Paraloratospora
Paraloratospora Bundhun, Tennakoon, Phookamsak & K.D. Hyde 2020
Indexfungorum number: IF 557115; Facesoffungi number: FoF 07195
Etymology: The generic epithet “Paraloratospora” refers to pheaosphaeriaceous taxa having phylogenetically close to the genus Loratospora.
Associated with living branches or leaves. Sexual morph: Ascomata solitary, scattered to aggregated, immersed to erumpent through host surface, noticeable as small black spots, uni-loculate, globose to subglobose, dark brown, glabrous, centrally ostiolate, with minute papilla, filled with hyaline periphyses. Peridium of unequal thickness, thicker near the apex and thinner at the sides towards the base, comprising 4–7 layers of dark brown, thick-walled pseudoparenchymatous cells of textura angularis, paler towards the inner layers. Hamathecium composed of dense, filamentous, septate pseudoparaphyses, slightly constricted at the septa, anastomosing above the asci, embedded in gelatinous matrix. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical to subcylindric, sessile to subsessile, apex rounded, thick-walled, with a small ocular chamber. Ascospores overlapping 1–2-seriate, hyaline to light brown, or light yellowish, fusiform to ellipsoidal, with rounded ends, septate, the second cell from the apex swollen, smooth-walled, with or without a mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Type species: Paraloratospora camporesii Bundhun, Jeewon & K.D. Hyde
Notes: Paraloratospora is introduced to accommodate phaeosphaeria-like taxa that have a close phylogenetic relationship with Wingfieldomyces Y. Marín & Crous, Loratospora and Sulcispora Shoemaker & C.E. Babc. and are phylogenetic distinct from Phaeosphaeria sensu stricto. Based on multi-gene phylogenetic analyses our strain MFLU 18-0915 formed an independent lineage and clustered with Phaeosphaeria sensu lato, P. caricicola (CBS 603.86), P. parvula (CBS 605.86), P. glyceriae-plicatae (CBS 101261), P. juncophila (CBS 575.86), P. eustoma (CBS 307.71), P. norfolcia (CBS 593.86) and P. gahniae (CPC 32454) with significant support (79% ML, 1.00 BYPP). These species do not represent by the type stains, except for P. gahniae (CPC 32454). Therefore, we introduce the new genus Paraloratospora to accommodate our new species, Paraloratospora camporesii and Phaeosphaeria gahniae (CPC 32454) is also transferred to this new genus as Paraloratospora gahniae comb. nov. based on morphological characteristics coupled with phylogenetic support.
Paraloratospora has similar morphological characteristics with Phaeosphaeria and can be distinguished from Wingfieldomyces in having hyaline to light brown, or light yellowish, fusiform to ellipsoidal, 3–4-septate, smoothwalled ascospores, with the second cell from the apex is swollen and surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath, whereas the monotypic genus Wingfieldomyces has elongate fusoid, finely verruculose, red-brown, 2-septate ascospores and central cell somewhat swollen (Marin-Felix et al. 2019). Loratospora differs in having ovoid or ampulliform asci, with pale yellowish, elongate fusiform ascospores and Sulcispora differs in having subglobose to clavate asci with reddish to dark brown, fusiform to subclavate ascospores, with 12–16 longitudinal furrows on surface and lacking mucilaginous sheath (Senanayake et al. 2018). Thus, we believe it would taxonomically astute to place our isolate in a new genus for the time being (Paraloratospora). We recommend to collect more taxon sampling for Loratospora, Sulcispora and Wingfieldomyces for further clarify their phylogenetic affinities.
References:
Hyde KD, Dong Y, Phookamsak R, Jeewon R et al. 2020 – Fungal diversity notes 1151–1276: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa. Fungal Diversity 16, 1–273.
Marin-Felix Y, Hernández-Restrepo M, Iturrieta-González I, García D et al. 2019 – Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 3. Studies in Mycology 94, 1–124.
Senanayake IC, Jeewon R, Camporesi E, Hyde KD et al. 2018 – Sulcispora supratumida sp. nov. (Phaeosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales) on Anthoxanthum odoratum from Italy. Mycokeys 38, 35–46.