Nia globospora, a new marine gasteromycete on baits of Spartina maritima in Portugal

Mycol. Res. 101 (6) : 687–690 (1997)

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Nia globospora, a new marine gasteromycete on baits of Spartina maritima in Portugal

M. B A R A T A, M. C. B A S I L I O A N D J. L. B A P T I S TA-F E R R E I R A Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de CieW ncias da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, P-1700 Lisboa, Portugal

Nia globospora sp. nov., a marine basidiomycete, provisionally put in the Melanogastrales, producing fruit bodies on dead culms of Spartina maritima is described. The species grew on baits that were submerged for a period of 6 months in the Mira River estuary, Portugal. Comparisons with other species of Nia are made.

During a study on the succession of higher marine fungi on Spartina maritima (Curtis) Fernald, baits prepared from γradiated culms of this plant were enclosed in nylon mesh bags and submerged in the estuary of the Mira River (Portugal). A sample of ten baits was collected every 6 wk from August 1995 until February 1996. Baits were taken to the laboratory in polyethylene bags where they were examined under a dissecting microscope for the presence of fruit bodies before incubation in moist chambers with sea water at room temperature. During the initial examination of the sample collected in February 1996, basidiocarps of a species of Nia R. T. Moore & Meyers were detected on three baits. The fungus could not be placed adequately in any of the already described species of this genus, so it is described here as a new species.

2a

2b

2c

Nia globospora Barata & Basilio, sp. nov. (Figs 1–12) Etym. : refers to the globose form of the basidiospores Basidiomata superficialia, solitaria vel gregari, subglobosa, 637– 661¬743–802 µm, breve stipitata luteola. Peridium pseudo-

Fig. 2. Camera lucida drawings. (a) Detached basidiospores ; (b) hypha with clamp ; (c) different stages of basidia. (Scale bar, 8 µm.)

Fig. 1. Basidiocarps of Nia globospora on the surface of Spartina maritima culms. (Scale bars : Fig. 1 a, 700 µm ; Fig. 1 b, 200 µm).

Nia globospora, a new marine fungus

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Figs 3–12. Light micrographs (3–10, 12) and scanning electron micrograph (11) of Nia globospora. Fig. 3. Surface view of the peridium showing pseudoparenchymatous structure with no peridial hairs. Fig. 4. Hyphae with clamp connections. Fig. 5. Young basidium and gleba cell. Figs 6–9. Basidia at different stages of maturation. Figs 10, 12. Basidiospores showing a thick-walled pedicel (arrowed) and appendages of different sizes and in different positions around the spore. Fig. 11. Basidiospore with appendages. (Scale bars : Figs 3–4, 10, 12, 10 µm ; Figs 5–9, 13 µm ; Fig. 11, 4 µm.)

M. Barata, M. C. Basilio and J. L. Baptista-Ferreira

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Table 1. Comparison within species of Nia

Basidiomata size (mm) colour Nia vibrissa (Doguet, 1967)

3 diam. White-orange

N. vibrissa (Kohlmeyer & Kohlmeyer, 1979)

1–3 diam. White-orange

N. vibrissa (Jones & Jones, 1993)

0±5–5 diam. Orange orange-brown

N. epidermoidea (Rossello & Descals, 1993)

0±4–0±5 diam. White-salmon

N. globospora (this paper)

0±74–0±8 diam. White-yellowish

a Or

Basidiospores size (µm) number per basidium and shape

Peridial hairs

Basidia size (µm)

Presenta Tips apically curled Presenta Tips slightly curled apically

35–50 long 10–12 diam.

Present Tips curled apically and bifurcate Present Tips rounded and straight

5–6±5 long 4±5–6±0 diam.

Not present

17±5–37±5 long 8±8–15 diam.

35–50 long 10–12 diam.

4 long 5–7 diam.

Appendages position size (µm) number per spore

Pedicel size (µm)

11–12 long 7–8 diam. 5–8 Ovoid 9–15 long 6±5–11 diam. 4–8 Ovoid or ellipsoidal 7–10 long 4±5–6 diam.

Apical 30–35 long Lateral 25 long 5 Apical 20–47 long Lateral 20–32 long 3–5

2–3 long 1 diam.

Apical 17–20 long Lateral 13–15 long 5

Short (size not mentioned)

6–7 long 3–4 diam. 4 Ovoid to ellipsoid 8±8–10 diam. 4 Globose

Apical 25–28 long Lateral 21–26 long 5 (6)

Short (size not mentioned)

Multipolar 4±8–8 long 0±63–1±3 diam. 5 (7)

3–6 long 1±3–1±9 diam.

(Size not mentioned)

absent when the basidiomata are obtained in culture, due to the inability of a characteristic peridium differentiation.

parenchymatosum non pilosum. Gleba cum hyphis septatis, hyalinis et fibulis frequentibus ex basidiis (15–) 17±5–37±5 (–41±3) µm longis composita, cum fibula basali, pars globosa vel subglobosa 8±8– 15(–20) µm diam. tetrasporica ; cum cellulis obovatis hyalines crasse tunicatis (12±5–)15–19±7(–26)¬(11±3–)12±6–16±2(–18±2) µm. Basidiosporae globosae (7±5–)8±8–10(–11±3) µm diam., hyalinae crasse tunicatae, cum pedicello brevi (2±5–)3–6±3¬(0±63–)1±3–1±9(–2) µm ; appendices 5(–7) hyalinae (3–)4±8–8(–8±8) µm longae rectae vel tenue curvatae. Holotypus mense Februario anni 1996, flumen Mira inter 4 laminas vitreas numeris inscriptas, distributus in Herb. M. Barata (Centro Micologia Universitatis Olisiponensis), LISU depositus.

Basidiocarps scattered or gregarious, 637–661¬743–802 µm, subglobose, superficial, yellowish-white with a short stalk 82±6¬318±6 µm (Fig. 1 a, b). Peridium pseudoparenchymatous without peridial hairs (Fig. 3). Gleba with septate hyaline hyphae, with clamp connections (Figs 2 b, 4), composed of basidia (15–)17±5–37±5(–41±3) µm long with a basal clamp, with an apical, globose to subglobose inflation, 8±8– 15(–20) µm diam., bearing at the apex four basidiospores (Figs 2 c, 5–9), and large obovoid thick-walled hyaline cells (12±5–)15–19±7(–26)¬(11±3–)12±6–16±2(–18±2) µm (Fig.

5). Basidiospores (7±5–)8±8–10(–11±3) µm diam. (xa ¯ 9±5 µm, n ¯ 99), globose, one-celled, hyaline, thick-walled, with a short cylindrical pedicel (2±5–)3–6±3¬(0±63–)1±3– 1±9(–2) µm at the point of attachment to the basidium (Figs 2 a, 10–12). Appendages 5(–7) hyaline, (3–)4±8–8(–8±8) µm long, cylindrical and rounded at the tip, straight or slightly curved around the spore in an irregular manner (Figs 2 a, 11–12). Substrate : dead culms of Spartina maritima. Distribution : Mira River estuary (U.T.M. 29SNB2273 – 37° 43« N ; 8° 45« W) – Portugal : Alentejo. Holotype : 960209 MRS 101}2}5. Herb. M. Barata (Centro de Micologia da Universidade de Lisboa) – LISU. Nia globospora is considered to be a marine species as it was found growing on baits that had been submerged continuously for 6 months in the estuary of the Mira River at a site where the salinity of the water ranged from 9±8 ^ at the rainy season to 40±3 ^ in dry weather ; other marine fungi including Lulworthia sp., Halosarpheia sp., Halosarpheia retorquens Shearer & J. L. Crane and Aniptodera chesapeakensis Shearer & Miller, were also detected on those baits.

Identification key to Nia species 1. Basidiomata up to 3 mm diam., peridium prosenchymatous with peridial hairs 250–300 µm long apically curled and bifurcate (may be absent in culture) ; basidia 35–50 µm long with globose inflation 10–12 µm diam., basidiospores ovoid 11–12¬7–8 µm, with appendages 25–35 µm long and a pedicel 2–3 µm long . . . . . . . . . . . N. vibrissa 2. Basidiomata 400–500 µm diam., peridium pseudoparenchymatous, distinctly two-layered (outer epidermoid, inner prismatic), peridial hairs 100–250 µm long, with straight apices, like the spines of echinoderms ; basidia 4 µm long with globose inflation 5–7 µm diam., basidiospores ovoid to ellipsoidal 6–7¬3–4 µm, with appendages 21–28 µm long and a very short pedicel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N. epidermoidea 3. Basidiomata 740–800 µm diam., peridium pseudoparenchymatous, without peridial hairs ; basidia 17±5–37±5 µm long with globose inflation 8±8–15 µm diam., basidiospores globose 8±8–10 µm diam., with appendages 4±8–8 µm long and a pedicel 3–6 µm long . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N. globosopora

Nia globospora, a new marine fungus The taxon is assigned to the Melanogastrales but differs from the two other species already described in the genus, Nia vibrissa R. T. Moore & Meyers and Nia epidermoidea Rossello & Descals, in having smooth basidiomata due to the absence of peridial hairs (Figs 1 a–b, 3), shorter-stalked, paler basidiospores that are globose and thick-walled with 5–(7) appendages all around the spores (Figs 2 a, 11–12) and appendages shorter than those observed in the other species (Table 1). However, the absence of peridial hairs alone should not be a distinctive characteristic of this species, particularly if basidiomata are produced in culture ; as Doguet (1968) stressed, in this condition fruit bodies did not show a peridium covered with thick-walled filaments even though all the original ones possessed the characteristic peridium. Schimpfhauser & Molitoris (1991) also reported the fact that some strains of N. vibrissa differentiate in culture both ‘ hairy fruit bodies ’ and ‘ smooth fruit bodies ’ (‘ without peridium and without protruding hyphae ’). Furthermore, other Nia species collected by E. B. G. Jones (pers. comm.), but different from N. globospora, showed no peridial hairs either. For this reason, the most significant morphological characteristic of this species is the globose thick-walled basidiospores. (Accepted 30 October 1996)

690 We are grateful to Dr M. T. Lucas for preparing the Latin diagnosis. We also wish to thank Professor E. B. Gareth Jones for critical comments on the first draft. This work was supported by Centro de Micologia da Universidade de Lisboa.

REFERENCES Doguet, G. (1967). Nia vibrissa Moore et Meyers, remarquable Basidiomyce' te marin. Comptes rendus de l ’AcadeU mie des Sciences, Paris, seU r. D 265, 1780–1783. Doguet, G. (1968). Nia vibrissa Moore et Meyers, gaste! romyce' te marin. I. Conditions ge! ne! rales de formation des carpophores en culture. Bulletin de la SocieU teU mycologique de France 84, 343–351. Jones, A. M. & Jones, E. B. G. (1993). Observations on the marine gasteromycete Nia vibrissa. Mycological Research 97, 1–6. Kohlmeyer, J. & Kohlmeyer, E. (1979). Marine Mycology. The Higher Fungi. Academic Press : New York, U.S.A. Rossello, M. A., Descals, E. & Cabrer, B. (1993). Nia epidermoidea, a new marine gasteromycete. Mycological Research 97, 68–70. Schimpfhauser, G. & Molitoris, H. P. (1991). Colony growth and fruitbody production of monokaryotic and dikaryotic strains of the marine Basidiomycete Nia vibrissa. Kieler Meeresforschung 8, 350–360.