Parafuscosporella garethii sp. nov. (Fuscosporellales) from a rivulet in a community-based northern forest, in Thailand

Abstract

Parafuscosporella garethii, a new freshwater taxon, is described and illustrated from submerged decaying twigs in a Thai community forest located in Chiang Mai Province. The species is recognized as the third species in the genus, and markedly differs from those previously accepted in the genus by its conidial size and shape and having two forms of conidiogenous cells. Phylogenetic analysis based on combined LSU, SSU and RPB2 sequence data place P. garethii in Fuscosporellales, Hypocreomycetidae, Sordariomycetes. The novel taxon is compared with morphologically and phylogenetically similar species in the genus and a taxonomic comparison to accepted Parafuscosporella species is also provided. Key words -E.B. Gareth Jones -freshwater fungi -Fuscosporellaceae -phylogeny -taxonomy IntroductionParafuscosporella (Fuscosporellaceae, Fuscosporellales, Hypocreomycetidae and Sordariomycetes) was introduced by Yang et al. (2016) with P. moniliformis and P. mucosa, as the type and second species in the genus, respectively. These two species were isolated from unidentified submerged twigs in a freshwater stream of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand. The genus is characterized by partly immersed, partly superficial, septate, hyaline to pale brown mycelium; semi-macronematous, mononematous, branched, monoblastic, globose to subglobose, smooth-walled, hyaline conidiophores; and conidia that are ellipsoidal to broadly obpyriform, 1-septate, with a septum near the base, sometimes with a protuberance, and a smooth, dark brown to black, pale brown at basal cell (Yang et al. 2016).During a mycological survey of microfungi at a small stream located in a community forest in Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, P. garethii was found on submerged decaying twigs and is described as a new species here. The new taxon differs from other Parafuscosporella species in having two conidiophore types and in conidial shape and size. Phylogenetic evidence place the taxon in Fuscosporellales with strong bootstrap support. Parafuscosporella garethii is therefore introduced as a third species in the genus and is a novel freshwater taxon from Thailand.

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

“…The type species of the family is Fuscosporella pyriformis Jing Yang, Bhat & K.D. Hyde (Boonyuen et al 2016 ; Yang et al 2016 ). The family is characterized by macronematous, mononematous, branched, hyaline conidiophores; holoblastic, globose to clavate conidiogenous cells; obovate to obpyriform, with a septum near the base, smooth, brown to dark brown conidia.…”

“…Notes : Parafuscosporella currently comprises three species described from freshwater habitats in Thailand. The genus is characterized by sphaerical to cushion-shaped, erumpent to superficial, black, gelatinous sporodochia, with a jelly-like cover; semi-macronematous, mononematous, compact, flexuous, simple or branched, mostly moniliform, conidiophores with globose to subglobose, ellipsoidal or clavate cells; monoblastic, integrated, sometimes discrete, terminal, globose, subglobose, ellipsoidal or clavate conidiogenous cells and acrogenous, ellipsoidal to broadly obpyriform, smooth, dark brown to black conidia, with a septum near the base, sometimes with a small protuberance, with pale brown basal cells (Boonyuen et al 2016 ; Yang et al 2016 ). In this study, a new species Parafuscosporella nilotica is introduced based on evidence of morphology and phylogenetic placement (Figs.…”

“…126 ). Parafuscosporella nilotica has much smaller conidial sizes than all species; 18–22 × 11–15 μm vs 20–29 × 13–19 μm for P. aquatica ; (37.5–)40–47.5 × (25–)27.5–42.5 µm for P. garethii ; 28–37 × 14–21 μm for P. moniliformis ; 26.5–36 × 12–26 μm for P. mucosa and 23–30 × 16–26 μm for P. pyriformis (Boonyuen et al 2016 ; Yang et al 2016 , 2020 ).…”

Novelties in Fuscosporellaceae (Fuscosporellales): Two New Parafuscosporella from Thailand Revealed by Morphology and Phylogenetic Analyses

“…Woody samples were placed into plastic bags and transferred to the mycological laboratory at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA, Pathum Thani, Thailand), for observation. Decaying wood specimens were incubated in plastic containers with sterile tissue paper soaked with sterile distilled water at room temperature (20-25 • C) for 7-14 days, according to the methods described by Boonyuen et al [2]. The specimens were observed using a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZ61; Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) for the presence of freshwater microfungi, and permanent slides were prepared by adding lactoglycerol and sealing with clear nail polish.…”

“…& Somrith., P. moniliformis, P. mucosa Jing Yang, Bhat & K.D. Hyde, and P. pyriformis H. Yang, W. Dong & H. Zhang, have only been reported from decaying submerged wood in Thailand and China (http://www.speciesfungorum.org; accessed on 12 September 2021) [1][2][3][4]. In this study, we describe P. ellipsoconidiogena and P. obovata as the sixth and seventh species in the genus, respectively, collected from a waterfall in Chiang Mai Zoo, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.…”