Helianthoconium X. Yu. Zhang, Q. Y. Zhang & B. Fan, 2025

Zhang, Xiu-Yu, Zhang, Qiu-Yue, Li, De-Wei, Sun, Jing-Zu & Fan, Ben, 2025, Novel endophytic fungi from Pinus: introducing three new genera and six new species within Capnodiales (Ascomycota, Dothideomycetes) sensu lato, IMA Fungus 16, pp. e 175931-e 175931 : e175931-

Helianthoconium X. Yu. Zhang, Q. Y. Zhang & B. Fan gen. nov.

Etymology.

Derived from “Helianthus” (sunflower) and conidium, referring to the sunflower seed-shaped conidia.

Type species.

Helianthoconium helianthosporum X. Yu. Zhang, Q. Y. Zhang & B. Fan , sp. nov.

Description.

Colonies are fluffy, fuzzy, olive to off-white, with intact or finely serrated margins and irregularly divided patterns. The hyphae are translucent to off-white, slender, branched, erect or curved, and smooth to slightly warty. Asexual state: Conidiophores erect, straight or flexuose, unbranched, multi-septate, smooth or slightly warty, medium-brown to brown. Conidiogenous cells terminal, pale brown to brown, smooth, subcylindrical, aseptate, somewhat darkened, unthickened scar. Conidia solitary, sunflower-seed-shaped, slightly tapering at the apex, aseptate. Sexual state not observed.

Notes.

Phylogenetically, Helianthoconium forms a separate clade within the family Dissoconiaceae , although internal relationships among genera are not fully resolved. Morphologically, Helianthoconium exhibits macroscopic characteristics similar to those of Paradissoconium and Globoramichloridium . However, it differs in both conidial and conidiophore morphology: Paradissoconium produces olive-shaped conidia on simple conidiophores, while Globoramichloridium forms elongated conidia on branched conidiophores. In contrast, Helianthoconium is characterised by aseptate, sunflower seed-shaped conidia and thick, elongated conidiophores. ( Arzanlou et al. 2007; Marin-Felix et al. 2019; Crous et al. 2023).