria elephanti J.D. Rogers, Y.-M. Ju, Mycotaxon 67: 64 (1998) Fig. 1 Stromata stipitate, unbranched, softtextured; fertile part 2−6 mm wide, terminal, subglobose, pale yellow, studded with black papillate ostioles of numerous protruding 261 Mycosphere Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/3/2/10 Fig. 1 – Podosordaria elephanti. a stromata on elephant dung. b section of perithecia. c apical apparatus of ascus. d ascospores. e germ-slit on ascospore. f polar appendages on ascospore. Bars: a = 1 mm b = 100 µm c–f = 10 µm. perithecia stipe 0.6−1.7 cm × 0.5−2 mm, often striate, yellowish brown, abrupt, firmly attached and difficult to separate from the substratum; stromatal interior solid throughout, cream coloured. Perithecia uniformly distributed throughout the fertile portion of the stroma, 700−1060 × 690−890 µm, fully immersed, subglobose or globose, with papillate ostioles. Peridium 262 50−65 µm wide, multilayered; outer wall darker, becoming paler towards the interior. Periphyses not observed. Paraphyses 3.5−5.5 µm wide, filiform, copious, septate, unbranched, hyaline, gradually tapering towards the tip, exceeding the length of the asci. Asci 66−111 × 4.5−5.5 µm, cylindrico-clavate, pedicellate, thin-walled, unitunicate, spore-bearing part 66−76 µm long, with an apical apparatus Mycosphere Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/3/2/10 (about 2−2.5 × 1.5−2 µm) bluing in Melzer’s reagent, 8-spored. Ascospores uniseriately arranged with slightly overlapping ends, 8.5−11.5 × 4−5 (9.7±0.8 × 4.5±0.3) µm, Q = 1.8−2.6, Qm = 2.1, inequilaterally ellipsoid or subphaseoliform, dark brown, one-celled, thick walled, smooth, with gelatinous sheath extending to polar pad-like gelatinous appendages, with 1−2 guttules and a straight germ slit. Habitat – On elephant dung, scattered. Known distribution – Thailand, India. Material examined – India, Kerala State, Wayanad District, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, 5 September 2011, K.P. Deepna Latha DKP23 (K(M) 175512). Notes – The present collection is in remarkable agreement with the description of Podosordaria elephanti (Rogers et al. 1998) in the general morphology of the stromata, in most microscopic features such as the size and shape of both asci and ascospores and in occurring on elephant dung. The Kerala collection, however, had ascospores with padlike gelatinous appendages on both ends and abundant paraphyses. Anamorph of the present Indian collection was not observed. After the original description based on a collection made in Thailand, no other record of P. elephanti seems to have been published. Hence, this is the second record worldwide of the species. Poronia pileiformis (Berk.) Fr., Nova Acta R. Soc. Scient. upsal., Ser. 3 1: 129 (1851) Fig. 2 Stromata long, 10.5−24.5 cm × 2−8 mm; fertile part initially convex, becoming subglobose with incurved margin on drying, 3−8 mm wide, lower part of head dark brown and upper surface whitish to pale yellow, studded with black papillate ostioles of numerous embedded perithecia; stipe long, slender, 10.5−21.5 cm × 2−5 mm, smooth, dark brown to black, with a distinctly bulbous base deeply rooted in the substrate, simple or sparingly branched. Stromatal interior solid throughout, cream coloured. Perithecia uniformly distributed throughout the fertile portion of the stroma, 450−1930 × 310−1080 µm, fully immersed, with a protruding ostiolar region up to 320 µm long, versiform. Peridium 20−140 µm wide, composed of dark, narrow, densely interwoven hyphae. Periphyses not observed. Paraphyses 2−6 µm wide, sinuoso-filiform, copious, septate, unbranched, hyaline, gradually tapering towards the tip, exceeding the asci in length. Asci 43−92.5 × 4−6 µm, cylindricoclavate, somewhat pedicellate, thin-walled, unitunicate, spore-bearing part 49−71 µm long, with an apical apparatus (about 1.5−3.5 × 2−3 µm) bluing in Melzer’s reagent, 8-spored. Ascospores uniseriately arranged with slightly overlapping ends, 8−11 × 4−5 (9.1±0.6 × 4.4±0.3) µm, Q = 1.6−2.5, Qm = 2.06, inequilaterally ellipsoid to fusiform, brown or brownish black, one-celled, thick-walled, smooth, with a faint mucilaginous sheath, with 1−2 guttules and a straight germ slit. Habitat – On elephant dung, scattered, singly or in small groups. Known distribution –Philippine Islands, Peru, Costa Rica, Taiwan, India. Material examined – India, Kerala State, Palakkad District, Silent Valley National Park, 9 November 2010, Deepna Latha K. P. DKP5 (K(M) 175517); Wayanad District, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, 5 September 2011, K.P. Deepna Latha DKP22 (K(M) 175516). Notes – Poronia pileiformis was first described from the Philippine Islands by Berkeley (1842) and subsequently it has been recorded from Peru and Costa Rica (Paden 1978) and Taiwan (Ju & Rogers 2001). Because the type of P. pileiformis from the Philippines is immature, Ju & Rogers (2001) designated the Taiwan material as epitype for the species. Although Poronia species are known to have anamorphs belonging to Lindquistia, Paden (1978) observed an entirely different anamorph when ascospores from the Costa Rican collection of P. pileiformis were cultured and this remains to be verified. Anamorph of the present Indian collections was not observed. Features such as the long stromata with a convex to hemispherical fertile part studded with black perithecial ostioles, dark brown or black stipe with a bulbous base, and the dark-coloured ascospores with straight germ slits are characteristic of this species. This species has already been reported from India by Rawla & Narula (1983) from Meghalaya State, although they did not specify the type of dung on which it grew. This is the first record of this species on elephant dung; all other records are on cow dung. This fungus 263 Mycosphere Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/3/2/10 Fig. 2 – Poronia pileiformis. a stromata on elephant dung. b, c close-up views of upper and lower sides of fertile head. d bulbous base of the stroma. e section of perithecia. f. apical apparatus of ascus. g ascospores. Bars: a = 10 mm b–d = 5 mm e = 100 µm f, g = 10 µm. seems to be fairly widely distributed in the forests of Kerala always growing on elephant dung. Acknowledgements We are thankful to Messrs V. Adnaan Farook, S. Shabeer Khan and K.N. Anil Raj for their help in collecting the material reported here. 264 References Berkeley MJ. 1842 – Enumeration of fungi, collected by H. Cuming, Esq., F.L.S., in the Philippine Islands. The London Journal of Botany 1, 142–157. Dennis RWG. 1957 – Further notes on tropical American Xylariaceae. Kew Bulletin 12, 297–332. Mycosphere Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/3/2/10 Hsieh H, Lin C, Fang M, Rogers JD, Fournier J, Lechat C, Ju Y. 2010 – Phylogenetic status of Xylaria subgenus Pseudoxylaria among taxa of the subfamily Xylarioideae (Xylariaceae) and phylogeny of the taxa involved in the subfamily. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54, 957– 969. Ju Y-M, Rogers JD. 2001 – Xylaria cranioides and Poronia pileiformis and their anamorphs in culture, and implications for the status of Penzigia. Mycological Research 105, 1134–1136. Manimohan P, Thomas KA, Nisha VS. 2007 – Agarics on elephant dung in Kerala State, India. Mycotaxon 99, 147–157. Paden JW. 1978 – Morphology, growth in culture, and conidium formation in Poronia pileiformis. Canadian Journal of Botany 56, 1774–1776. Rawla GS, Narula AM. 1983 – Poronia pileiformis (Berk.)Fr.: a new record from India. Current Science 52, 990. 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