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Asteromassaria tetraspora sp. nov., a new ascomycete from India
557
Short Communications
Asteromassaria tetraspora sp. nov., a new ascomycete from India M. D. MEHROTRA Division of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India
A. SIV ANESAN CAB International Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AF
Asteromassaria tetraspora sp. nov., a new ascomycete from India. Mycological Research 93 (4): 557-558 (1989).
A new species of ascomycete in the P!eomassariaceae, Asteromassaria tetraspora sp. nov., is described and illustrated from India. It was associated with blighted twigs of Tetrameles nudifiora. Key words: Ascomycetes, Asteromassaria, Pleomassariaceae. Some blighted twigs of Tetrameles nudiflora R. Br. which collapsed to the ground during windy monsoon rains were found infeded below the bark by a species of the ascomycete genus Asteromassaria Hahnel. The asci in this species always contained only four ascospores. Barr (1982) in her study of Pleomassariaceae in North America recognized six species in this genus. Two more species were later added by Boise (1985). Recently Sivanesan (1988) described a further species and included in this study a key to the nine recognized species of Asteromassaria. In all these species the asci as a rule are 8-spored. On account of the distindly four-spored nature of the asci as well as other morphological differences in the ascospores this fungus is described as a new species and designated as A. tetraspora sp. nov., the specific epithet indicating that the asci are four-spored. In ascospore shape and pigmentation it is close to A. olivaceohirta (Schwein.) Barr but differs from it in the larger ascospores. The host Teframeles nudiflora is an economically important, large deciduous tree Widely distributed throughout Eastern Himalayas, Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Western Ghats in India. Its wood is used to make matches, boxes and canoes. Asteromassaria tetraspora M. D. Mehrotra & A. Sivan., sp. nov. (Figs 1-9) Ascomata in substrata irnmersa, numerosa, singulatirn vel in turbis paulis, globosa vel ovoidea, fusco-brunnea vel nigra, laevia, ab hyphis brunneis vel paIlide brunneis circumduda, pora grandi sese aperienta, 400-620 (-770) 11m lata, 380-560 (-720) I-lffi alta; paries ascomati 50-70 I-lffi lata in basalis et 30-50 IJm lata in lateris, e cellulis pseudoparenchymaticus, brunneus vel atrobrunneus composito. Pseudoparaphyses filiforrnes, septatae, ramosae, sine colore. Asci fundamento vel latera exorientes, bitunieati, clavati vel oblongi, brevipedicellati, tetraspori, 170-270 x 40-82 IJm. Ascosporae sine colore statu heet juvenili, mox pallide vel fusco brunneae, ellipsoideae vel late fusoideae, nonnurnquam allantoideae vel pyriforrnes, reetae velleviter curvatae, laeves, in extremis obtusae vel acutae, saepius 5septatae, in medio constrietae cum cellulis extemis pallidioribus et minoribus quam cellulis intemis, 62-90 (103) x 22-32 (-37) IJm, in muco 2'5-12'5 IJm lata involutae.
In virgis Tetrameles nudifiorae, Bumihat. Assam, India, 4 April 1983, leg. M. D. Mehrol-ra BH148 (IMI 277664) holotypus.
Ascomata immersed in the host tissues, numerous, separate or few in small groups, globose to ovoid, dark brown to black, smooth, sometimes covered by light brown to brown hyphal weft, opening by a large apical ostiole, 400-620 (-770) IJm wide, 380-560 (-720) IJm high; peridium 50-70 IJm thick at the base, 30-50 IJm at the sides is composed of brown to dark brown pseudoparenchymatous cells. Pseudoparaphyses filamentous, septate, branched, colourless. Asci arising from the basal and lateral subhymenium, bitunicate, clavate to oblong, short-stalked, distindly four-spored, 170-270 x 40-82 IJm. Ascospores colourless when young, becoming light to dark brown, ellipsoid, broadly fusoid, sometimes allantoid or pyriform, straight or slightly curved, ends obtuse or acute, usually 5-septate when mature, end cells paler and much smaller than the mid cells, constrided at the mid primary septum, end septa and usually the mid septum dark and thickened, contents of cell lumina gutt-ulate, 62-90 (-103) x 22-32 (-37) \-lffi, surrounded by 2'5-12'5 IJm thick mUcilaginous sheath which may be absent in mature ascospores. We wish to thank Dr B. R. Boro, Dr A. R. Gogoi of Veterinary College, Khanapara, Assam, India and Miss G. Godwin of the CAB International Mycological Institute for their help in photomicrography.
REFERENCES BARR, M. E. (1982). On the Pleomassariaeeae (Pleosporales) in North America. Mycotaxon 15, 349-383. BOISE, ]. (1985). New combinations in the Pleomassariaceae and the Massarinaceae. Mycotaxon 2.2., 477-482. SIVANESAN, A. (1988). Asteromassaria verruculosa, a new Pleomassariaeeous ascomycete from India. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 91, 317-321.
(Received for publication 3 January 1989) 37-2
Short Communications
558
Figs 1-4. Asleromassaria lelraspara. Figs 1-2. Ascomata embedded in host. Fig. 1. x 50; Fig. 2. x 100. Fig. 3. V. s. ascoma, X 100. Fig. 4. Part of v. s. of ascoma showing peridium structure, pseudoparaphyses and ascospores, x 250. Figs 5-9. Asleramassaria lelraspara. Fig. 5. Ascus, x 600. Figs 6-7. Ascospores. Fig. 6. x 250, Fig. 7. x 650. Figs 8-9. Ascospores with mucilaginous sheath. x 600.
Short Communications
Asteromassaria tetraspora sp. nov., a new ascomycete from India M. D. MEHROTRA Division of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India
A. SIV ANESAN CAB International Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AF
Asteromassaria tetraspora sp. nov., a new ascomycete from India. Mycological Research 93 (4): 557-558 (1989).
A new species of ascomycete in the P!eomassariaceae, Asteromassaria tetraspora sp. nov., is described and illustrated from India. It was associated with blighted twigs of Tetrameles nudifiora. Key words: Ascomycetes, Asteromassaria, Pleomassariaceae. Some blighted twigs of Tetrameles nudiflora R. Br. which collapsed to the ground during windy monsoon rains were found infeded below the bark by a species of the ascomycete genus Asteromassaria Hahnel. The asci in this species always contained only four ascospores. Barr (1982) in her study of Pleomassariaceae in North America recognized six species in this genus. Two more species were later added by Boise (1985). Recently Sivanesan (1988) described a further species and included in this study a key to the nine recognized species of Asteromassaria. In all these species the asci as a rule are 8-spored. On account of the distindly four-spored nature of the asci as well as other morphological differences in the ascospores this fungus is described as a new species and designated as A. tetraspora sp. nov., the specific epithet indicating that the asci are four-spored. In ascospore shape and pigmentation it is close to A. olivaceohirta (Schwein.) Barr but differs from it in the larger ascospores. The host Teframeles nudiflora is an economically important, large deciduous tree Widely distributed throughout Eastern Himalayas, Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Western Ghats in India. Its wood is used to make matches, boxes and canoes. Asteromassaria tetraspora M. D. Mehrotra & A. Sivan., sp. nov. (Figs 1-9) Ascomata in substrata irnmersa, numerosa, singulatirn vel in turbis paulis, globosa vel ovoidea, fusco-brunnea vel nigra, laevia, ab hyphis brunneis vel paIlide brunneis circumduda, pora grandi sese aperienta, 400-620 (-770) 11m lata, 380-560 (-720) I-lffi alta; paries ascomati 50-70 I-lffi lata in basalis et 30-50 IJm lata in lateris, e cellulis pseudoparenchymaticus, brunneus vel atrobrunneus composito. Pseudoparaphyses filiforrnes, septatae, ramosae, sine colore. Asci fundamento vel latera exorientes, bitunieati, clavati vel oblongi, brevipedicellati, tetraspori, 170-270 x 40-82 IJm. Ascosporae sine colore statu heet juvenili, mox pallide vel fusco brunneae, ellipsoideae vel late fusoideae, nonnurnquam allantoideae vel pyriforrnes, reetae velleviter curvatae, laeves, in extremis obtusae vel acutae, saepius 5septatae, in medio constrietae cum cellulis extemis pallidioribus et minoribus quam cellulis intemis, 62-90 (103) x 22-32 (-37) IJm, in muco 2'5-12'5 IJm lata involutae.
In virgis Tetrameles nudifiorae, Bumihat. Assam, India, 4 April 1983, leg. M. D. Mehrol-ra BH148 (IMI 277664) holotypus.
Ascomata immersed in the host tissues, numerous, separate or few in small groups, globose to ovoid, dark brown to black, smooth, sometimes covered by light brown to brown hyphal weft, opening by a large apical ostiole, 400-620 (-770) IJm wide, 380-560 (-720) IJm high; peridium 50-70 IJm thick at the base, 30-50 IJm at the sides is composed of brown to dark brown pseudoparenchymatous cells. Pseudoparaphyses filamentous, septate, branched, colourless. Asci arising from the basal and lateral subhymenium, bitunicate, clavate to oblong, short-stalked, distindly four-spored, 170-270 x 40-82 IJm. Ascospores colourless when young, becoming light to dark brown, ellipsoid, broadly fusoid, sometimes allantoid or pyriform, straight or slightly curved, ends obtuse or acute, usually 5-septate when mature, end cells paler and much smaller than the mid cells, constrided at the mid primary septum, end septa and usually the mid septum dark and thickened, contents of cell lumina gutt-ulate, 62-90 (-103) x 22-32 (-37) \-lffi, surrounded by 2'5-12'5 IJm thick mUcilaginous sheath which may be absent in mature ascospores. We wish to thank Dr B. R. Boro, Dr A. R. Gogoi of Veterinary College, Khanapara, Assam, India and Miss G. Godwin of the CAB International Mycological Institute for their help in photomicrography.
REFERENCES BARR, M. E. (1982). On the Pleomassariaeeae (Pleosporales) in North America. Mycotaxon 15, 349-383. BOISE, ]. (1985). New combinations in the Pleomassariaceae and the Massarinaceae. Mycotaxon 2.2., 477-482. SIVANESAN, A. (1988). Asteromassaria verruculosa, a new Pleomassariaeeous ascomycete from India. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 91, 317-321.
(Received for publication 3 January 1989) 37-2
Short Communications
558
Figs 1-4. Asleromassaria lelraspara. Figs 1-2. Ascomata embedded in host. Fig. 1. x 50; Fig. 2. x 100. Fig. 3. V. s. ascoma, X 100. Fig. 4. Part of v. s. of ascoma showing peridium structure, pseudoparaphyses and ascospores, x 250. Figs 5-9. Asleramassaria lelraspara. Fig. 5. Ascus, x 600. Figs 6-7. Ascospores. Fig. 6. x 250, Fig. 7. x 650. Figs 8-9. Ascospores with mucilaginous sheath. x 600.