Xylaria liquidambaris J. D. Rogers, Y. M. Ju & F. San Martín, Sydowia

Zhu, An-Hong, Song, Zi-Kun, Wang, Jun-Fang, Guan, Hao-Wen, Qu, Zhi & Ma, Hai-Xia, 2024, Multi-gene phylogenetic and taxonomic contributions to Xylaria (Ascomycota) associated with fallen fruits from China, MycoKeys 106, pp. 23-41 : 23-41

Xylaria liquidambaris J. D. Rogers, Y. M. Ju & F. San Martín, Sydowia 54 (1): 92. 2002

Fig. 4

Teleomorph.

Stromata upright, solitary or sometimes clustered, unbranched or occasionally branched, 1.2–8.0 cm total height; fertile parts 6–25 mm high × 1.5–5.0 mm broad, cylindrical with acute sterile apices, at times longitudinally furrowed, with wrinkles isolating somewhat prominent perithecia; stipes 6–55 mm high × 1.0– 2.5 mm broad, glabrous to pubescent arising from a pannose base; surface dark brown to black, interior white, with dark brown to black a circle, and white at center. Texture solid, soft, woody. Perithecia subglobose, 250–400 µm. Ostioles conic-papillate. Asci eight-spored arranged in uniseriate manner, cylindrical, long-stipitate, (110 –) 125–145 (– 165) µm total length, the spore-bearing parts (80 –) 90–105 (– 115) µm long × (6 –) 7–8 (– 8.5) µm broad, the stipes 30–60 µm long, with apical ring bluing in Melzer’s reagent, inverted hap-shaped to more or less rectangular, 2.5–3.5 µm high × 2.0–2.5 µm diam. Ascospores brown, unicellular, ellipsoid-inequilateral with narrowly to broadly rounded ends, smooth, (12.5 –) 13–14 (– 15) × (4.8 –) 5.5–6.5 (– 6.8) µm (M = 13.5 × 6.1 µm, Q = 2.2, n = 90 / 3), with spiraling germ slit, lacking a sheath or appendages in india ink or 1 % SDS.

Specimens examined.

China. Guangdong Province, Chebaling Nature Reserve, on fruits of Liquidambar formosana , 26 June 2010, Ma Haixia, Col. 10062607 ; Fengkai County, Heishiding Nature Reserve , on fruits of L. formosana , 2 July 2010, Ma Haixia, Col. 10070206 ; Jiangxi Province, Guanshan Nature Reserve, on fruits of L. formosana , 21 June 2013, Ma Haixia, FCATAS 873 (Col. 16) ; Fuzhou City, Tang Xianzu Museum , on fruits of L. formosana , 17 June 2013, Ma Haixia, FCATAS 877 (Col. 36) ; Anyuan County, Sanbai Mountain Nature Reserve , on fruits of L. formosana , 15 August 2016, Ma Haixia, FCATAS 878 (Col. O 37) ; Zhejiang Province, Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve , on fruits of L. formosana , 6 August 2013, Ma Haixia, FCATAS 872 (Col. 10) ; Gutian Mountain Nature Reserve , on fruits of L. formosana , 13 August 2013, Ma Haixia, FCATAS 496 (Col. 29) ; Anhui Province, Huangshan City, Qiman County, Guniujiang Nature Reserve , on fruits of L. formosana , 8 August 2013, Ma Haixia, FCATAS 874 (Col. 19) ; Huangshan Nature Reserve , on fruits of L. formosana , 27 June 2019, Ma Haixia, FCATAS 879 (Col. P 6) ; Hainan Province, Diaoluoshan Nature Reserve , on fruits of L. formosana , 31 December 2020, Ma Haixia, FCATAS 880 (Col. Z 211) .

Notes.

Xylaria liquidambaris was originally described by Rogers et al. (2002) from USA, and has high specificity to fruits of Liquidambar ( Altingiaceae ). It is characterized by unbranched stromata with acute sterile apex, embedded to slightly prominent perithecia with longitudinal striations, brown ascospores with long spiraling germ slit ( Rogers et al. 2002). These Chinese materials well fit the descriptions and illustrations of X. liquidambaris by Rogers et al. (2002).

Figures

Figure 4. Xylaria liquidambaris (a from Col. 10062607 b – m from FCATAS 874) a, b stromata on fallen fruits c stromatal surface d, e section through stroma, showing perithecia f asci in Melzer’s reagent g, l ascospore in water h ascospores with germ slit in India ink i, j ascal apical ring in Melzer’s reagent k ascospores with germ slit in Melzer’s reagent m asci in water. Scale bars: 1.5 cm (a, b); 100 µm (c, d, e); 20 µm (f); 10 µm (g – m).