This Article Abstract Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rogers, J. D. Articles by Huhndorf, S. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Rogers, J. D. Articles by Huhndorf, S. M. Agricola Articles by Rogers, J. D. Articles by Huhndorf, S. M.

Ophiorosellinia costaricensis gen. et sp. nov., a xylariaceous fungus with scolecosporous ascospores

     Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6430

Anayda Hidalgo

     Herbario, Escuela de Bíología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica

Fernando A. Fernández
Sabine M. Huhndorf

     Department of Botany, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496

	ABSTRACT

TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS TAXONOMY DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 

A pyrenomycete featuring uniperitheciate stromata embedded in a subiculum and asci with iodine-positive apical ascal rings that bear scolecosporous ascospores is described as new. The fungus, Ophiorosellinia costaricensis, is known only from the type location in Costa Rica. It has been cultured, but no anamorph was discovered.

Key words: Ascomycetes, pyrenomycetes, Xylariaceae

	INTRODUCTION

TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS TAXONOMY DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 
During collecting in conjunction with an ascomycete workshop in Costa Rica (see Acknowledgments) one of us (AH) obtained a most unusual pyrenomycete. In gross morphology it appeared to be a Rosellinia DeNot. On microscopic examination, however, the asci were shown to contain extremely long and narrow ascospores. Scolecosporous ascospores are unknown in family Xylariaceae. We thus carefully examined material to be certain it was not a Rosellinia that, in fact, was parasitized, i.e., in the manner of Orbilia spp. and other ascomycetes by a cryptic fungal parasite (see Baral 1999). Our material indeed appears to represent a heretofore unknown xylariaceous fungus, and we describe it here.

	MATERIALS AND METHODS

TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS TAXONOMY DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 
Perithecial stromata were fractured to expose the membranous sac-like perithecia. The perithecium was cut with a sterile blade, and a drop of sterile distilled water applied to the exposed hymenium. Swollen hymenial material was spotted with a sterile needle onto 2% scratch malt-extract agar (SMEA) (Kenerley and Rogers 1976). Resulting cultures were transferred onto 2% Difco potato-dextrose agar with 5 g/L Difco yeast extract (PDYA), 2% Difco oatmeal agar (OA) and other media. Photomicrographs were made by differential interference microscopy (DIC). Herbarium citations follow Holmgren et al (1990) where possible.

	TAXONOMY

TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS TAXONOMY DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 

Ophiorosellinia J.D. Rogers, A. Hidalgo, F.A. Fernández et Huhndorf, gen. nov.

Stroma cum perithecio solitario atra carbonacea in subiculo inclusa. Perithecium facile divulsum e stromate. Asci cylindracei stipitibus curtis annulo apicali in liquore Melzeri cyanescente. Ascosporae brunneae scolecosporae septatae leves, apparenter rima geminativa destitutae.

Typus generis. Ophiorosellinia costaricensis J.D. Rogers, A. Hidalgo, F.A. Fernández et Huhndorf.

Etymology. "ophio", indicating the scolecosporous undulating ascospores + "rosellinia", indicating the gross morphology of the stroma, perithecia and subiculum.

Stroma with single perithecium, blackish, carbonaceous, solitary, embedded in subiculum. Perithecium easily removed from stroma. Asci cylindrical with short stipes, with apical ring bluing in Melzer's iodine reagent. Ascospores brown, scolecosporous, septate, smooth, apparently lacking a germination slit.

Ophiorosellinia costaricensis J.D. Rogers, A. Hidalgo, F.A. Fernández et Huhndorf, sp. nov. Figs. 1–11

View larger version (125K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGS. 1–11. Ophiorosellinia costaricensis. 1, 2. Perithecial stromata. Note subiculum. 3. Stroma (S) fractured to expose perithecium (P). 4. Ascus apical ring colored by reaction to Melzer's iodine reagent. 5. Ascus apex unstained to show the "crown." 6. Ascospores squeezed from an ascus. Note that each of the spores is broken at one or both ends. 7. Young ascus. 8. Asci containing maturing ascospores. 9. Ends of ascospores oriented toward ascus stipe. 10 Parts of ascospores showing septa. 11. Immature aseptate ascospore that is apparently intact. FIGS. 1–3 by photomicrography. FIGS. 4–11 by DIC. Bars in FIGS. 1–3 = 0.75 mm; 4 = 6 µm; 5 = 3 µm; 6 and 8 = 64 µm; 7 and 11 = 35 µm; 9 and 10 = 4.3 µm

Stromata solitary, each with a single perithecium, mammiform blackish carbonaceous up to 1.5 mm diam, partly embedded in a coarse reddish brown subiculum. Perithecia up to 1.2 mm diam. Ostioles papillate. Asci cylindrical, 8-spored, 300–350 (–400) µm total length x (8–)10–12 µm broad, with a short stipe, with ascus ring staining blue in Melzer's iodine reagent, inverted hat-shaped, 6–7.5 µm high, 4–5 µm broad. Ascospores brown, scolecosporous, at least 6–7 septate, smooth, ca 290–350 x 2.5–3 µm, apparently lacking a germination slit. Paraphyses abundant, 4–6 µm diam.

Culture – Colony on OMA at ca 20 C and 24 h in the dark or 12 h sunlight and 12 h in the dark covering 9 cm diam Petri plate in 2 wk, white, lanose. Reverse slightly yellow. After 4 wk developing areas of blackish hyphae.

Colony on PDYA at 20 C and 24 h in the dark or 12 h sunlight and 12 h in the dark growing restrictedly, attaining 5 cm diam in 3 wk, dense, blackish brown with white advancing margins. Reverse blackish brown.

Specimen examined. COSTA RICA. ALAJUELA PROVINCE: Cordillera Central Conservation Area, Alberto Manuel Brenes Biological Reserve, in the vicinity of San Ramón, Reserva Forestal de San Ramón, 10°18'N, 84°37'W, approx. 1000 m, on decorticated wood, 2 Dec 2002, A. Hidalgo (HOLOTYPE, USJ 72848; ISOTYPE, WSP 70465'). Culture deposited: Forest Products Laboratory, Center for Forest Mycology, Madison, Wisconsin.

	DISCUSSION

TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS TAXONOMY DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 
Ophiorosellinia costaricensis is the first xylariaceous fungus with scolecosporous, or perhaps extremely long phaeophragmosporous, ascospores. It was difficult to fully characterize the ascospores because they could not be removed from asci unbroken. It was not possible to characterize individual ascospores in the ascus, owing to their gently spiraling orientation with respect to one another (i.e., it was difficult to be certain that a particular spore was followed for its entire length). Thus, the range in numbers of septa per ascospore is only an estimation. Likewise, a precise range of ascospore length was not possible, but, owing to their extreme lengths, is probably marginally important.

It might be argued that O. costaricensis is, in fact, not xylariaceous owing to the uncharacteristically long ascospores that lack germ slits. On the other hand, genera such as Camillea Fr. (Rogers 1977), Collodiscula I. Hino & Katum. (Laessøe 1994) and Vivantia J. D. Rogers et al (Rogers et al 1996) likewise have ascospores with features unlike those of most undoubted xylariaceous fungi but generally are accepted as members of family Xylariaceae. The above-cited genera, however, have xylariaceous anamorphs, which strengthen the conviction that they are, indeed, xylariaceous. Unfortunately, an anamorph is not known for O. costaricensis. A molecular profile will help to establish its position, but comparatively few members of family Xylariaceae and other pyrenomycetes have been characterized in a molecular way and, thus, comparisons of data may not be entirely revealing or meaningful at this time.

	ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 
PPNS 0365. Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, Washington State University, Project 1767. This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation grant DEB-9813304 to JDR, the Global Environmental Facility through its implementing agency, the World Bank, for the project Biodiversity Resources Development developed by INBio and the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) in Costa Rica and by National Science Foundation Grant DEB-0072684 to SH and FF. We acknowledge the aid of Universidad de Costa Rica for use of facilities and equipment of A.M. Brenes Biological Reserve. We thank M.J. Adams, Washington State University, Pullman, for aid with photography.

	FOOTNOTES

 
¹ Corresponding author. E-mail: rogers{at}wsu.edu

Accepted for publication May 13, 2003.

	LITERATURE CITED

TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS TAXONOMY DISCUSSION LITERATURE CITED

 
Baral H-O, 1999 A monograph of Helicogonium (=Myriogonium, Leotiales), a group of non-ascocarpous intrahymenial mycoparasites. Nova Hedwigia 69:1-71

Holmgren PK, Holmgren NH, Barnett LC., 1990 Index herbariorum. Ed. 8. New York: New York Botanical Garden. 693 p

Kenerley CM, Rogers JD., 1976 On Hypoxylon serpens in culture. Mycologia 68:688-691

Laessøe T., 1994 Index Ascomycetum 1. Xylariaceae. Systema Ascomycetum 13:43-112

Rogers JD., 1977 Surface features of the light-colored ascospores of some applanate Hypoxylon species. Can J Bot 55:2394-2398

———,Ju Y-M, Candoussau F., 1996 Biscogniauxia anceps comb. nov. and Vivantia guadalupensis gen. et sp. nov. Mycol Res 100:669-674

This Article Abstract Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rogers, J. D. Articles by Huhndorf, S. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Rogers, J. D. Articles by Huhndorf, S. M. Agricola Articles by Rogers, J. D. Articles by Huhndorf, S. M.