Calonectria lichi Q.L. Liu & S.F. Chen

Liu, QianLi & Chen, ShuaiFei, 2017, Two novel species of Calonectria isolated from soil in a natural forest in China, MycoKeys 26, pp. 25-60 : 32-33

Calonectria lichi Q.L. Liu & S.F. Chen sp. nov. Figure 3

Etymology.

lichi , which is Calonectria in Chinese.

Diagnosis.

Calonectria lichi differs from the phylogenetically closely related species Ca. colhounii , Ca. eucalypti , Ca. fujianensis , Ca. nymphaeae , Ca. paracolhounii and Ca. pseudocolhounii with respect to the macroconidia dimensions.

Type.

CHINA. From soil under a natural forest in central China, 07 April 2016, ShuaiFei Chen, CSFF 2019 - holotype, CERC 8866 = CGMCC 3.18733 - ex-type culture.

Description.

Sexual morph unknown. Macroconidiophores consisting of a stipe, a suite of penicillate arranged fertile branches, a stipe extension, and a terminal vesicle; stipe septate, hyaline, smooth, (39.5 –)78.5–160.5(– 206.5) × (4.5 –)5.5–7.5(– 8.5) µm; stipe extension septate, straight to flexuous, (124 –)139.5–187.5(– 218) µm long, 2.5-5 µm wide at the apical septum, terminating in a clavate vesicle, (3.5 –)4–5(– 5.5) µm diam, lateral stipe extensions (90° to main axis) absent. Conidiogenous apparatus (44 –)56–92(– 108.5) µm long, (35 –)52–82.5(– 94) µm wide; primary branches aseptate to 1-septate, (12 –)16.5–33.5(– 46.5) × (4 –)4.5–6.5(– 9) µm; secondary branches aseptate, (7 –)9.5–16(– 21) × (3 –)3.5–5(– 6) µm; tertiary branches aseptate, (7.5 –)9–12.5(– 14.5) × (3 –)3.5–4.5(– 6) µm; additional branches (-5), aseptate, (5.5 –)8.5–12.5(– 14) × (2.5 –)3.5–4.5(– 5.5) µm; each terminal branch producing 2-4 phialides; phialides doliiform to reniform, hyaline, aseptate, (6 –)8–12(– 14.5) × (2.5 –)3–4(– 5) µm, apex with minute periclinal thickening and inconspicuous collarette. Macroconidia cylindrical, rounded at both ends, straight, (53 –)60.5–70.5(– 79) × (5 –)5.5–6.5(– 7) µm (av. = 65.7 × 6 µm), 3-septate, lacking a visible abscission scar, held in parallel cylindrical clusters by colorless slime. Megaconidia and microconidia not observed.

Culture characteristics.

Colonies forming abundant white aerial mycelium on MEA at 25 °C after seven days, with feathery, irregular margins at the edges, moderate sporulation. Surface with white to buff outer margins, and salmon (13'd) inner region, becoming ochreous (44) towards the center, reverse sienna (8) to umber (9) with abundant chlamydospores throughout the medium, forming microsclerotia. Optimal growth temperature at 25 °C, no growth at 5 °C and 35 °C, after seven days, colonies at 10 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C and 30 °C reached 21.9 mm, 30.8 mm, 41.5 mm, 54.4 mm and 37.2 mm, respectively.

Substratum.

Soil in a natural forest.

Distribution.

Central China.

Other specimens examined.

CHINA. From soil in a natural forest in central China, 07 April 2016, ShuaiFei Chen, CSFF 2020, culture CERC 8850 = CGMCC 3.18732; CHINA. From soil under a natural forest in central China, 07 April 2016, ShuaiFei Chen, CSFF 2021, culture CERC 8890 = CGMCC 3.18734; CHINA. From soil in a natural forest in central China, 07 April 2016, ShuaiFei Chen, culture CERC 8841, CERC 8848, CERC 8871, CERC 8900, CERC 8906 and CERC 8928.

Notes.

Calonectria lichi is a new species in the Ca. colhounii complex and is closely related to Ca. colhounii , Ca. eucalypti , Ca. fujianensis , Ca. nymphaeae , Ca. paracolhounii and Ca. pseudocolhounii ( Crous 2002, Lombard et al. 2010b, 2016, Chen et al. 2011, Xu et al. 2012, Crous et al. 2015). The macroconidia of Ca. lichi (av. 65.7 × 6.0 µm) are longer and wider than those of Ca. colhounii (av. 65 × 5 µm), Ca. fujianensis (av. 52.5 × 4 µm), Ca. nymphaeae (av. 61 × 5.9 µm), Ca. paracolhounii (av. 41 × 5 µm) and Ca. pseudocolhounii (av. 60 × 4.5 µm), but narrower than those of Ca. eucalypti (av. 72 × 6µm).