Kirschsteiniothelia laojunensis Q.F. Meng & S.B. Fu, 2024

Meng, Qing-Feng, Thiyagaraja, Vinodhini, Worthy, Fiona Ruth, Ertz, Damien, Wang, Xin-Yu, Jayawardena, Ruvishika S., Fu, Shao-Bin & Saichana, Natsaran, 2024, Morphological and phylogenetic appraisal of a new Kirschsteiniothelia (Dothideomycetes, Kirschsteiniotheliales) species from Yunnan Province, China, Phytotaxa 661 (3), pp. 267-281 : 273-274

Kirschsteiniothelia laojunensis Q.F. Meng & S.B. Fu sp. nov.

Index Fungorum number: IF901188; Facesoffungi number: FoF15351; Fig. 2

Etymology: The specific epithet “ laojunensis ” refers to the geographic name of Laojun Mountain, where the holotype was collected.

Saprobic on the bark of Abies fabri ( Pinaceae ). Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecial, superficial, erumpent, the base surrounded by the lichen thallus tissue of Ochrolechia sp. , irregularly scattered, rarely clustered, sessile, subglobose to globose, black, with a smooth surface, 1–1.5 mm in diameter, and possessing an apex ostiolate. Peridium 50–80 μm thick on both sides, the upper part 65–100 μm thick, dark brownish to black, composed of highly melanised irregular cells. Pseudoparaphyses 1.5–2.5 μm thick, branched. Asci (105–) 130–162 (–180) × (17–) 20–30 μm (x = 150 × 26 μm, n = 6), 8-spored, bitunicate, clavate, K-. Ascospores (34–) 35–55 (–56) × (10–) 11–14 (–16) μm (x = 48 × 13 μm, n = 30), length to width ratio (l/w) = 3.3–3.9 (x = 3.8, n = 30), usually 2-celled with a septum, slightly constricted at the septum, hyaline when young and turning dark brown with greenish or bluish coloration at maturity, fusiform, asymmetric with a slightly larger upper cell, both ends slightly subacute, guttulate, with two central globose guttules either side of the septum, smaller guttules elsewhere. Asexual morph: Not observed.

Material examined: China, Yunnan Province, Lijiang City, Laojun Mountain National Nature Reserve, 26°37′54.86″N, 99°43′28.13″E, elev. 4000 m, on the bark of Abies fabri ( Pinaceae ), 9 th August 2022, collected by Qing-Feng Meng, Coll. No. ljs-29 (KUN-L 88727, holotype).

Notes: The phylogenetic analysis of combined LSU and ITS sequence data reveals that Kirschsteiniothelia laojunensis forms a sister clade with K. thujina (JF 13210). However, nucleotide comparison differences between Kirschsteiniothelia laojunensis and K. thujina (JF13210), showed a difference of 1.57% (12/765 bp) for LSU and 5.27% (27/512 bp) for ITS. The new taxon differs from Kirschsteiniothelia thujina in having wider diameter ascomata (1000–1500 μm vs. 350–500 μm), longer asci (130–162 × 20–30 μm vs. 100–140 × 17–22 μm) and narrower ascospores (35–55 × 11–14 μm vs. 36–50 × 15–17 μm) ( Hawksworth 1985).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Kirschsteiniothelia laojunensis (KUN-L 88727, Holotype). a–c. Habitat and appearance of host substrate. d–g. Ascomata (markedby redarrows).h–k.Appearanceofthe perithecium.l.Verticalsectionof peritheciuminwater.m.Hymenium.n.Pseudoparaphyses. o–q. Immature asci in water. r–s. Immature ascospores. t–zz. Mature ascospores in water. Scale bar: d, e = 5 mm, f, g = 2.5 mm, h–k = 1 mm, l, m, o–q = 50 μm, n, r–zz = 10 μm.