Meliola strombosiigena, Hosagoudar & Riju, 2011

Hosagoudar, V. B. & Riju, M. C., 2011, Three new fungi from Silent Valley National Park, Kerala, India, Journal of Threatened Taxa 3 (3), pp. 1615-1619 : 1618-1619

Meliola strombosiigena sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

Material examined: 01.viii.2008, on leaves of Strombosia sp. (Olacaceae) , Cheriavalakkad, Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad, Kerala, India, coll.

sp. nov.

a - Appressorium; b - Phialide;

c - Apical portion of the mycelial setae; d - Ascospores

M. C. Riju et al . TBGT 4515 (holotype). Part of the collection has been deposited in HCIO, New Delhi, (MycoBank # 561023) .

Coloniae amphigenae, plerumque hypophyllae, densae, velutinae, ad 4mm diam., confluentes. Hyphae flexuosae vel undulatae, opposite vel alternatim acuteque vel laxe ramosae, laxe vel arte reticulatae, cellulae 15–25 x 5–10 µm. Appressoria alternata, opposita vel unilateralis, antrorsa vel subantrorsa, raro retrorsa, 17–28 µm longa; cellulae basilares cylindraceae vel cuneatae, 5–8 µm longae; cellulae apicales oblongae vel cylindraceae, rectae vel flexuosis curvulae, integrae, 10–20 x 5–8 µm. Phialides appressoriis intermixtus, alternatae, oppositae vel unilateralis, ampulliformes, 20–30 x 6–8 µm. Setae myceliales rectae vel curvulae, dispersae, acutae ad apicem, ad 720µm longae; Perithecia dispersa, ad 240µm diam.; ascosporae obovoideae, 4-septatae, constrictus ad septatae, 50–55 x 20–23 µm.

Colonies amphigenous, mostly hypophyllous, dense, velvety, up to 4mm diam., confluent. Hyphae flexuous to undulate, branching opposite to alternate at acute to wide angles, loosely to closely reticulate, cells 15–25 x 5–10 µm. Appressoria alternate, opposite to unilateral, antrorse to subantrorse, rarely retrorse, 17–28 µm long; stalk cells cylindrical to cuneate, 5–8 µm long; head cells oblong to cylindrical, straight to flexuously curved, entire, 10–20 x 5–8 µm. Phialides mixed with appressoria, alternate, opposite to unilateral, ampulliform, 20–30 x 6–8 µm. Mycelial setae straight to curved, scattered, acute at the tip, up to 720µm long; Perithecia scattered in the colonies, up to 240µm in diam.; ascospores obovoidal, 4-septate, constricted at the septa, 50–55 x 20–23 µm.

Meliola strobosiae Hosag. et al. is known on Strombosia ceylonica from Kukke Subramanya, Karnataka (Hosagoudar 2008). However, the present new species differs from it in having narrow head cells (5–8 µm against 8–12 µm) and larger spores (50–55 x 20–23 against 36–40 x 15–17 µm). The specific epithet is derived from the host genus.

Figures

Figure 3. Meliola strombosiigena