Populocrescentia forlicesenensis

Populocrescentia forlicesenensis Wanas., Camporesi, E.B.G. Jones & K.D. Hyde, in Ariyawansa et al., Fungal Diversity: 10.1007/s13225-015-0346-5, [87] (2015)

Index Fungorum number: IF 551412; Facesofungi number: FoF 00953

Etymology: Name reflects the locality, Forlì-Cesena Province, where this species was collected.

Holotype: MFLU 15-1504.

Saprobic on dead herbaceous branches of Populus nigra L. Sexual morph: Ascomata 150–270 μm high, 200–250 μm diam. (x̄ = 213 × 234.7 μm, n =10), superficial, solitary, scattered, broadly oval, dark brown to black, coriaceous, cupulate when dry, ostiolate. Ostiole 30–60 μm high, 25–50 μm diam. (x̄ = 45 × 38.3 μm, n = 5), papillate, black, smooth, with short, light brown setae. Peridium 10–20 μm wide at the base, 20–35 μm wide at the sides, comprising 6–8 layers, outer part heavily pigmented, thick-walled, comprising blackish to dark brown cells of textura angularis, inner part composed of hyaline, thin-walled cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising numerous, 2–3 μm (n = 30) wide, filamentous, branched, septate, pseudoparaphyses. Asci 90–110 × 14–20 μm (x̄ = 100.5 × 16.5 μm, n = 40), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical to cylindric-clavate, pedicellate, rounded and thick-walled at the apex, with an ocular chamber. Ascospores 17–22 × 8–10 μm (x̄ = 19.7 × 8.7 μm, n = 50), overlapping 1–2- seriate, initially hyaline, becoming yellowish-brown at maturity, broadly fusiform, lower part of spore longer, muriform, with 4–6 transverse septa and 3–4 vertical septa, constricted at the central septum, cells above central septum slightly swollen, weakly constricted at the other septa, ends conical, basal cell often lighter, lacking a mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Culture characteristics: Culture characteristics: Colonies on PDA reaching 30–35 mm diam. in 21 days, greenish-grey in the centre, with dirty white outer region, spreading with moderate aerial mycelium, and smooth, even margins; reverse rust coloured.

Material examined: ITALY, Forlì-Cesena Province, Bleda in Santa Sofia, dead and hanging branches of Populus nigra (Salicaceae), 11 October 2013, E. Camporesi (MFLU 15-1504, holotype), ex-type living culture, MFLUCC 14-0651.

GenBank Numbers: LSU: KT306952, SSU: KT306955, ITS: KT306948.