Cryptovalsa suaedicola Spooner

Dayarathne, Monika C., Wanasinghe, Dhanushka N., Devadatha, B., Abeywickrama, Pranami, G, E. B., Jones, areth, Chomnunti, Putarak, Sarma, V. V., Hyde, Kevin D., Lumyong, Saisamorn, C., Eric H. & Mckenzie, 2020, Modern taxonomic approaches to identifying diatrypaceous fungi from marine habitats, with a novel genus Halocryptovalsa Dayarathne & K. D. Hyde, gen. nov., Cryptogamie, Mycologie 20 (3), pp. 21-67 : 44

Cryptovalsa suaedicola Spooner

( Fig. 11 )

Transactions of the British Mycological Society 76 (2): 269 (1981).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — United Kingdom, Colne Point Nature Reserve, in salt marsh, on twigs of Suaeda fruticosa amongst lichens Xanthoriaparietina and Lecanora dispersa , N. Essex, 13.VII.1976, J. F. Skinner (holo-, IMI[IMI-1399939]).

DISTRIBUTION. — United Kingdom.

DESCRIPTION

Sexual morph

Stromata. 0.9-1.5 mm diam., well developed, visible as black spots on host surface, substratum blackened around the stromata and with a depressed zone between them.

Ascomata. 370-350 × 290-350 µm, flask-shaped, immersed, 1-3 within one stroma, evenly scattered in a single layer in a widespread entostroma in the surface layers of the host tissue, black, the ostioles protruding and bearing 4 vertical furrows.

Peridium. 35-40 µm wide, composed of 8-9 layers of prismatic cells, the outermost cells dark brown and thick walled, becoming paler inwards. A thickened ring of tissue composed of thick walled dark brown cells is present immediately below the ostiolar neck.

Paraphyses. 1-2 µm wide, filiform, usually branched, hyaline, containing a row of small guttules.

Asci. 80-130 × 6-7.5 µm (ẍ = 105 × 6.5 µm, n = 20), cylindric-fusoid, tapered in the upper part to a rounded apex, and below to a narrow, stipe-like base, rather thickwalled above, apical apparatus diffusely and weakly amyloid, polysporous.

Ascospores. 4-6 × 1-1.5 µm (ẍ = 5 × 1 µm, n = 30), allantoid, non-septate, individually appearing hyaline but greenish in mass within the ascus.

Asexual morph

Undetermined.

NOTES

Cryptovalsa suaedicola reported from temperate Suaeda occurred on twigs associated with lichens and probably occurred above the intertidal region ( Spooner 1981). The species is unique by the wide-spreading eutypoid ascostroma, separate, immersed perithecia with a neck bearing four vertical furrows and polysporous asci. However, C. effusa on stems of Rosa canina in Europe ( Berlese 1905) appears very similar to this species in possessing solitary perithecia. Cryptovalsa suaedicola differs particularly in possessing larger ascospores from other marine Cryptovalsa species ( Spooner 1981). Four vertical furrows of the ascomatal neck is the most useful characteristic to differentiate this species from all other morphologically similar diatrypaceous species from marine based habitats, such as, C. halosarceicola , C. mangrovei , Halocryptovalsa avicenniae , comb. nov., and Hcr. salicorniae ( Table 4 ). Lack of sequence data for this species may lead to taxonomic confusion when determining whether to accommodate this species within the new genus Halocryptovalsa Dayarathne & K.D.Hyde , gen. nov.

Figures

FIG. 11. — Cryptovalsa suaedicola Spooner (IMI139939 – holotype):A, B, herbarium material;C, appearance of stromata on host;D, horizontal section through stroma; E, section through stroma; F, neck region; G, peridium; H-I, asci; J, paraphyses; K-N, ascospores. Scale bars: C-E, 200 μm; F, 50 μm; G-J, 20 μm; K-N, 10 μm.