Arecophila gulubiicola K.D. Hyde, Nova Hedwigia 63(1-2): 91 (1996)

Li, Qi Rui, Zhang, Xu, Lin, Yan, Samarakoon, Milan C., Hyde, Kevin David, Shen, Xiang Chun, Liao, Wan Qing, Karunarathna, Anuruddha, Long, Si Han, Kang, Ying Qian & Kang, Ji Chuan, 2022, Morpho-molecular characterisation of Arecophila, with A. australis and A. clypeata sp. nov. and A. miscanthi comb. nov., MycoKeys 88, pp. 123-149 : 123

Arecophila gulubiicola K.D. Hyde, Nova Hedwigia 63(1-2): 91 (1996)

Fig. 4

Description.

Saprobic on dead trunk of Gulubia costata (Becc.) Becc. Sexual morph: Ascomata 290-400 × 140-190 μm (x̄ = 336 × 167 µm, n = 8), immersed under a clypeus, solitary or clustered, in vertical section, lenticular, with a central ostiole. Clypeus raised, oval, blackened areas on the host surface, dome-shaped, well-developed and black. Peridium 25-35 μm wide, dense, compressed layers of brown-walled, angular cells, tightly adhered to the host tissues. Paraphyses 2-2.5 μm wide, filamentous, hyaline, septate, branched, tapering distally. Asci 107-145 × 11-13.5 μm (x̄ = 114.3 × 12.4 μm, n = 15), 8-spored, unitunicate, cylindrical, short-pedicellate, apically rounded, wedge-shaped, J+, subapical ring, 3-4 × 1-2 μm (x̄ =3.5 × 1.5 μm, n = 15). Ascospores 14.5-18.5 × 6-9 μm (x̄ = 17.4 × 6.5 μm, n = 25), overlapping uniseriate, ellipsoidal, brown, 2-celled, septate at the centre, constricted at the septum, longitudinal, sulcate striations along the entire spore length, surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Material examined.

Papua New Guinea, Central Province, 08°30'00"N, 147°24'35"E, on dead trunk of G. costate (Becc.) Becc. ( Arecaceae ), May 1992, K.D. Hyde, (BRIP 23002a, holotype) .

Notes.

Arecophila gulubiicola has deeply immersed, subglobose to lenticular ascomata with a small or lacking clypeus, cylindrical, short-pedicellate asci with a wedge-shaped, conical, apical ring and ellipsoidal, brown ascospores with wall striations and surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath ( Hyde 1996). Alishanica has been introduced as a monospecific genus with the type species Al. miscanthi Karun. et al. on dead sheaths of Miscanthus sinensis ( Poaceae ) from Taiwan ( Hyde et al. 2020). We re-examined both A. gulubiicola and Al. miscanthi herbarium specimens and observed that they are congeneric. Alishanica miscanthi has characters that immersed ascoma under a clypeus, unitunicate, cylindrical asci with a J+ apical ring and brown, 2-celled ascospores with longitudinal wall striations and a mucilaginous sheath which are consistent with the generic characteristics of Arecophila . The phylogeny of Al. miscanthi was mainly considered by the A. bambusae (HKUCC 4794) sequences ( Hyde et al. 2020). However, HKUCC 4794 is not the type material of Arecophila and cannot be used to represent Arecophila . In our phylogeny, HKUCC 4794 forms a distinct clade (Fig. 1 ; Clade 2) from the Arecophila representing the clade. Based on morphology and phylogeny, we synonymise Alishanica under Arecophila and Al. miscanthi is accepted as an Arecophila species. Furthermore, A. bambusae needs to be recollected and provided with the phylogenetic affinity in future studies.

Figures

Figure 1. Phylogenetic tree, based on a combined ITS, LSU, rpb 2 and β-tubulin gene dataset. Numbers close to each node represent Maximum Likelihood bootstrap values (≥ 75 %) and Bayesian posterior probabilities (≥ 0.95). The hyphen (" - ") means a value lower than 75 % (BS) or 0.95 (PP). New taxa are marked in red. Type materials are marked with T after the strains. The tree is rooted to Achaetomium macrosporum (CBS 532.94), Chaetomium elatum (CBS 374.66) and Sordaria fimicola (CBS 723.96).

Figure 4. Arecophila gulubiicola (BRIP 23002 a, holotype) A, B herbarium material with label C ascomata on the host D, E sections of ascomata F paraphyses G-J asci K peridium L, M wedge-shaped, J + apical ring bluing in Melzer's reagent N-Q ascospores. Scale bars: 50 μm (D, E); 5 μm (F-Q).