Shrungabeeja vadirajensis V.G. Rao & K.A. Reddy, Indian J. Bot.

Cantillo, Taimy, Almeida, Davi Augusto Carneiro De, Monteiro, Josiane Santana & Gusmão, Luís F. P., 2019, Pararhexoacrodictys (Incertae sedis, Ascomycetes) gen. nov., new combinations and new records of hyphomycetes from Brazil, Phytotaxa 397 (2), pp. 199-209 : 206-207

Shrungabeeja vadirajensis V.G. Rao & K.A. Reddy, Indian J. Bot. 4: 113, 1981 Fig. 3 C–E

Conidiophores mononematous, macronematous, simple, erect, straight or slightly flexuous, septate, cylindrical, smooth, brown, 82.5–237.5 × 8.5–11 μm. Conidiogenous cells monoblastic, integrated, terminal, cylindrical, brown, smooth, with 1–4 percurrent extensions,15–27.5 × 6–7.5 μm. Conidia solitary, dry, acrogenous, holoblastic, suglobose, aseptate, smooth, with striations arranged in circles in the basal end, golden brown, 32.5–45 × 42.5–52.5 μm. Appendages 3–4 at apical end, 0–1-septate, smooth, pale brown, becoming hyaline at apex, 25–75 × 2.5–6 μm.

Material examined:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Lençóis, Remanso Road, on decaying wood of unidentified plant, 12°33’S 41°23’W, 14 February 2016, J.S. Monteiro s.n. ( HUEFS 216690).

Notes:— Shrungabeeja was described by Rao & Reddy (1981: 109) and includes so far five species: S. vadirajensis V.G. Rao & K.A. Reddy (1981: 109) , S. begoniae Kai Zhang & X.G. Zhang (2009: 101) , S. longiappendiculata Sommai, Pinruan, Nuankaew & Suetrong (2015: 124) , S. melicopeas Kai Zhang & X.G. Zhang (2009: 573) and S. piepenbringiana R. Kirschner (2017: 155) . These species are distinguished from each other by the conidial shape and size and by the number, size and location of appendages ( Zhang et al. 2009). A recent study based on phylogenetic analysis of combined SSU and LSU sequence data revealed that S. longiappendiculata belongs to Tetraploasphaeriaceae ( Pleosporales , Dothideomycetes) ( Ariyawansa et al. 2015). S. vadirajensis is similar to S. melicopeae in conidial morphology and size. However, S. melicopeae has 5–7 conidial appendages that are longer (90–200 μm long) than those of S. vadirajensis (3–4 appendages 30–90 μm long).

The Brazilian specimen shows larger conidia and smaller appendages (32.5–45 × 42.5–52.5 μm and 25–75 × 2.5–6 μm, respectively) than those registered by Rao & Reddy (1981) (20–40 × 25–40 μm and 30–90 × 3–4.5 μm, respectively), been more similar with those of the Chinese material. The conidial bottom shows striations arranged in circles, a feature neither described in the original description ( Rao & Reddy 1981) nor in any previous papers, but it could be observed in the specimen of S. vadirajensis founded in China ( Zhang et al. 2009, Fig. 17). A network of hyaline septate hyphae was also observed in the inside of young conidia in the Brazilian material and similar to Piricaudilium ( Holubová-Jechová 1988) , Quadricrura (Kaz. Tanaka, K. Hiray. & Sat. Hatak. 2009) and Ernakulamia Subram. (1996: 67) ( Delgado et al. 2017), probably with the same function of stabilization of the conidial shape and its integrity. These hyphae were visible when the young conidium collapses and the contents was released may be due to osmotic pressure caused by the mounting liquid used in the preparations (Fig. 4D, E); this feature was also described by Kirschner et al. (2017) for S. piepenbringiana , and seems to be a shared character between the above mentioned related genera within Tetraplosphaeriaceae .

Geographical distribution:— CHINA ( Zhang et al. 2009); INDIA ( Rao & Reddy 1981); BRAZIL (this paper).

Figures

FIGURE 3. New records for Brazil: A Pseudoacrodictys aquatica HUEFS 203037. B, Pseudoacrodictys limoniaceae HUEFS 203038. C- E Shrungabeeja varijadencens HUEFS 216690: C, conidial bottom with striations from side and bottom view; hyaline septate hyphae observed in conidia initials (D) and in a fully development conidia (E). Scale bars: A–C, E, F= 20 μm; D= 30 μm.