Neodeightonia planchoniae

Neodeightonia planchoniae Jayasiri & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov. (Fig. 123)

Index Fungorum number: IF555583; Facesoffungi number: FoF05297; Holotype: MFLU 18–2140
Etymology: Referring to the host genus on which the fungus was collected, Planchonia (Lecythidaceae).

Saprobic on fruit of Planchonia sp. Sexual morph: Ascomata 175–210 × 182–250 μm (av. = 190 × 220 μm; n = 10), immersed, dark brown to black, with a single aparaphysate locule, with wall composed of pseudoparenchymatous cells many layers thick, asci developing amongst partially disintegrating sterile thin-walled tissue in locule. Neck of ascostromata narrow, opening by an apical ostiole, formed by the disintegration of the central thin-walled cells. Peridium 28–60 μm wide (av. = 42 μm; n = 20), dark brown, smooth, two cell layers of textura angularis. Hamathecium 1.5–2.5 μm wide (av. = 1.9 μm, n = 30), Pseudoparaphyses, hyphae-like, septate, constricted at the septa. Asci 58–70 × 15–21 μm (av. = 64 × 18 μm; n = 20), parallel, more or less separated from one another by stromatic tissue, clavate to cylindric-clavate, 8-spored, bitunicate with a thick endotunica. Ascospores 18–26 × 7–9 μm (av. = 23 × 8 μm; n = 30), biseriate, hyaline to pale brown, oval to broadly ellipsoidal, when mature muriform, aseptate, with bipolar germ pores, immature with large guttule, surrounded by a thick mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Culture characters – Conidia germinated on MEA within 24 hr. Germ tubes produced from ends of conidia. Colonies growing on MEA, reaching 50–60 mm diam. after 2 weeks at 18oC. Colonies with aerial mycelia, becoming smoke grey to olivaceous-grey at the surface and reverse dark grey to black.

Material examined – THAILAND, Lampang Province (19 ̊ 6̍ 23̎ N, 99 ̊ 41̍ 26̎ E), on decaying fruit pericarp of Planchonia sp. (Lecythidaceae), 18 August 2017, S.C. Jayasiri, C 312 (MFLU 18– 2140, holotype; MFLU 18–2141, isotype), ex-type living culture MFLUCC 17–2427, KUMCC 18– 0260.

GenBank numbers – SSU: MK347861, ITS: MK347755, LSU: MK347972

Notes – Based on phylogenetic and morphological differences, a new species, Neodeightonia planchoniae, is introduced. Neodeightonia planchoniae, forms a sister clade to N. palmicola with high statistical support (79% MLBS/0.95 BYPP, Fig. 122). There are 8 (1.5%) base pair differences between N. planchoniae and N. palmicola in the ITS gene sequence. tef1 gene sequences are not available for N. palmicola for comparison. Neodeightonia palmicola and N. planchoniae share many similar morphological characters e.g. ostiolate ascomata, clavate to cylindric-clavate asci with a thick endotunica, ascospores with bipolar germ pores and thick mucilaginous sheaths (Fig. 123). However, N. palmicola differs in having pale brown and muriform mature ascospores and a thin peridium. Taking these differences into account, we identify our strain as a new species.