Lophiohelichrysum helichrysi

Lophiohelichrysum helichrysi Dayar., Camporesi & K.D. Hyde, in Ariyawansa et al., Fungal Diversity: 10.1007/s13225-015-0346-5, [59] (2015)

Index Fungorum number: IF 551401; Facesofungi number: FoF 00914

Etymology: named after the host genus on which the fungus occurs.

Holotype: MFLU 15-0175

Saprobic on dead stems of Helichrysum sp. Sexual morph: Ascomata 225–260 μm high, 140–200 μm diam., scattered to gregarious, semi-immersed to erumpent, coriaceous, dark brown to black, globose to subglobose, ostiolate, periphysate. Ostiole slit-like, with a flat, crest-like apex. Peridium 35–45 μm wide, comprising 4–5 layers of brown cells, arranged in a textura angularis, fusing at the outside with the host cells, where cells are occluded and black. Hamathecium comprising numerous, 0.5–1.5 μm wide, aseptate, long, filiform pseudoparaphyses, embedded in gelatinous matrix. Asci 45 –100 × 11 –20 μm (x̄ = 72.5 × 15.5 μm; n = 30), 8-spored, bitunicate, cylindric-clavate, pedicellate, rounded at the apex, with an ocular chamber. Ascospores 15–30 × 11 –16 μm (x̄ = 22.5 × 13.5 μm; n = 30), overlapping biseriate, hyaline, faintly brown when mature, fusiform, 1-septate, asymmetrical, upper cell wider than lower cell, slightly constricted at the septum, with guttules in each cell, smooth-walled, without a mucilaginous sheath, 1–3-septate at germination. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Culture characteristics: Colonies growing on MEA, reaching 8 cm diam. after 2 weeks at 20–25 °C, with circular, grey, dense, mycelium on the surface, reverse brown to black.

Material examined: ITALY, Province of Forlì-Cesena[FC], Santa Sofia, Collina di Pondo, on dead stem of Helichrysum sp (Asteraceae), 7 March 2014, Erio Camporesi, IT-1296 (MFLU 15-0175, holotype), extype living culture, MFLUCC 15-0701; on dead stem of Helichrysum sp., 3 July 2014, E. Camporesi (MFLU 15-1500, paratype).

GenBank Numbers: ITS: KT333435, LSU: KT333436, SSU: KT333437.