Chlorovibrissea korfii H.D. Zheng & W.Y. Zhuang

Zheng, Huan-Di & Zhuang, Wen-Ying, 2017, Chlorovibrisseakorfii sp. nov. from northern hemisphere and Vibrisseaflavovirens new to China, MycoKeys 26, pp. 1-1 : 2

Chlorovibrissea korfii H.D. Zheng & W.Y. Zhuang sp. nov. Figure 2

Type.

CHINA, Yunnan Province, Maguan County, 23°6.22'N, 104°19.75'E, alt. 1450 m, on moist rotten twig, 14 August 2016, X.H. Wang, S.H. Li, H.D. Zheng & S.C. Li YN16-151 (holotype: HMAS 275652).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is in memory of the late distinguished mycologist Dr. R.P. Korf.

Description.

Apothecia scattered or in cluster, discoid to slightly convex, stipitate, light greenish yellow, with hymenium and receptacle surface concolorous when fresh, 0.8-2.0 mm in diam. and 0.6-1.5 mm high, dried apothecial tissues with exudation of light yellow pigment in water; stipe cylindrical, with base dark, 0.4-1.0 mm high. Ectal excipulum of textura prismatica, non-gelatinous, 30-100 µm thick, hyphae parallel or lying at a low angle to receptacle surface, cells hyaline, with walls slightly thickened, terminal cells of external hyphae thin-walled, 8-25 × 3-7 μm. Medullary excipulum of textura porrecta to textura intricata, 30-300 µm thick, hyphae hyaline, 3-5 µm wide. Subhymenium not distinguishable. Hymenium 95-110 µm thick. Asci arising from simple septa, 8-spored, cylindrical, J+ in Melzer’s reagent and Lugol’s solution without KOH pretreatment, visible as two short blue lines, 70-83 × 4.5-5.5 μm. Ascospores filiform, tapering slightly from rounded apex to pointed base, hyaline, smooth, multiguttulate, non-septate, in fascicle, 44-52 × 1.2-1.5 μm. Paraphyses filiform, hyaline, unbranched, 1.5-2.0 µm wide, not exceeding the asci.

Notes. Six species have been recorded in the genus Chlorovibrissea . Chlorovibrissea korfii is different from any known species of the genus in both morphological and phylogenetic evidences. Morphologically, the diagnostic characteristic of the new species is the overall light greenish yellow apothecia. Chlorovibrissea phialophora Samuels & L.M. Kohn has ascospores of similar shape and size, but differs in apothecia stipitate-capitate, larger (2-5 mm in diam.) and dark green to nearly black, stipe longer (1-2.5 mm), asci larger (100-123 × 5-6 μm), and apical cells of ascospores forming subglobose to cylindrical phialides within the asci. The new fungus resembles C. albofusca (G.W. Beaton) Sandoval-Leiva, A.I. Romero & P.R. Johnst. in having pale colored apothecia, but the latter has larger apothecia (up to 4 mm diam. when dry) with hemispherical cap, larger ectal excipular cells (up to 35 × 15 μm) lying at a high angle to the outer surface, larger asci (195-225 × 7.5-8.5 μm), and larger ascospores (95-115 × 1.5-2 μm). Phylogenetically, C. korfii appeared to be related to C. bicolor , C. phialophora and Chlorovibrissea sp. (DQ257353) in the ITS tree (Fig. 1). Chlorovibrissea bicolor is different from the new species in apothecia with yellow, subglobose or lobed head up to 4 mm in diam. and a dark green tomentose stalk, larger asci (132-155 × 5-6.5 μm) and ascospores (53-60 × 1.5-2 μm).