Curvularia boudouaouensis A. Zibani & H. Benslimane

Zibani, Abdenour, Sicora, Oana, Marian, Monica & Benslimane, Hamida, 2024, Multi-locus phylogeny and morphology of Curvularia isolates associated with leaf spots of corn in northern Algeria unveiled two new species, C. algeriensis sp. nov. and C. boudouaouensis sp. nov., with a new record for C. spicifera, Phytotaxa 650 (1), pp. 23-46 : 36-37

Curvularia boudouaouensis A. Zibani & H. Benslimane , sp. nov.

MycoBank number: MB849545; FIGURE 3 .

Etymology: Named after Boudouaou locality, where the material was collected.

Pathogenic on corn, causing small, grey leaf spots (0.7)1–1.6(3.1) × (0.2)0.3–1(1.9) mm. Asexual morph on PDA: Hyphae hyaline to subhyaline, septate, branched, 2–4(7) μm. Conidiophores arising singly or in groups of 2–4, producing conidia apically and laterally, mostly macronematous, thick-septate at close distances, thick-walled, straight or flexuous, simple or branched, pale brown to brown, upper part usually darker and geniculate or bent, (16)26–71(101.5) × (4)4.5–5.5(6) μm (avr. 48.5 × 5 μm). Conidiogenous cells smooth-walled, terminal or intercalary, proliferating sympodially, pale brown to brown, with darkened and thickened scars, subcylindrical, slightly flared or swollen towards the apex, (3)4.5–18(26.5) × (4)5–7 (10) μm (avr. 11 × 6 μm). Conidia smooth-walled, dark and thick-septate, often curved, ellipsoidal to subcylindrical, sometimes with “Y” shape, enlarged at the 2 central cells, rounded at the apex, rounded to slightly flattened at the basal extremity, brown to dark brown with end cells paler, (2)3(4)- distoseptate, (18)27.5–38(46.5) × (9)13.5–18.5(22) μm (avr. 32.5 × 16 μm), hila usually inconspicuous, germination from one or both ends. Chlamydospores abundant, produced apically and intercalary as chains of subhyaline to pale brown swollen hyphal cells, or as clusters of brown to dark brown cells, globose to subglobose, thick-walled, (9)10– 16(21) × (8)10–13.5(19.5) μm diam. (avr. 12.5 × 11.5 μm). Microconidiation and sexual morph not observed.

Culture characteristics: Colonies on PDA reaching 30 ± 2 mm diam. in 1 week at 25 °C, cottony, moss green, centrally grey, raised, irregular with lobate margin; reverse olivaceous black.

Material examined: ALGERIA, Boumerdes, Boudouaou (in the sublittoral region), from diseased corn leaves, 21 Jul. 2018, A. Zibani (holotype CBS 150515 , includes ex-type culture).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Curvularia boudouaouensis (CBS 150515). a 7-day-old colony on PDA. b lesions on inoculated corn leaf. c, d conidiophores with attached conidia. e conidia. f chlamydospores. Scale bars = 25 µm.