Kirschsteiniothelia atra (Corda) D. Hawksw., Fungal Diversity

Kirschsteiniothelia atra (Corda) D. Hawksw., Fungal Diversity View in CoL 69: 37 (2014)

Fig. 2 View Figure 2

≡ Amphisphaeria aethiops Sacc., Syll. View in CoL fung. (Abellini) 1: 722 (1882)

= Dendryphiopsis atra (Corda) S. Hughes, Can. J. Bot. View in CoL 31: 655 (1953)

≡ Dendryphion atrum Corda, Icon. fung. ( Prague) 4: 33 (1840)

≡ Kirschsteiniothelia aethiops (Sacc.) D. Hawksw., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. View in CoL 91 (1–2): 185 (1985)

Description.

Saprobic on decaying wood of Edgeworthia chrysantha . Sexual morph: see Hawksworth (1985). Asexual morph: Colonies on the natural substrate superficial, effuse, gregarious, dark brown to black, glistening. Mycelium immersed, composed of branched, septate, thin-walled, smooth, brown hyphae. Conidiophores 253–396 × 8–15.5 µm (x ̄ = 334.6 × 11.7 µm, n = 20), macronematous, mononematous, erect, straight or flexuous, cylindrical, septate, smooth, brown to dark brown, becoming paler towards the apex and comprising numerous short branches. Conidiogenous cells 14.5–29 × 5–10 µm (x ̄ = 20.6 × 6.8 µm, n = 30), tretic, integrated, sometimes percurrent, terminal, doliiform or lageniform, subhyaline to pale brown, with new cells developing from the apical or subapical part of the subtending cells. Conidia 32–56.5 × 11–19.5 µm (x ̄ = 42.3 × 14.5 µm, n = 30), solitary, acrogenous, cylindrical, sometimes clavate, 3–4 - septate, constricted and darker at the septa, smooth, brown and rounded at the apex.

Culture characteristics.

Conidia germinating on Potato Dextrose Agar ( PDA) within 24 h, and producing germ tubes either from the apex or base. Colonies circular, flat, dense, radial sulcate, edge entire, pearl-gray on the surface, dark brown on the reverse and becoming grey-white along the margin.

Material examined.

China • Guizhou Province, Zunyi City , Suiyang County, saprobic on decaying branches of Edgeworthia chrysantha , 13 February 2023, Xue-Mei Chen, SY 12 ( GZAAS 23-0807), living culture GZCC 23-0731 .

Known distribution (based on molecular data).

China ( Su et al. 2016; this study).

Known hosts (based on molecular data).

Edgeworthia chrysantha (This study), Unidentified decaying wood ( Su et al. 2016).

Note.

Morphologically, our collection matches the characteristics of Kirschsteiniothelia atra , including macronematous, mononematous conidiophores with numerous short branches; tretic, doliiform, or lageniform conidiogenous cells that develop new cells from the apical or subapical part of the subtending cells; and cylindrical, occasionally clavate conidia that are 3–4 - septate, constricted and darker at the septa, which are rounded at the apex ( Su et al. 2016). In the phylogenetic analyses, our collection ( GZCC 23-0731) clusters with Kirschsteiniothelia atra ( CBS 109.53, DEN, MFLUCC 15-0424, MFLUCC 16-1104 and S – 783) (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). Excluding gaps, no difference was observed in the comparison of nucleotides across the ITS (491 bp), LSU (788 bp) and SSU (844 bp) regions between our collection and Kirschsteiniothelia atra ( MFLUCC 16-1104). Based on these findings, we identify our isolate as Kirschsteiniothelia atra , following the guidelines established by Jeewon and Hyde (2016) and Maharachchikumbura et al. (2021). This is the first time Kirschsteiniothelia atra has been reported from Edgeworthia chrysantha .