Kallichroma asperum Abdel-Wahab, Bahkali & E.B.G. Jones, 2016

Abdel-Wahab, Mohamed A., Bahkali, Ali H., Gareth Jones, E. B., Elgorban, Abdallah M., Abdel-Aziz, Faten A., Hodhod, Mohamed S. & Al-Hebshi, Mohamed O., 2016, Two new species of Kallichroma (Bionectriaceae, Hypocreales) from Saudi Arabian mangroves, Phytotaxa 260 (1), pp. 66-74 : 69-70

Kallichroma asperum Abdel-Wahab, Bahkali & E.B.G. Jones sp. nov. Figure 2

Index Fungorum number: IF551853; Facesoffungi number: FoF 01805; MB 816854

Etymology: —In reference to the rough surface of the ascospores.

Holotype: CBS H-22561.

Saprobic on decayed, whitish, decorticated intertidal mangrove wood. Sexual morph: Ascomata 300–400 μm

diam., perithecoid or stromatic, when stromatic consists of groups of two to eight confluent ascomata, globose to subglobose, immersed with papillae protruding above the wood surface, orange to reddish-orange in color that become dark in color when aged, carotene concentrated in the peridium. Papillae 300–380 μm long, 300–350 μm wide, subgloboe to ellipsoidal, as big as the ascomatal venter or even larger, orange to reddish-orange in color. Ascospores are often oozing out of the ostiolar canal and form tendrils on the surface of the wood. Ostiolar canal 180–220 μm long, 82–150 μm wide, periphysate. Periphyses 20–47 μm long, 1–2 μm thick. Peridium 20–35 μm thick, two-layered, yellow to apricot in color; outer layer 17–22 μm thick, forming textura intricata; inner layer 12–15 μm thick, consists of flattened, polygonal, thick-walled hyaline cells. Peridium around the papillae 60–80 μm thick, orange in color forming textura intricata. Hamathecium composed of apical paraphyses, branched filaments, 1–1.5 μm thick, evanescent. Asci 62–90 (x = 69.8, S.D. = 23.98, n = 12) μm long, 15–22 μm (x = 20.2, S.D. = 6.75, n = 12) μm wide, 3 to 8-spored, clavate, obclavate, unitunicate, thin-walled, semi-persistent. Ascospores 16–24 (x = 21.3, S.D. = 3.89, n = 50) μm long, 11–12 (x = 11.3, S.D. = 1.9, n = 50) μm wide, apricot in color, uni- or biseriate, unicellular or one-septate, clavate to fusiform, thick-walled with rough cell wall surface, sub-median septum, upper cell larger in size, not constricted at the septa. Asexual morph: Unknown.

Culture characters: —Ascospores germinating on PDA within 24 h and germ tubes produced from both ascospore cells. Colonies 20 mm diam. in 20 days at 23ºC, circular, with irregular margin, produce white to dull-yellow aerial and immersed mycelia with yellow exudates.

Material examined: — SAUDI ARABIA, Red Sea, Yanbu City, Yanbu mangroves, on submerged decayed wood of the mangrove tree Avicennia marina , 17 November 2011, M. A. Abdel-Wahab ( CBS H-22561, holotype) ; ex-type culture, CBS 141304 ; SAUDI ARABIA, Red Sea, Jizan City, Farasan Island mangroves, on submerged decayed wood of the mangrove tree Avicennia marina , 8 March 2012, M. A. Abdel-Wahab (MF1210) ; SAUDI ARABIA, Arabian Gulf, Tarut mangroves, on submerged decayed wood of the mangrove tree Avicennia marina , 28 March 2013, M. A. Abdel-Wahab (MF1349) .

Notes: —The two described species of Kallichroma have epapillate or clypeoid ascomata and 8-spored asci. K. tethys differs from K. glabrum by having longitudinal ridges on the ascospore cell wall ( Kohlmeyer & Kohlmeyer 1965, 1979, Kohlmeyer 1984). Kallichroma asperum differs from K. tethys and K. glabrum in having ascomata with large globose papillae, smaller centrum, 3 to 8-spored asci and ascospores that are wider, clavate in shape, with thick and rough cell walls surrounded by a gelatinous sheath. Moreover, the new taxon is phylogenetically distinct as it forms a sister group to other Kallichroma species (Figs. 1,2).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Kallichroma asperum (CBS H-22561, holotype) A–B. Confluent ascomata. C. Vertical section of two confluent ascomata. E–G. Asci at different stages of development. H–J. Variously shaped ascospores. Scale bars: A–C = 100 μm, D–E = 20 μm, F–G = 10 μm, H–J = 5 μm.