Neooccultibambusa chiangraiensis
Neooccultibambusa chiangraiensis Doilom & K.D. Hyde, in Doilom et al., Fungal Diversity 82: 127 (2016) [2017]
Index Fungorum number: IF551981 Facesoffungi number: FoF01852
Saprobic on dead twigs. Sexual morph: Ascomata black, solitary to gregarious, scattered, immersed to semi- immersed through bark fissures, when cut horizontally loc- ules visible with white contents, uniloculate, globose to sub-globose, with a central ostiole. Ostiole circular, cen- tral, periphyses. Peridium composed of textura angularis cells comprising two layers, outer layer comprising black, thick-walled cells, inner layer comprising hyaline, thin- walled cells. Hamathecium hyphae-like, filiform, septate, numerous, cellular pseudoparaphyses. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, cylindrical to subcylindrical with short furcate to rounded pedicel, sometimes long pedicel, apically rounded with an ocular chamber. Ascospores overlapping biseriate, hyaline when young, 1-septate, surrounded by a gelatinous sheath, when mature, pale brown, fusoid, with narrowly rounded ends, constricted at the center septa, slightly constricted at all septa, with 1–3 transverse septa, swollen at the center, smooth, with small and large guttules, surrounded by mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: forms chlamydospores in culture.
Culture characteristics: Ascospores germinating on PDA within 24 h. Germ tubes produced at both ends of ascospores. Colonies on MEA reaching 7–12, 10–15 and 13–17 mm diam. after 7, 10 and 21 days respectively in the dark at 25 °C (x = 8.8, 11 and 14.8 mm for 7, 10 and 21 days respectively, n = 5), circular, convex or dome-shaped, cottony, aerial in the center, immersed at the edge, edge entire, dense, after 10 days colo- nies brownish grey (5F2), radially striated with lobated edge. Mycelium 2–3 μm wide, aerial to immersed, pale brown to dark brown, septate, branched hyphae, septate, slightly con- stricted at septa, some melanin deposits. Chlamydospores (7.5–) 12–14 (−16) × (8.5–) 12–14 (−17) (x = 12 × 11.8 μm n = 20), produced from immersed mycelia, initially subglobose with 1 cell, hyaline with 1-septate, becoming pale brown to dark brown.
Habitat: Known to inhabit dead twigs of T. grandis.
Known distribution: Thailand.
Material examined: Thailand, Chiang Rai Province, Muang District, Mae khon Subdistrict, on dead twigs of T. grandis, 8 September 2012, M. Doilom, (MFLU 15–3531, holotype), ex-type living culture MFLUCC 12–0559, MKT 075, ICMP 21165.
GenBank Accession No: ITS: KU712442, LSU: KU764699, SSU: KU712458, TEF1: KU872761.
Notes: Neooccultibambusa is introduced as a new genus in the family Occultibambusaceae with N. chiangraiensis as the type species. The new genus is similar to Occultibambusa in having dark brown, fusiform ascospores surrounded by a gelatinous sheath, but Neooccultibambusa produces cylindrical to subcylindrical asci, ascospores with 1–3 transverse septa. Occultibambusa produces broadly cylindrical to clavate asci and ascospores with 1 transverse septum. Phylogenetic analyses also separate Neooccultibambusa from Occultibambusa.
Figure X. A ascomata on substarate b Ascomata cut through horizontally showing the hyaline contents c Ascoma d Peridium e Pseudopharaphyses g Immature ascus h Mature ascus i-l immature ascospores m mature asco spores n germinated mature ascuspore Notes e-i-j-l Sainted in lactophenol cotton blue Scale bars: a= 200 μm b= 500 μm c= 100 μm d-f= 50 μm g-n= 10 μm.