Neoberkleasmium J. Y. Zhang, Y. Z. Lu & K. D. Hyde, 2025

Neoberkleasmium J. Y. Zhang, Y. Z. Lu & K. D. Hyde gen. nov.

Etymology.

The genus name refers to the similar genus Berkleasmium .

Type species.

Neoberkleasmium nigroapicale (Bussaban, Lumyong, P. Lumyong, McKenzie & K. D. Hyde) J. Y. Zhang, K. D. Hyde & Y. Z. Lu .

Description.

Sexual morph: Undetermined. Asexual morph: hyphomycetous. Colonies on natural substrate superficial, effuse, scattered or aggregated, sporodochial, pulvinata, punctiform, black. Mycelium partly immersed, partly superficial, composed of branched, septate, subhyaline to brown hyphae. Conidiophores macronematous, septate, hyaline to pale brown. Conidiogenous cells blastic, integrated, terminal, hyaline. Conidia acrogenous, solitary, cylindrical to broadly clavate, thick-walled, muriform, constricted at septa, brown.

Notes.

Neoberkleasmium is introduced as a segregated genus from Berkleasmium to accommodate Berkleasmium micronesiacum and B. nigroapicale . Berkleasmium species have been associated with helicosporous fungi and were placed in Tubeufiaceae , Tubeufiales ( Lu et al. 2017; Tibpromma et al. 2017). In comparison, Neoberkleasmium is a member of Lentimurisporaceae , Pleosporales . Morphologically, Neoberkleasmium fits well with the concept of Lentimurisporaceae and resembles Lentimurispora in having sporodochial, brown to black conidiomata, monoblastic conidiogenous cells, and muriform, dematiaceous conidia (Table 2). However, Neoberkleasmium is distinguished from Lentimurispora by its cylindrical to broadly clavate conidia, often darkened at the upper part, whereas Lentimurispora produces conidia that are lenticular with dark brown central cells and pale-colored peripheral cells.