Geejayessia clavata Z.Q. Zeng & W.Y. Zhuang

Zeng, Zhao-Qing & Zhuang, Wen-Ying, 2018, Two new species of Geejayessia (Hypocreales) from Asia as evidenced by morphology and multi-gene analyses, MycoKeys 42, pp. 7-19 : 7

Geejayessia clavata Z.Q. Zeng & W.Y. Zhuang sp. nov. Figures 2, 3

Holotype.

CHINA, Henan Province, Longyuwan, 33°40'45"N, 111°46'26"E, alt. 1500 m, on bark of Buxus sp., 17 September 2013, H.D. Zheng, Z.Q. Zeng & Z.X. Zhu 8728 (holotype: HMAS 275654), dried ex-type culture HMAS 248725.

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the clavate microconidia.

Description.

Mycelium not visible around ascomata or on host. Ascomata perithecial, crowded in group of 5 to 40, on basal stroma, oval, subglobose to globose, smooth, bright red when fresh, red brownish to dark red when dry, with a darker red ostiolar region, turning purple red in KOH and orange yellow in LA, 128-175 × 206-255 μm (n = 17). Perithecial wall consisting of a single layer, 15-25 μm thick, cells forming textura prismatica, 2-12 × 2-6 μm, walls 1-1.2 μm thick. Asci cylindrical, with a rounded apex, (4-7-)8-spored, 55-75 × 5-9 μm. Ascospores ellipsoidal to broadly ellipsoidal, equally 2-celled, slightly constricted at septum, smooth or finely verruculose, hyaline or pale brown, obliquely uniseriate in ascus often with ends overlapping, 7.5-12 × 4.5-5.5 μm.

Culture characteristics.

Colony on PDA 48 mm diam. after 7 d at 25 °C, surface cottony, aerial mycelium white, producing vinaceous pigment in medium. Colony on SNA 30 mm diam. after 7 d at 25 °C, surface slightly floccose, with sparse whitish aerial mycelium. Colony on CMD 56 mm diam. after 7 d at 25 °C, surface floccose, with sparse whitish aerial mycelium, producing vinaceous pigment in medium. Conidiophores with short simple branches. Conidiogenous cells monophialidic, cylindrical, tapering toward the tip, 12-63 × 1.5-3.5 μm. Conidia clavate, not in chains, hyaline, aseptate, 4-7 × 0.8-2 μm (n = 60). Macroconidia and chlamydospores not observed.

Notes. Attempts were made to obtain macroconidia of the fungus in culture, but failed. Although the falcate macroconidia are lacking, the major phenotypic features of the fungus, such as occurrence on bark of Buxus sp., perithecia broadly ampulliform with a short neck, asci cylindrical with a rounded apex, ellipsoidal ascospores uniseptate and conidiophores monophialidic, fit well with the generic concept of Geejayessia . The molecular data confirm the taxonomic placement and indicate its close relationship with G. atrofusca (Figure 1, BIPP/MPBP = 100%/89%). Geejayessia atrofusca differs significantly in dark brown to black ascomata that do not change colour in KOH or LA, wider asci [(7.5-)9.8-13.3(-15) μm wide] and longer ascospores [(10-)11.2-14.2(-17.0) μm long]. Its microconidia are oblong to slightly curved and falcate but not clavate and are longer and wider ( Samuels and Rogerson 1984).