Ahmadea dalanensis Aman & Khalid, sp. nov. Figs 2, 3
Mycobank number: MB 557796; Index Fungorum number: IF 557796; Facesoffungi number: FoF 09163;
Etymology – The specific epithet “dalanensis” refers to the locality from where our first specimen of the new species was collected: Dalana, Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan.
Holotype – PAKISTAN, Punjab Province, Lahore, Jhok Reserve Forest, on the ground near Acacia nilotica Delile, 18 August 2018, N. Aman, JRF10 (LAH36405, TRTC176230).
Ascocarp – hypogeous, white, smooth, irregular, covered with soil debris, 1.5 to 5 cm in diameter, Gleba consists of sterile, whitish, meandering veins, irregularly spread and surroundings fertile cream, yellow part containing ascus and ascospores. Asci globose to subglobose. Asci size 77-91 x 61-81µm hyaline to yellow in Melzers reagent. Ascospores globose, 22.052 x 18.136 µm in diameter, Q = 1.21, ornamented, spiny with a broad base and blunt ends.
Specimen examined – PAKISTAN, Punjab Province, Lahore, Jhok Reserve Forest, on the ground near Acacia nilotica Delile, 18 August 2018, N. Aman, JRF10 (holotype LAH36405, isotype TRTC176230); Punjab Province, Lahore, Jhok Reserve Forest, on the ground near Acacia nilotica, 18 August 2018, N. Aman JRF7 (LAH36404, TRTC176231); Dalana, Dera Ghazi Khan, in Sorghum vulgare L. Pers. field, 14 September 2017, N. Aman, TF7 (LAH36406, TRTC176232).
Fig. 2 – Ahmadea dalanensis: A Ascomata of Holotype (JRF10). B Gleba of Holotype (JRF10). C Fruiting bodies of paratype (TF7) showing different sizes. D Gleba of Paratype (JRF7). Scale bars: A–D = 1 cm.
Fig. 3 – A Asci showing 8 ascospores (Holotype: JRFe10). B Ascospores (Holotype: JRF10). C–D SEM images of ascospores showing ornamentation (Holotype: JRF10). Scale bars: A–B = 20µm, C = 10 µm, D = 5 µm.