Morpho-Phylo Taxonomy of Novel Dothideomycetous Fungi Associated With Dead Woody Twigs in Yunnan Province, China

Abstract

Within the field of mycology, macrofungi have been relatively well-studied when compared to microfungi. However, the diversity and distribution of microfungi inhabiting woody material have not received the same degree of research attention, especially in relatively unexplored regions, such as Yunnan Province, China. To help address this knowledge gap, we collected and examined fungal specimens from different plants at various locations across Yunnan Province. Our investigation led to the discovery of four species that are clearly distinct from extant ones. These taxonomic novelties were recognized based on morphological comparisons coupled with phylogenetic analyses of multiple gene sequences (non-translated loci and protein-coding regions). The monotypic genus Neoheleiosa gen. nov. (type: N. lincangensis) is introduced in Monoblastiaceae (Monoblastiales) for a woody-based saprobic ascomycete that possesses globose to subglobose or obpyriform ascomata with centric or eccentric, papillate ostioles, an ascomatal wall with thin-walled cells of textura globulosa, cylindric, pedicellate asci with an ocular chamber, and 1-septate, brown, guttulate, longitudinally striated, bicellular ascospores. Neoheleiosa has a close phylogenetic affinity to Heleiosa, nevertheless, it is morphologically dissimilar by its peridium cells and ornamented ascospores. Acrocalymma hongheense and A. yuxiense are described and illustrated as new species in Acrocalymmaceae. Acrocalymma hongheense is introduced with sexual and asexual (coelomycetous) features. The sexual morph is characterized by globose to subglobose, ostiolate ascomata, a peridium with textura angularis cells, cylindric-clavate asci with a furcate to truncate pedicel and an ocular chamber, hyaline, fusiform, 1-septate ascospores which are surrounded by a thick, distinct sheath, and the asexual morph is featured by pycnidial conidiomata, subcylindrical, hyaline, smooth, annelledic, conidiogenous cells, hyaline, guttulate, subcylindrical, aseptate conidia with mucoid ooze at the apex and with a rounded hilum at the base. Acrocalymma yuxiense is phylogenetically distinct from other extant species of Acrocalymma and differs from other taxa in Acrocalymma in having conidia with three vertical eusepta. Magnibotryascoma kunmingense sp. nov. is accommodated in Teichosporaceae based on its coelomycetous asexual morph which is characterized by pycnidial, globose to subglobose, papillate conidiomata, enteroblastic, annelledic, discrete, cylindrical to oblong, hyaline conidiogenous cells arising from the inner layer of pycnidium wall, subglobose, oval, guttulate, pale brown and unicelled conidia.

Fungal diversity notes 1387–1511: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa

“…Notes : Acrocalymmaceae was introduced by Trakunyingcharoen et al ( 2014 ) to accommodate the monotypic genus Acrocalymma (Wijayawardene et al 2017 , 2020 ; Hongsanan et al 2020a ), and establishment was supported by additional evidence using divergence estimates (Liu et al 2017 ; Hongsanan et al 2020a ). We follow the latest updated account of Acrocalymmaceae included in Mortimer et al ( 2021 ).…”

“…Eleven species are currently known in this genus (Index Fungorum 2021 ). The most recent treatment for Acrocalymma is in Mortimer et al ( 2021 ). In this study, Acrocalymma fici is reported as a new habitat and geographical record from Thailand.…”

Biodiversity of Lignicolous Freshwater Hyphomycetes from China and Thailand and Description of Sixteen Species

“…Traditional identification of freshwater hyphomycetes was based on morphological characters, especially conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidia [ 6 ]. However, the morphology of some species is quite similar and some morphological characters overlap between taxa and, therefore, morphology alone is not sufficient for reliable identification at lower taxonomic levels [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Molecular data has significantly solved this problem, allowing a better species classification of fungi [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”

“…However, the morphology of some species is quite similar and some morphological characters overlap between taxa and, therefore, morphology alone is not sufficient for reliable identification at lower taxonomic levels [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Molecular data has significantly solved this problem, allowing a better species classification of fungi [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. For example, species of the freshwater hyphomycetes genus Cancellidium , are quite similar in morphology and previous studies have identified them as the same species.…”

Novel saprobic Hermatomyces species (Hermatomycetaceae, Pleosporales) from China (Yunnan Province) and Thailand

“…Over the past few decades, the number of studies using a molecular-based approach to study microfungal diversity in the greater Mekong subregion (GMS) has increased rapidly, especially on freshwater and woody litter fungi from China (Yunnan Province) and Thailand (Hapuarachchi et al 2019;Dong et al 2020;Li et al 2020;Monkai et al 2020;Wanasinghe et al 2020Wanasinghe et al , 2021Mortimer et al 2021). Hyde et al (2018) reported that about 96% of fungi from Thailand are new to science.…”