Chlorencoelia northlandica P. R. Johnst. & Patejuk, 2025

Patejuk, Katarzyna, Johnston, Peter R., Park, Duckchul & Padamsee, Mahajabeen, 2025, Chlorencoelia (Leotiomycetes, Helotiales, Cenangiaceae) in New Zealand, MycoKeys 119, pp. 351-368 : 351-368

Chlorencoelia northlandica P. R. Johnst. & Patejuk , sp. nov.

Fig. 5

Etymology.

The species epithet “ northlandica ” refers to the Northland region of New Zealand, the only region where this species has been found.

Type.

New Zealand • Northland: Whangarei, Pukenui Forest , 35.717566°S, 174.263404°E, on decorticated wood, coll. P. R. Johnston, 22 May 1992 ( PDD 105291 — holotype; ex-type culture ICMP 21462 ; GenBank ITS PQ 541254 ) .

Description.

Apothecia 5–10 mm diam., short and broad stipitate, superficial on decorticated wood, discoid, gregarious, hymenium dark green to grey-blue when fresh, becoming brown upon drying. Receptacle dark grey-brown, coarsely roughened, with a dull yellow cast when dry. Stipe rugose. In vertical section ectal excipulum 30–90 μm thick, comprising angular cells 6–8 µm diam. oriented more or less perpendicular to surface of receptacle, cell walls pale brown, a barely differentiated outer layer of tomentum hyphae, cells 8–12 × 6–8 μm, globose to subclavate, walls hyaline, slightly thickened, cells containing pale yellow vacuolar bodies in water. Medullary excipulum 55–340 μm thick comprising loose textura intricata with hyphae 2–3 µm diam., cell walls pale brown, encrusted with scattered dark brown granulations. Subhymenium 30–48 μm high, pale brown, dense textura intricata. Asci 90–127 × 5.5–7 μm, cylindrical with tapering stalks, tapering slightly to rounded apex, wall thickened at apex, ascus pore blue in MLZ and IKI, croziers at base, 8 - spored. Ascospores 9.5–13 × 3–4.5 µm (x – 11.3 × 3.6 µm), elliptical, slightly wider towards the upper end, never curved, with 2–3 large lipid bodies. Paraphyses 2.5–3.5 (– 4) µm diam., undifferentiated or subclavate at the rounded apex, pale yellow vacuolar bodies in water.

Specimen examined.

New Zealand • Northland: Omahuta Forest, Pukekohe Stream Track , 35.2412°S, 173.629°E, on decorticated wood, coll. A. Chinn, 9 May 2017 ( PDD 111226 ; culture ICMP 25719 ; GenBank ITS PQ 541259 ) .

Notes.

Chlorencoelia northlandica is known from only two specimens, both of which were collected in Northland. Compared to the other New Zealand species, it has intermediate-sized ascospores. The spores are not curved but often slightly wider toward the upper half of the spore. The vacuolar bodies in the paraphyses and cells of the tomentum hyphae are paler than those of the other two species, where the VBs are bright yellow to dark green.

Figures

Figure 5. Chlorencoelia northlandica. A. Dried specimen with a dark greenish-black hymenium; B. Dried specimen, detail of underside of receptacle; C. Ascoma in vertical section showing part of medullary excipulum, ectal excipulum, and poorly differentiated tomentum hyphae; D. Tomentum hyphae (squash mount, 3 % KOH). E. Tomentum hyphae with pale yellow vacuolar bodies (squash mount, water). F. Paraphyses with pale vacuolar bodies (water + IKI). G – H. Ascospores and paraphyses (water + MLZ). A – C. PDD 105291; D – H. PDD 111226. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 0.1 mm (B); 10 µm (C – H).