Aleurodiscus senticosus Sheng H. Wu

Wu, Sheng-Hua, Wei, Chia-Ling, Lin, Yu-Ting, Chang, Chiung-Chih & He, Shuang-Hui, 2019, Four new East Asian species of Aleurodiscus with echinulate basidiospores, MycoKeys 52, pp. 71-87 : 71

Aleurodiscus senticosus Sheng H. Wu sp. nov. Figs 2C, 5

Typification.

TAIWAN. New Taipei City, Wulai, 24°51'N, 121°33'E, 448 m, on branch of angiosperm, 10 Sep 2012, S.H. Wu, Wu 1209-7 (holotype TNM F26702). GenBank: ITS = MH596849, 28S = MF043531, TEF1 = LC271169.

Etymology.

senticosus (L.) = full of thorns, referring to the surface of basidia and cystidia.

Diagnosis.

Macroscopically featured in having a more or less cracked hymenophore, resulting from the fusion of numerous basidiome patches. Microscopically its basidia are diagnostic in having large lateral echinulate bladder-like swollen structure. Morphologically it resembles Xylobolus spp., although the latter cause a white-pocket rot in wood and have smooth basidiospores.

Description.

Basidiomes resupinate, beginning as small orbicular patches, gradually extending and fusing together then becoming effused, adnate, membranaceous, 250-600 μm thick in section. Hymenial surface Buff or Light Buff, slightly tuberculate, with a more or less cracked hymenophore; margin paler, usually determinate, occasionally thinning and byssoid.

Hyphal system monomitic; hyphae simple-septate, colorless. Subiculum with dense texture, 200-350 μm thick; hyphae next to substrate more or less horizontal, slightly interwoven, colorless, moderately ramified, at the junction of basidiocarp patches more or less vertical, 2 –4(– 5) μm diam, walls up to 1.5 μm thick. Hymenial layer thickening, with dense texture, 150-250 μm thick, not clearly differentiated from the subiculum; hyphae mainly vertical, colorless, 2-4 μm diam, thin- to slightly thick-walled. Gloeocystidia numerous, immersed or slightly projecting, cylindrical or tubular, with stalked bases, apically sometimes forked, sometimes with one or more constrictions near apices or slightly moniliform, colorless, 45-135 × 5-12 μm, with walls up to 1.5 μm thick, SA–. Acanthophyses numerous, subclavate or clavate, basal parts thin-walled, thick-walled toward apices, colorless, median to apical parts echinulate, 25-65 × 4-13 μm (spines excluded). Hyphidia numerous, 35-65 × 2-4 μm. Basidia clavate, 60-82 × 10-15 μm, with walls up to 2 μm thick, 4-sterigmate, usually with large lateral echinulate bladder-like swollen structure. Basidiospores broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, adaxially flattened, aculeate, with 1-3 μm thick walls, homogeneous or sometimes with several oily drops, amyloid, CB–, mostly 13.5-16.5 × 11-13 μm. (13 –)13.5–15.8(– 17) × (10 –)11.2–12.5(– 13) μm, L = 14.8 ± 1.00 μm, W = 11.8 ± 0.6 μm, Q = 1.25 (n = 30) (holotype, Wu 1209-7); (13 –)14–16(– 17.2) × (10 –)11.2–13(– 15) μm, L = 15.1 ± 1.0 μm, W = 11.9 ± 1.0 μm, Q = 1.26 (n = 30) (GC 1604-46).

Ecology and distribution.

On angiosperm branches, Taiwan, Apr to Sep.

Additional specimens examined.

Taiwan, New Taipei City, Wulai, 24°51'N, 121°33'E, 448 m, on angiosperm branch, 10 Sep 2012, S.H. Wu, Wu 1209-9 (TNM F26704); Nantou, Lienhuachih. 23°56'N, 120°53'E, 700 m, on angiosperm branch, 08 Oct 1996, S.H. Wu, Wu 9610-1 (TNM F5344); on angiosperm branch, 09 Apr 2016, G.C. Chen, GC 1604-46 (TNM F30771).