Meliola strombosiigena, Hosagoudar & Riju, 2011

Hosagoudar, V. B. & Riju, M. C., 2011, Three new fungi from Silent Valley National Park, Kerala, India, Journal of Threatened Taxa 3 (3), pp. 1615-1619 : 1618-1619

Meliola strombosiigena sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

Material examined: 01.viii.2008, on leaves of Strombosia sp. (Olacaceae) , Cheriavalakkad, Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad, Kerala, India, coll.

sp. nov.

a - Appressorium; b - Phialide;

c - Apical portion of the mycelial setae; d - Ascospores

M. C. Riju et al . TBGT 4515 ( holotype). Part of the collection has been deposited in HCIO, New Delhi, (MycoBank # 561023) .

Coloniae amphigenae, plerumque hypophyllae, densae, velutinae, ad 4mm diam., confluentes. Hyphae flexuosae vel undulatae, opposite vel alternatim acuteque vel laxe ramosae, laxe vel arte reticulatae, cellulae 15–25 x 5–10 µm. Appressoria alternata, opposita vel unilateralis, antrorsa vel subantrorsa, raro retrorsa, 17–28 µm longa; cellulae basilares cylindraceae vel cuneatae, 5–8 µm longae; cellulae apicales oblongae vel cylindraceae, rectae vel flexuosis curvulae, integrae, 10–20 x 5–8 µm. Phialides appressoriis intermixtus, alternatae, oppositae vel unilateralis, ampulliformes, 20–30 x 6–8 µm. Setae myceliales rectae vel curvulae, dispersae, acutae ad apicem, ad 720µm longae; Perithecia dispersa, ad 240µm diam.; ascosporae obovoideae, 4-septatae, constrictus ad septatae, 50–55 x 20–23 µm.

Colonies amphigenous, mostly hypophyllous, dense, velvety, up to 4mm diam., confluent. Hyphae flexuous to undulate, branching opposite to alternate at acute to wide angles, loosely to closely reticulate, cells 15–25 x 5–10 µm. Appressoria alternate, opposite to unilateral, antrorse to subantrorse, rarely retrorse, 17–28 µm long; stalk cells cylindrical to cuneate, 5–8 µm long; head cells oblong to cylindrical, straight to flexuously curved, entire, 10–20 x 5–8 µm. Phialides mixed with appressoria, alternate, opposite to unilateral, ampulliform, 20–30 x 6–8 µm. Mycelial setae straight to curved, scattered, acute at the tip, up to 720µm long; Perithecia scattered in the colonies, up to 240µm in diam.; ascospores obovoidal, 4-septate, constricted at the septa, 50–55 x 20–23 µm.

Meliola strobosiae Hosag. et al. is known on Strombosia ceylonica from Kukke Subramanya, Karnataka (Hosagoudar 2008). However, the present new species differs from it in having narrow head cells ( 5–8 µm against 8–12 µm) and larger spores (50–55 x 20–23 against 36–40 x 15–17 µm). The specific epithet is derived from the host genus.

Figures

Figure 3. Meliola strombosiigena