Calonectria montana 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 : 33-36

Calonectria montana Q.L. Liu & S.F. Chen sp. nov. Figure 4

Etymology.

montis, meaning mountain in Latin, referring to the location where this fungus was collected.

Diagnosis.

Calonectria montana can be distinguished from the phylogenetically closely related species Ca. canadiana by the size of macroconidia.

Type.

CHINA. From soil under a natural forest in central China, 07 April 2016, ShuaiFei Chen, holotype CSFF 2022, ex-type culture CERC 8952 = CGMCC 3.18735.

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, (30 –)52–91(– 123.5) × (4 –)5.5–8(– 9.5) µm; stipe extension septate, straight to flexuous (76.5 –)107–168(– 211.5) µm long, (2.5 –)3–4.5(– 5.5) µm wide at the apical septum, terminating in a pyriform to sphaeropedunculate vesicle, (4 –)7–11(– 12.5) µm diam, lateral stipe extensions (90° to main axis) absent. Conidiogenous apparatus (40 –)49–87.5(– 102.5) µm long, (44 –)62–91(– 104) µm wide; primary branches aseptate to 1-septate, (14.5 –)19.5–34(– 55.5) × (4 –)4.5–6(– 7) µm; secondary branches aseptate, (11 –)13.5–23(– 33) × (3 –)4–5(– 6) µm; tertiary branches aseptate, (9 –)11–15(– 16.5) × (3.5 –)3.5–4.5(– 5) µm; each terminal branch producing 2-6 phialides; phialides doliiform to reniform, hyaline, aseptate, (8 –)10.5– 12.5 (-15.5) × (2.5 –)3.5–4.5(– 5) µm, apex with minute periclinal thickening and inconspicuous collarette. Macroconidia cylindrical, rounded at both ends, straight, (37.5 –)40.5–45.5(– 51.5) × 4 –5(– 5.5) µm (av. = 43.2 × 4.6 µm), 1-septate, lacking a visible abscission scar, held in parallel cylindrical clusters by colorless slime. Megaconidia and microconidia not observed.

Culture characteristics.

Colonies forming abundant buff and wooly aerial mycelium on MEA at 25 °C after seven days, with feathery, irregular margins at the edges, sporulation moderate and more concentrated in the colony centre. Surface with buff to sienna (8) outer margins, reverse sienna (8) to umber (9), and chesnut (9'm) inner region, abundant chlamydospores throughout the medium, forming microsclerotia. Optimal growth temperature at 30 °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 22.9 mm, 31.5 mm, 51.1 mm, 61.9 mm and 77.2 mm, respectively, this is a high-temperature species.

Substratum.

Soil under the natural forest.

Distribution.

Central China.

Other specimens examined.

CHINA. From soil in a natural forest in central China, 07 April 2016, ShuaiFei Chen, CSFF 2023, culture CERC 8957 = CGMCC 3.18736; From soil in a natural forest in central China, 07 April 2016, ShuaiFei Chen, CSFF 2024, culture CERC 8966 = CGMCC 3.18737; From soil in a natural forest in central China, 07 April 2016, ShuaiFei Chen, culture CERC 8930, CERC 8932, CERC 8936 and CERC 8938.

Notes.

Calonectria montana is a new addition to the Ca. kyotensis complex and is phylogenetically closely related to Ca. canadiana ( Crous 2002, Crous et al. 2004, Lombard et al. 2015, 2016). The macroconidia of Ca. montana (av. 43.2 × 4.6 µm) are shorter and wider than those of Ca. canadiana (av. 50 × 4 µm).