Populocrescentia ammophilae

Populocrescentia ammophilae Wanas., Camporesi, E.B.G. Jones & K.D. Hyde, in Wanasinghe et al., Fungal Diversity: 10.1007/s13225-018-0395-7, [139] (2018)

Index Fungorum number: IF 554193; Facesofungi number: FoF 04035

Etymology: The specific epithet reflects the host genus Ammophila.

Holotype: MFLU 16-0874.

Saprobic on Ammophila arenaria. Sexual morph: Ascomata 120–160 μm high, 130–180 μm diam. (x̄ = 77.9 × 98.4 μm, n = 5), immersed to erumpent, solitary, scattered, globose or subglobose, dark brown to black, coriaceous. Peridium 5–10 μm wide at the base, 10–15 μm wide at the sides, comprising thin-walled, brown to dark brown cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising numerous, 2–2.5 μm wide, filamentous, branched, septate, pseudoparaphyses. Asci 60–80 × 9–12 μm (x̄ = 66.3 × 10.6 μm, n = 30), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical to cylindric-clavate, pedicellate, thick-walled at the apex, with a minute ocular chamber. Ascospores 14–17 × 4– 6 μm (x̄ = 15.5 × 5.3 μm, n = 50), overlapping uniseriate, ellipsoidal, upper part wider than the lower part, 3-transversely septate, slightly constricted at the central septum, initially hyaline, becoming yellowish-brown at maturity, ends remaining lighter and cone-shaped, with rounded ends. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Material examined: ITALY, Ravenna Province, Lido di Dante, on dead aerial stems of Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link (Poaceae), 9 February 2016, Erio Camporesi IT 2822 (MFLU 16-0874, holotype); ex-type living culture, MFLUCC 17-0665.

GenBank Numbers: ITS: MG828949, LSU: MG829059, SSU: MG829164, TEF: MG829231.

Notes: Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Populocrescentia ammophilae and P. forlicesenensis are closely related. They are morphologically different as Populocrescentia forlicesenensis has comparatively larger ascomata (150–270 μm high, 200–250 μm diam.) and asci (90–110 × 14–20 μm) and muriform ascospores, whereas P. ammophilae has smaller ascomata (60–80 × 9–12 μm) and asci (60–80 × 9–12 μm) with ascospores with only transverse septa.