Verruconis pseudotricladiata Z.F. Yu & M. Qiao

Qiao, Min, Tian, Weiguang, Castaneda-Ruiz, Rafael F., Xu, Jianping & Yu, Zefen, 2019, Two new species of Verruconis from Hainan, China, MycoKeys 48, pp. 41-53 : 41

Verruconis pseudotricladiata Z.F. Yu & M. Qiao sp. nov. Figure 3

Etymology.

Latin, pseudotricladiata refers to similar conidia shape to Scolecobasidium tricladiatum .

Description.

Colonies on CMA medium compact, restricted, brown to fuliginous, surface velvety or floccose, 12 mm at 20 °C after 20 days, 14 mm at 25 °C, 10 mm at 30 °C, no growth at 35 °C. Mycelium subhyaline to pale brown and smooth- or somewhat rough-walled. Conidiophores semi-macronematous, mononematous, straight or flexuous, 1-4 septa, sometimes moniliform (composed of 2-5 globose serial cells), pale brown, smooth, 6.5-27.2 × 2.1-3.5 μm, sometimes reduced to conidiogenous cells that arise from assimilative hyphae. Conidiogenous cells monoblastic, rarely polyblastic after sympodial elongation, globose, ampulliform, lageniform to clavate, 3.0-5.3 × 2.3-3.8 μm, integrated or discrete, mostly determinate, with an inconspicuous or distinct fimbriate denticle-like at the conidiogenous locus after rhexolytic conidial secession. Conidia mostly acrogenous, subhyaline to pale brown, smooth to verruculose, staurosporic, unbranched or branched: i) unbranched conidia (main axis) cylindrical-clavate, 2-4 septate, slightly constricted at the septa, mostly smooth, rarely verruculose, 16-20 × 3.3-4.7 μm, with an inconspicuous basal frill and often with a globose or ellipsoidal, 0-1 septate, 5.6-12.3 × 2.8-4.5 μm primary branch at the apex; ii) branched conidia staurosporic, Y-, or T-shaped, composed of the main axis and two branches (primary and secondary); iia) main axis cylindrical-clavate to clavate, 1-3-septate, mostly 2-septate, smooth or rarely verruculose, very pale brown, 15.6-20.6 × 3.8-5.7 μm; iib) primary branches obclavate, 1-2 septate, verruculose toward the apex, smooth at the basal cell, 17.9-18.2 × 2.9-4.7 μm, at an angle of 45° arising from the apex of main axis; iic) secondary branches ovoid to obclavate, smooth or verruculose towards the apex, 0-2-septate, ( –5.6)12.3– 17.9 × 2.8-4.5 μm, arising eccentrically from the basal cell of the primary branches.

Type.

CHINA. From leaves of an unidentified broad-leaf species submerged in a stream, Diaoluo Mountain, Hainan Province, 18°41'N, 109°41'E, 254 m alt., 16 June 2016, Z.F. Yu (dried slide YMFT 1.04915, holotype; live culture YMF 1.04915 ex-type; CGMCC–3.18939– isotype).

Notes.

Verruconis pseudotricladiata is similar to S. tricladiatum Matsush. on the general conidial morphology, but in S. tricladiatum , the conidiophores are mostly moniliform, irregularly branched forming profuse fascicules and, on pure culture, lack staurosporic conidia or rarely formed on the conidiogenous cells, the conidia are mostly unbranched, ellipsoidal to fusiform, (1-) 3-4 (-5)-septate, (9.5 –)14– 22 (-28) × 4-5 (-6) μm, pale olivaceous or pale brown, verruculose conidia ( Matsushima 1971).