Cintractiella kosraensis Aime, M.Abbasi & K.R.Wood

Aime, M. Catherine, Kijpornyongpan, Teeratas, Abbasi, Mehrdad, Wood, Kenneth R. & Flynn, Tim, 2018, A new species of Cintractiella (Ustilaginales) from the volcanic island of Kosrae, Caroline Islands, Micronesia, MycoKeys 42, pp. 1-6 : 2

Cintractiella kosraensis Aime, M.Abbasi & K.R.Wood sp. nov. Fig. 2

Diagnosis.

Differs from the similar Cintractiella lamii in having thin walled mostly depressed-globose spores with no visible germ pore and in lacking the hard, cylindrical curved mass of spores and hypertrophic parenchymatic tissue on the leaves, characteristic of C. lamii .

Type.

CAROLINE ISLANDS: The State of Kosrae: Malem Municipality, Mount Oma, 410 m alt., on Mapania pacifica (Hosok.) T. Koyama, 4 Sep 2009, K.R.Wood 13895 (holotype: PTBG-070102; isotype: PUL F2910).

Description.

Sori amphigenous, mostly hypophyllous, clustered in groups of spikelets, each composed of olivaceous-brown, scale-like leaves, 1-1.5 mm wide, up to 6 mm long (Fig. 2 A–B). Spore mass black, initially agglutinated and surrounded by a thin hyaline membrane, with no hard cylindrical body; at maturity, exposed at the opened tip of the spikelet. Spores single, mostly depressed-globose, globose or semi-globose, (28-) 35-44 µm in diameter, with no visible germ pore, wall dark reddish-brown, (1.2-) 1.5-2.5 (-3) µm thick, minutely reticulate (Fig. 2 C–D). Spore germination not known.

Distribution and ecology.

Cintractiella kosraensis sp. nov. is only known from the type location along the summit ridge of Mt. Oma in Malem Municipality and type host–the indigenous sedge M. pacifica -on the volcanic island of Kosrae, located in the eastern Caroline Islands and within the Federated States of Micronesia in the general vicinity of 5°20'N, 163°0'E ( Lorence and Wood 2012, Figure 1A).

Etymology.

kosraensis = for the island of Kosrae, where this species was discovered.

Specimens examined.

Caroline Islands. The State of Kosrae: Malem Municipality, Mount Oma, 410 m alt., on M. pacifica , 4 Sep 2009, K.R.Wood 13895 (holotype: PTBG-070102; isotype: PUL F2910).