Bhatia laevispora J.S. Monteiro, 2017

Monteiro, Josiane Santana, Carmo, Luana Teixeira Do & Sotão, Helen Maria Pontes, 2017, A new species of Bhatia (asexual ascomycetes) and new records from Brazil, Phytotaxa 331 (2), pp. 263-272 : 265

Bhatia laevispora J.S. Monteiro , sp. nov. ( Figure 1 , a–g; Figure 2 )

MycoBank no.: MB 821671

Diagnosis: —This species differs from B. malabarica by its smaller conidiogenous cells (4–8 × 3–4 μm) with 1–4 percurrent extensions and bigger (25‒30 × 14‒20 μm), smooth conidia with brown to dark brown apical cells, paler central cells and pale brown to subhyaline basal cell.

Type (designated here): — BRAZIL. Amapá: Ferreira Gomes, FLONA of Amapá, on decaying leaflets of Astrocaryum murumuru Mart. ( Arecaceae ), 15 December 2009, J. S. Monteiro (holotype MG 224312).

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the smooth-walled conidia.

Colonies effuse, hairy, dark brown. Mycelium partly immersed, partly superficial, composed by hyphae branched, septate, cylindrical, smooth, brown, 2–2.5 μm wide. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, solitary, branched, erect, straight or slightly flexuous, 10–16-septate, cylindrical, thick-walled, smooth, dark brown in the base, tapered and paler towards the apex, 225‒375 × 10‒16 μm; branches cylindrical, 1–4-septate, smooth, brown to pale brown, 8‒30 × 4‒6 μm, truncate apex, 3‒4 μm wide; rarely a secondary branch arising from base of primary branch. Conidiogenous cells monoblastic, integrated, terminal in the main axis and lateral branches in the conidiophore, lageniform, smooth, pale brown, 4–8 × 3–4 μm, with 1–4 percurrent extensions. Seccession schizolytic. Conidia holoblastic, acrogenous, solitary, dry, obovoide, pyriform, dictyosporic, 3‒4 transversal septa, 1–2 longitudinal septa, slightly constricted at the septa, smooth, brown to dark brown apical cells, paler central cells and pale brown to subhyaline basal cell, 25‒30 × 14‒20 μm; basal cell cylindrical, pale brown, truncate at base, 3.5‒4 × 3–3.5μm wide.

Additional material examined: BRAZIL. Amapá: Ferreira Gomes, FLONA of Amapá, on decaying leaflets of Astrocaryum gynacanthum Mart. ( Arecaceae ), 16 December 2009, J.S. Monteiro (MG 226123).

Distribution: ― Bhatia laevispora is known only from Amapá.

Ecology:— On decaying leaflets of A. murumuru and A. gynacanthum .

Notes:— Bhatia laevispora differs from B. malabarica by its smaller conidiogenous cells (4–8 μm vs. 11–15 μm long) with percurrent extensions, and bigger (25–30 × 14–20 μm vs. 16–21 × 14–17 μm), smooth conidia ( Subramanian & Bhat 1987, Zhaos et al. 2009). Bhatia malabarica and the novel species B. laevispora were described on members of Poaceae and Arecaceae , respectively. A great diversity of fungi associated with these vegetal families has been reported ( Hyde et al. 2002, 2007).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Bhatia laevispora (MG 224312, holotype). a. Conidia; b. Conidiophore and conidia; c. Conidiophore; d–e. Conidiogenous cells with percurrent extensions; f–g. Conidiogenous cell and conidia. Scale bars: a, d, e = 20 μm, b-c = 50 μm. f-g = 10 μm.

FIGURE 2. Drawings of Bhatia laevispora (MG 224312, holotype). a. Conidiophores and conidia; b. Conidia; c. Conidiophore. Scale bars: a, c = 50 μm, b = 20 μm.