Phylloporia memecyli Jerusalem, Yombiy.,Amalfi & Decock, 2025

Jerusalem, M., Amalfi, M., Yombiyeni, P., Castillo, G. & Decock, C., 2025, A comprehensive multigene phylogeny of Phylloporia (Hymenochaetaceae, Basidiomycota), with an emphasis on tropical African species, Persoonia 54 (1), pp. 1-46 : 25-26

Phylloporia memecyli Jerusalem, Yombiy.,Amalfi & Decock , sp. nov. MycoBank MB 851908. Figs 9A–D , 10 .

Etymology: “ memecyli “ (Latin) is referring to the host tree, a species of Memecylon .

Typus: Gabon, Ogooue Maritime Province, CTFS-ForestGEO Rabi forest monitoring Plot , ~ S01°55’28.5”, E09°52’48”, elev. ~ 30–60 m, on the trunk of a small-stemmed living tree (10– 15 cm diam.), Memecylon cf. viride ( Melastomataceae ), 7 Apr. 2012, C. Decock & P. Yombiyeni, GA-12-812 (holotype BR; isotype NY).

Diagnosis: Phylloporia memecyli is similar to P. warneckeicola , by the combination of small (projecting horizontally mostly 3–12 mm, 3–22 mm wide), sessile basidiomes, emerging gregariously in clusters, closely, very finely, densely sulcate, light brown to brown pilei but differs in having a brown pore surface, larger pores, 10–11 / mm, (70–)78–100(–105) µm diam., and growing on Memecylon viride ( Melastomataceae ) in the Lower Guineo-Congolian rainforest.

Description: Basidiomata perennial, pileate, sessile, gregarious, emerging simultaneously in clusters of up to 80 individuals, mostly superposed; individual basidiomata mostly turbinate, pendant, attached by a small apical/subapical vertex, very closely to the bark of the host, hence appearing a first sight broadly attached, projecting firstly downward then horizontally, 3–12(–23) mm, 3–22(–34) mm wide, slightly flabelliform then mostly semicircular in outline, in transversal section, first slightly triquetrous when very young, then progressively thinly applanate, the pores surface concave (incurved inside), with a general hard corky consistency; pileus surface finely, densely concentrically sulcate, with numerous fine growth zones, up to 10–12 / cm, shortly velutinous, mainly homogeneously light brown (6D6, cinnamon), to brown (6E6, cocoa brown), to dark brown on aging (6F6, burnt amber), slightly lighter toward the margin, slightly glistening; margin entire, thinly rounded, forming a well-defined narrow rim next to the pore surface, especially in young basidiomes, greyish yellow when fresh, pale cork-coloured on drying; pore surface plane to mostly concave (incurved inside), first homogeneous, then regrowth homogeneous or heterogeneous, in confluent patches, dark brown (6F6 burnt amber); pores small, regular, round to slightly ellipsoid, 10–11 / mm, (70–)78–100(–105) µm diam. (av. = 87 µm diam.); dissepiments thin, (20–)25–55(–85) µm thick (av. = 36 µm); context homogeneous, fibrous, 0.5–1.5 mm thick at the base, very thin to the margin, cinnamon brown to brown [6(D–E)6], topped by a thin black line subtending a thin upper trichoderm; trichoderm 125–250 µm thick, shortly velutinous (under the lens), agglutinating from the base, golden brown (5D7) to yellowish brown (5E8); tube layer 0.5–1.5 mm deep, concolourous with the lower trama. Hyphal system dimitic; generative hyphae simple septate, thin- to slightly thick-walled, hyaline to faintly yellowish, scarcely branched, with a constriction at the branching point, 1.5–2.3 µm diam.; lower context, dominated by skeletal hyphae, descending, parallel to long axis, tightly packed, arising from a generative hyphae and of limited growth, measured up to 400 µm long, 2.0–2.5 µm wide at the basal septa, progressively widening to 3.0–4.5(–4.8) µm wide (av. = 3.7 µm), golden brown, darker (brown) in alkali, thick- to very thick-walled with the lumen wide to narrow, mostly aseptate throughout, or with few secondary septa near the apices; trichoderm with prostrate to erected hyphae, mostly unbranched, thick-walled with widely open lumen, septate with both true and secondary septa, the apices rounded to open, yellowish to brown, mostly 4–6(–8) µm diam., the apices 6–8 µm wide; hymenophoral trama dominated by skeletal hyphae, subparallel to the tube main axis, arising from a generative hyphae or a mediate hyphae, terminal, of limited growth, measured from 115 µm to 350 µm long, 2.0–2.3 µm diam. at the basal septa to 2.5– 3.5 μm diam. (av. = 3.0 µm) in the main part, occasionally geniculated in the basal lower third to, and mostly, straight in the main part, occasionally locally constricted or inflated (up to 4–5 µm), slightly thick-walled at the basal septa, progressively thick- to very thick-walled, the lumen opening then narrow, locally lenticular, ending thin-walled, aseptate throughout but with a few secondary septa near the apices, golden brown, darker brown in alkali. Hymenium: Basidioles slightly pyriform to broadly clavate, 6.0–7.0 × 3.0–4.0 µm; mature basidia few, barrel-shaped to broadly clavate, with four sterigmata; cystidioles absent; basidiospores mostly ellipsoid, beanshaped in side view, appearing somewhat angular on drying, thick-walled, smooth, hyaline to pale yellowish in KOH, without reaction in Melzer’s reagent, 3.5–4.0(–4.2) × 2.2–2.5(–2.7) μm (av. = 3.7 × 2.3 µm), R = 1.4–1.8 (ave Q = 1.6).

Phylogenetic affinities: The species, hitherto, is related to a group of morphologically similar and ecologically related species, including P. warneckeicola , P. fulva , and P. pendula ( Fig. 1 ).

Ecology (substrate, host, habitat): On small-stemmed, living trunks, Memecylon viride ( Melastomataceae ), understory compartment, Lower Guineo-Congolian rainforest.

Geographic distribution: Currently known from the CTFSForestGEO Rabi forest monitoring Plot in South-western Gabon (~ S01°55’28.5”, E09°52’48”, elev. ~ 30–60 m).

Additional specimen examined. Gabon, Ogooue Maritime Province, CTFS-ForestGEO Rabi forest monitoring Plot , ~ S 01°55’28.5”, E09°52’48”, elev. ~ 30–60 m, on the trunk of a small-stemmed living tree, Memecylon viride ( Melastomataceae ), 7 May 2019, M. Jérusalem & P. Yombiyeni, MJ-GA19-091 & MJ-GA19-093 (in herb.BR).

Notes: See below under P. warneckeicola .

Figures

Fig. 9. A, B, D. Moist basidiomata of Phylloporia memecyli and (E, F) basidiomata of Phylloporia warneckeicola. A. GA12-812 (holotype), bottom view. B. GA12-812, upper view. C. Comparative view of the colour of the pore surface of P. warneckeicola (MJ-GA19-017, above) and P. memecyli (MJ-GA19-091, below) when fresh. D. GA12-812, general view. E. GA12-813, bottom and upper view. F. MJ-GA19-017 (holotype), general view. Scale bars: A–F = 1 cm.

Fig. 10. Microscopic structures of Phylloporia memecyli holotype (GA12-812): vegetative hyphae from the tube trama and basidiospores.

Fig. 1. Phylogenetic relationships of Phylloporia species inferred from partial nucLSU rDNA, partial tef1-α and rpb2 genes sequences.Thickened branches represent bootstrap value (ML BS) and PP value greater than 75 % / 0.95. Names of specimens are highlighted following their biogeographical realms, according to Udvardy’s system (blue: Holarctic region; red:Afrotropical region; black: Indomalayan/ Tropical Asia region; green: Neotropical region; yellow: Australasian region). Coloured boxes represent supported lineages whose members share common morphoecological traits. Boxes with dashed lines represent supported lineages whose members share a common biogeographic domain. The new African species described in this study are highlighted in bold. Abbreviations used. AG = Argentina; AU = Australia; BE = Belgium; BJ = Benin; BR = Brazil; CD = Democratic Republic of Congo; CL = Chile; CM = Cameroon; CN = China; CU = Cuba; CZ = Czech republic; EC = Ecuador; FG = French Guiana; FR = France; GA = Gabon; IN = India; IT = Italia; JP = Japan; KE = Kenya; MA = Martinique; MX = Mexico; PK = Pakistan; PT = Portugal; TH = Thailand; TM = Turkmenistan; TW = Taiwan; US = United States of America; UZ = Uzbekistan; ZW = Zimbabwe. (HT) = Type specimen.