Botryosphaeria sinensia Y.P. Zhou, Y. Zhang

Zhou, Yupei, Dou, Zhipeng, He, Wei, Zhang, Xiaodong & Zhang, Ying, 2016, Botryosphaeria sinensia sp nov., a new species from China, Phytotaxa 245 (1), pp. 43-50 : 45-46

Botryosphaeria sinensia Y.P. Zhou, Y. Zhang ter. sp. nov. MycoBank 813802. ( Figs. 1 , 2 , 3 )

Holotype:— CHINA, Henan Province, Puyang, Qingfeng county , on twigs of Populus sp. ( Salicaceae ), 11 Nov. 2014 ( HMAS 246714 !).

Diagnosis:— Botryosphaeria sinensia differs from other known B. dothidea -like species by the smaller ascostroma, hyaline aged conidia, and different ITS sequences.

Ascostroma erumpent, 140−260 μm diam. Ascomata pseudothecial, clustered, forming botryose clusters aggregate of up to 50, seldom solitary, spherical to globose with a central ostiole, ¼ to ¾ emergent, papillate or not, brown to black, pseudothecial wall comprising 5–15 layers of textura angularis, outer region of dark brown cells, inner region of 2–4 layers of hyaline cells lining the locule. Pseudoparaphyses filiform, septate, constricted at the septa, rarely branched, 2–5 μm wide. Asci bitunicate, broadly clavate, short pedicellate with a well-developed apical chamber, 70−145 × 17–25 μm, forming between pseudoparaphyses. Ascospores fusoid to ellipsoid, widest in the upper third or middle, obtuse apex, sometimes with tapered end, partially overlapping, hyaline, aseptate, biseriate in the ascus, 19–30 × 7–11 μm (av. 24.6 × 8.7 μm, l/ w 2.8, n=50). Conidiomata stromatic, morphologically indistinguishable from the ascomata. Paraphyses, when present hyaline, septate, up to 40 μm long, 3–5 μm wide at the base tapering to acutely rounded apices, 1.5–2 μm wide at the tip. Conidiogenous cells holoblastic, hyaline, sub-cylindrical, 8–15 × 2–3 μm. Conidia narrowly fusiform, or irregularly fusiform, obtuse apex, hyaline, aseptate, smooth with granular contents, (15–) 19–29 × 5–7 μm (av. conidia 24.3 × 5.9 μm, l/ w 4.1, n=50), aged conidia hyaline, become one to two septate after being discharged from the pycnidium. Spermatogenous cells discrete or integrated, hyaline, smooth, cylindrical, 5–10 × 1.5–2 μm. Spermatia unicellular, hyaline, allantoid to rod-shaped, 4−7 × 2−3 μm.

Culture characteristics: — Colonies fast growing, reach 2.3 cm on MEA after 3 days in the dark at 28 º, initially white and becoming smoke grey to olivaceous-grey at the surface with reverse oliveaceous black to black, with grey aerial mycelium, appressed mycelial mat, margin smooth sometimes appearing crenulate.

Etymology: —The epithet sinensia refers to China (from Latin sinensia = China), the country from which it is described.

Additional specimens examined: — CHINA, Henan Province, Zhoukou, Chengxia county, on twigs of Morus sp. ( Moraceae ), 5 Oct. 2014, leg. ZP Dou (Paratype, HMAS 246715 !) ; Puyang, Qingfeng county, on twigs of Juglans regia ( Juglandaceae ), 11 Nov. 2014, leg. ZP Dou (Paratype, HMAS 246713 !) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Botryosphaeria sinensia.A. Botryose clusters of ascomata erumpent through the bark of a poplar twig (HMAS 246714, type). B. D. Transverse section through ascomata revealing brilliant white contents. C. Ascomata erumpent through the bark of a Morus sp. twig (HMAS 246715, paratype). Scale bars:A−I = 1000 μm.

FIGURE 2. Botryosphaeria sinensia (HMAS 246714, type). A. Ascus with ascospores. B. Asci. C. Ascospores. D. Conidia. E. Old conidia. F. Spermatia. Scale bars: A−E= 20 μm, F= 10 μm.

FIGURE 3. Botryosphaeria sinensia (CGMCC3.17722, type). Colony (surface and reverse) after 7 days in the dark at 28º.