Comoclathris rosarum

Comoclathris rosarum Wanas., Camporesi, E.B.G. Jones & K.D. Hyde, in Wanasinghe et al., Fungal Diversity: 10.1007/s13225-018-0395-7, [153] (2018)

Index Fungorum number: IF 554205; Facesofungi number: FoF 04044

Etymology: The specific epithet reflects the host genus Rosa.

Holotype: MFLU 16-0201.

Saprobic on dead spines of Rosa canina. Sexual morph: Ascomata 200–300 μm high 300–400 μm diam. (x̄ = 244.2 × 358.7 μm, n = 5), immersed to erumpent, globose or subglobose, dark brown to black, coriaceous. Peridium 10– 15 μm wide at the base, 20–30 μm wide at the sides, comprising dark brown cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising numerous, 3–5 μm wide, filamentous, branched, septate, pseudoparaphyses. Asci 150–200 × 35–50 μm (x̄ = 176.4 × 42.3 μm, n = 30), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, clavate, pedicellate, thick-walled at the apex, with minute ocular chamber. Ascospores 40–60 × 20–25 μm (x̄ = 51.8 × 23.9 μm, n = 50), overlapping 1–2- seriate, mostly ellipsoidal, muriform, 6–7-transversely septate, with 2–4 vertical septa, deeply constricted at the middle septum, slightly constricted at the remaining septa, initially hyaline to pale yellow, becoming brown at maturity, rounded at both ends, surrounded by a thick mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Material examined: ITALY, Arezzo Province, Casuccia di Micheli, Quota, on dead aerial spines of Rosa canina L. (Rosaceae), 5 June 2014, Erio Camporesi IT 1915 (MFLU 16-0201, holotype); ex-type living culture, MFLUCC 14-0962.

GenBank Numbers: ITS: MG828878, LSU: MG828994, SSU: MG829105, RPB2: MG829251.

Notes: Comoclathris rosarum is introduced here as a new species which was collected in Italy from Rosa canina. In our phylogenetic analyses Comoclathris rosarum is closely related to C. rosae, which was also collected from the same host and same country. However, their ascospores differ as Comoclathris rosarum (40–60 × 20–25 μm) has comparatively larger ascospores than C. rosae (20–30 × 8–15 μm).