Neodeightonia rattanicola
Neodeightonia rattanicola Konta & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov. Figs 4–5
Index Fungorum number: IF552169; Facesoffungi number: FoF 02238 Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the common name of host (rattan) and the Latin cola meaning loving. Holotype: MFLU: 15-0294
Saprobic on rachis of Calamus sp., Sexual morph: Ascomata 180–215 high × 146–168 μm diam. (av. = 197 × 155 μm, n = 10), immersed to semi-immersed, solitary, scattered, uniloculate, subglobose to irregular, dark brown or black, with a long neck, irregular at the base. Ostiole central non- papillate. Peridium 35–51 μm diam. (av. =45 μm, n = 10), comprising several layers, outer layer thick, comprising dark brown to black-walled cells of textura angularis, inner layer thin, comprising hyaline cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising hypha-like, hyaline, septate, cellular pseudoparaphyses, up to 3.27 μm wide, often constricted at the septa. Asci 91–108 × 19–25 μm (av. = 101 × 22 μm, n = 10), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical-clavate, with thick endotunica, long pedicellate, apically thickened, with a distinct, ocular chamber. Ascospores 22–26 × 8–11 μm (av. = 23 × 10 μm, n = 20), overlapping biseriate or obliquely 2–3-seriate, hyaline, ellipsoidal-fusiform, aseptate, with polar apiculi, smooth-walled, surrounded by thin mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Coelomycetous. Conidiomata stromatic 420–510 high × 357–443 μm diam. (av. = 446 × 381 μm, n = 5), pycnidial, superficial, dark brown to black, covered with dense mycelium, on PDA mostly uniloculate, individual or aggregated. Paraphyses cylindrical, aseptate hyaline. Conidiogenous cell 4.4–12.5 × 1.5–4.3 μm (av. = 9.4 × 3.4 μm, n = 10), holoblastic, cylindrical to subcylindrical, hyaline. Conidia 13–20 × 7–8 μm (av. = 17.3 × 8 μm, n = 20), initially hyaline, pale to dark brown when mature, unicellular, ellipsoid to obovoid, thick-walled, granulate, rounded at apex.
Culture characters – Ascospores germinating on MEA within 24 hours and germ tube produced from cell. Colonies on MEA fast growing, after 2 weeks reaching 8–9 cm diam. at 25°C, white at the edge, grey in the middle and outwardly strongly radiating. After 1 month of incubation, the colonies on MEA, grey-olivaceous and spongy, hyphae, septate, branched and smooth, form asexual morph after 6 weeks.
Material examined – THAILAND, Phang-Nga, on dead rachis of Calamus sp. (Arecaceae), 6 December 2014, S. Konta, DNH02p, (MFLU 15-0294, holotype; HKAS92530, isotype); ex-type living culture, MFLUCC 15-0319.
Notes – The phylogenetic analyses indicated that Neodeightonia rattanicola (strain MFLUCC 15-0319) is closely related to N. rattanica (strain MFLUCC 15-0712) but they are distinct species (Fig. 1). Morphological differences are discussed under the latter species. Neodeightonia rattanicola differs from N. subglobosa in having hyaline, aseptate ascospores, while N. subglobosa has brown, 1-septate ascospores. Neodeightonia rattanicola is distinct from N. microspora in having ellipsoidal-fusiform ascospores with polar apiculi, while N. microspora has obovoid ascospores lacking polar apiculi (Table 2) and it differs from N. palmicola and N. phoenicum in having aseptate conidia while N. palmicola and N. phoenicum have 1-septate conidia.
Fig. 4 – Neodeightonia rattanicola (MFLU 15-0294, holotype) a. Ascomata on host substrate. b–d. Close-up of ascomata. e. Section of ascoma. f. Peridium. g. Neck. h. Pseudoparaphyses. i–l. Asci. m–q. Ascospores. r Surface view of culture on MEA after 1 month. Scale bars: a = 1,000 μm, b = 500 μm, c–d = 200 μm, e = 50 μm, f, h = 10 μm, g = 20 μm, i–l = 20 μm, m–q = 10 μm.
Fig. 5 – Neodeightonia rattanicola (MFLUCC 15-0319, holotype) a. Section of conidioma. b. Peridium. c–l. Conidiogenous cells with conidia. −p. Immature conidia. q–s. Mature conidia. Scale bars: a–b = 50 μm, c–l = 10 μm, m–s = 5 μm.