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Unitat de Microbiologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, 43201 Reus, and Institut d'Estudis Avançats, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
Samir K. Abdullah
Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Basrah, Iraq
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ABSTRACT |
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Janetia obovata and Stachybotryna excentrica, two new hyphomycetes from submerged litter collected in different Mediterranean localities in Spain, are described and illustrated. Janetia obovata possesses denticulate and dark pigmented conidiogenous cells characteristic of the genus, but is mainly distinctive in producing obovoid and unevenly pigmented conidia. Stachybotryna excentrica is hyaline and produces setae as do all members of the genus, but is distinctive by its small conidia that are cylindrical or ellipsoidal in front view and slightly allantoid in side view with a protuberant eccentric scar, and its long subcylindrical setae. A key to Stachybotryna species is provided.
Key words: Mediterranean localities, mitosporic fungi, systematics
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INTRODUCTION |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSTAXONOMYLITERATURE CITED |
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, Castañeda et al (1996, 1997), Gené et al (1995, 2000)
, Muntañola-Cvetkovic et al (1998)
, among others. During our ongoing survey of litter fungi in Spain, several interesting hyphomycetes were found colonizing submerged plant debris collected in different Spanish localities (Balearic Islands and Catalonia), including one specimen each belonging to the genera Janetia M. B. Ellis (Ellis 1976
) and to Stachybotryna Tubaki & T. Yokoy (Tubaki and Yokoyama 1971
). These fungi are considered to be sufficiently different from all previously described taxa as to warrant their description as new species. |
MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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). Plant material was taken from different stagnant water ponds and streams, put into polyethylene bags and kept in the refrigerator at 4–7 C until they were processed. Samples were washed several times in tapwater and placed in moist chambers, which were incubated at 15 C under 12 h of darkness, alternating with 12 h of cool white fluorescent light (15 W) ca 4–5 d. Chambers were examined every 3 d for 3 wk. To achieve pure cultures, conidia were transferred from the natural substrate to three different media: malt extract agar (MEA; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Michigan), potato carrot agar (PCA; 20 g potatoes, 20 g carrots, 20 g agar, 1 L distilled water) and oat-meal agar (OA; 30 g flakes, 20 g agar, 1 L distilled water). Micrographs were obtained with a Leitz Dialux 20 EB microscope and a Jeol JSM-6400 scanning electron microscope.
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TAXONOMY |
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Hyphomycetes. Colonies on the natural substrate scattered, brown to dark brown. Mycelium partly superficial, partly immersed in the substrate. Hyphae septate, branched, pale brown to brown, smooth-walled, 1.5–2.5 µm wide. Conidiophores micronematous, mononematous. Conidiogenous cells monoblastic, mostly intercalary, solitary or aggregated, determinate, variable in shape, more or less cylindrical, ampulliform or lageniform, 4–9 x 3–7 µm, smooth-walled, reddish brown to brown, denticulate, with conico-truncate denticle, 1–2 µm wide. Conidia acrogenous, solitary, dry, broadly clavate or obovate, 22.5–33.5 x 12–15 µm, sometimes slightly curved, truncate at the base, (3–)4(–5)–euseptate, slightly constricted at the septa, smooth-walled, unevenly pigmented, blackish-brown at the apex and progressively paler towards the base; basal cell conico-truncate, often inflated, 4–6.5 x 5–6 µm, pale brown. Secession schizolytic. Teleomorph unknown.
Specimens examined. SPAIN. BALEARIC ISLANDS: Mallorca, Tramuntana Mountains, Escorca, Gorg Blau Reservoir (39.8° N, 2.7° E), on unidentified submerged wood, 7 Mar 1997, S. K. Abdullah and M. Calduch (HOLOTYPE: IMI 380443; ISOTYPE: FMR 6482; ex-type culture: CBS 101300). CATALONIA: Tarragona, Ports de Tortosa Besseit, El Parrisal (40.7° N, 0.3° E), on unidentified submerged wood, 2 Apr 1999, M. Calduch (FMR 7274).
Etymology. From the Latin obovata, referring to the conidial shape.
Known distribution. Spain.
Habitat. Saprobic on submerged plant debris.
Colonies on OA at 25 C in the dark growing slowly, attaining a diam of 8–12 mm in 21 d, slightly granular, flat, dark brown, with sparse aerial mycelium at the center and submerged mycelium at the margin; reverse dark violet. Colonies on PCA at 25 C attaining a diam of 4–7 mm in 21 d, slightly granular, flat, dark brown, without aerial mycelium, margin fimbriate; reverse dark brown. Sporulation was abundant on both media. The conidial morphology was similar to that observed on the natural substrate, although the conidiogenous cells were usually cylindrical in vitro.
The genus Janetia was proposed by Ellis (1976)
with J. euphorbiae M. B. Ellis as type species, and the new combination J. faureae (Piroz.) M. B. Ellis based on Sporidesmium faureae Piroz. (Pirozynski 1972
). They were found colonizing stems of Euphorbia tirucalli L. and unidentified fallen leaves, respectively, from Tanzania. Initially, this genus was characterized by the integrated, mostly intercalary, polyblastic, denticulate conidiogenous cells, often inflated and darker than the hyphae, and by the phragmosporus euseptate and dematiaceous conidia. However, Goh and Hyde (1996)
emended the generic description to include species with distoseptate conidia, monoblastic conidiogenous cells and synnematal conidiomata. Our species is clearly in Janetia, which is easily separated from the other 16 species (Goh and Hyde 1996
) by its obovoid conidia dark distally and progressively paler towards the base. In contrast, the other Janetia species have obclavate or cylindrical conidia, which are dark at the basal cell and paler towards the apex. Some species of Bactrodesmium Cooke, Gangliostilbe Subram. & Vittal and Trichocladium Harz have conidia with similar characters. However, the conidiogenous cells of Janetia are denticulate, ampulliform or lageniform and dark, while those of the three above-mentioned genera are always cylindrical, non-denticulate and usually with the same pigment as the hyphae. Furthermore, the conidiophores in Bactrodesmium and Gangliostilbe are respectively grouped in sporodochia and synnemata.
Stachybotryna excentrica Gené, Calduch, Abdullah et Guarro, anam. sp. nov.
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Hyphomycetes. Colonies on the natural substrate pustulate, irregular, up to 2 mm diam, white to cream-colored, hairy due to the abundance of setae. Mycelium partly superficial and partly immersed in the substrate. Hyphae hyaline, septate, branched, 2–2.5 µm wide. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, straight, unbranched, hyaline, smooth- and thick-walled, mostly 2–septate, 36–50(–55) x 2–3 µm, with swollen apex up to 4–4.5 µm wide, from which arises a whorl of 8–12 conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells monophialidic, clavate, 7–9 x 2–3 µm, hyaline, smooth- and thin-walled. Conidia in slimy heads, unicellular, cylindrical or ellipsoidal in front view, slightly allantoid in side view, 3.5–5.5 x 1.5–2 µm, hyaline, smooth- and thin-walled, with a protuberant subbasal scar. Setae usually formed close to the conidiophores, suberect, unbranched, hyaline, smooth- and thick-walled, 5–8-septate, subcylindrical, 165–220 x 2.5–3 µm, with obtuse apex and sometimes slightly swollen base, 3.5–4.5 µm wide. Teleomorph unknown.
Specimens examined. SPAIN. BALEARIC ISLAND: Mallorca, Tramuntana Mountains, Coll de Sóller, Font de la Reina (39.8° N, 2.7° E), on unidentified decaying submerged leaf, 7 Mar 1997, S. K. Abdullah and J. Gené, (HOLOTYPE: IMI 380441; ISOTYPE: FMR 6204; ex-type culture: CBS 101298); on unidentified submerged wood (IMI 380442, CBS 101299, FMR 6205). CATALONIA: Tarragona, Poblet (41.3° N, 1.0° E), on unidentified decaying submerged leaf, 25 May 1999, M. Calduch (FMR 7275).
Etymology. From the Latin excentricus, referred to the presence of a subbasal conidial scar.
Known distribution. Spain.
Habitat. Saprobic on submerged plant debris.
Colonies on OA at 25 C in the dark reaching 19–21 mm diam in 14 d, white to cream-colored, with abundant production of conidiophores and setae growing directly on the agar surface; reverse pale brown at the center and the rest colorless. Colonies on PCA at 25 C reaching 10–12 mm diam in 14 d, with sparse aerial mycelium and very poor sporulation; reverse colorless.
Tubaki and Yokoyama (1971)
introduced the genus Stachybotryna to accommodate Stachybotrys-like specimens with hyaline or subhyaline fungal structures and with setae developing independently or basally connected to the conidiophores. Although some Stachybotrys species, such as S. elegans (Pidopl.) W. Gams (Domsch et al 1980
), have hyaline conidiophores and conidia, they never develop setae. Another genus with some morphological similarities to Stachybotryna is Memnoniella Höhnel, but all the species are dematiaceous and produce conidia in chains. Presently, three Stachybotryna species are known: S. columare Tubaki & T. Yokoy (Tubaki and Yokoyama 1971
), S. splendida R. F. Castañeda (Castañeda-Ruíz 1987
), and S. hachijoensis Ts. Watan. (Watanabe 1990
). They differ from our specimen mainly by the morphology of setae and conidia. Stachybotryna hachijoensis grows associated with its teleomorph (Nectria hachijoensis Ts. Watan.), which reveals the possible relationship of other Stachybotryna species with the Hypocreales. The morphological characters distinguishing the four Stachybotryna species are keyed out below.
Key to Stachybotryna species:
1. Conidia up to 2 µm wide . . . . . 2
1. Conidia wider . . . . . 3
2. Setae with a lanceolate apical swelling. Conidia 14–18 µm long . . . . . S. columare
2. Setae without apical swellings. Conidia 3.5–5.5 µm long . . . . . S. excentrica
3. Setae considerably shorter than the conidiophores, unbranched, with a globose apical swelling. Conidia 8–10 x 3–4 µm . . . . . S. splendida
3. Setae longer than the conidiophores, branched or unbranched, without apical swellings. Conidia 12.5–27.5 (42.5) x 5–5.5 µm . . . . . S. hachijoensis
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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FOOTNOTES |
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Accepted for publication August 20, 2001.
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LITERATURE CITED |
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———, ———, ———, ———. 2000 The aero-aquatic Helicodendron microsporum n. sp. from Mallorca, Spain Mycol Res 104:375-377
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———, ———, ———, Descals E., 1997 Spanish Hyphomycetes XVI. Some aero-aquatic conidial fungi Mycotaxon 56:311-318
Castañeda-Ruíz RF., 1987 Fungi Cubenses II C. Habana, Cuba: Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical "Alejandro de Humboldt". 22 p
———, Gené J, Guarro J., 1996 Litter hyphomycetes from La Gomera (Canarias) Mycotaxon 59:203-215
———, Guarro J, Figueras MJ, Gené J, Cano J., 1997 More conidial fungi from La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain Mycotaxon 65:121-131
Domsch KH, Gams W, Anderson TH., 1980 Compendium of soil fungi London, England: Academic Press. Vol. 2. 405 p
Ellis MB., 1976 More Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes Kew, England: Commonwealth Mycological Institute. 507 p
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Gené J, Guarro J, Ulfig K., 1995 Contribución al estudio de los hifomicetes de España. XIV Bol Soc Micol Madrid 20:281-286
———, Mercado-Sierra A, Guarro J., 2000 Dactylaria cazorlii and Hansfordia catalonica, two new hyphomycetes from litter in Spain Mycol Res 104:1404-1407
Goh TK, Hyde KD., 1996 Janetia curviapicis, a new species, an emended description of the genus Mycologia 88:1014-1021
Muntañola-Cvetkovic M, Hoyo P, Gómez-Bolea A., 1998 Periconia fusiformis anam. sp. nov Mycotaxon 68:131-136
Pirozynski KA., 1972 Microfungi of Tanzania, I. Miscellaneous fungi on oil palm, II. New Hyphomycetes Mycol Pap 129:1-65
Tubaki K, Yokoyama T., 1971 Notes on the Japanese Hyphomycetes V Trans Mycol Soc Japan 12:18-28
Watanabe T., 1990 Three new Nectria species from Japan Trans Mycol Soc Japan 31:227-236
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