Anthostomelloides longispora M. Niranjan and V.V. Sarma
Index fungorum number: IF 558369
Etymology: Epithet with reference to longer ascospores when compared to other species.
Saprobic on Cocos nucifera fronds. Sexual morph: Ascomata 400–500 × 420–540 µm, perithecial, scattered, immersed to slightly raised, sub-globose, black, lignicolous, coriaceous, centrally ostiolate, short carbonaceous clypeus, necks are short papillate, brown. Peridium consists of two strata, outer stratum thick, dark brown, and the inner stratum brown, textura angularis. Hamathecium: paraphyses 3.3 µm wide at base, thin towards apex, septate, branched. Asci 105–153 × 12.5–16 µm (x̄ = 127.5 × 14.5 µm, n=25), bitunicate, 8-spored, cylindrical, rarely obclavate or oval, rounded to flat apex with rectracted J+ve apical ring in Lugol’s solution, short pedicellate, persistent. Ascospores 17.5–22.5 × 7.5–8 µm (x̄ = 20.78 × 7.5 µm, n=26), hyaline to dark brown, overlapping uniseriate, ellipsoidal, oblong, slightly curved, broadly cylindrical or fusiform, rarely uniguttulated, smooth walled, surrounded by thin a mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Material examined – INDIA, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, South Andaman, Port Blair, (11˚33’46.7” N 92˚43’55.5” E). Recorded on Cocos nucifera fronds. 7 February 2016, M. Niranjan and V.V. Sarma (PUFNI 357).
Additional material examined – South Andaman, Port Blair, Dollygunj, NIOT Coco Plantation (11˚31’21”N 92˚43’8”E) Cocus nucifera (T50F1, T56F2, T57F1, T59F1, T62F1, T65F2, T69F2, T71F1, T72F1, T79F1, T80F1) 07 February, 2016; Middle Andaman, Betapur (12˚9’57”N 92˚46’38”E) on unidentified twig (T38F3) 05 January, 2017; North Andaman, Mohanpur (13˚11’25”N 92˚53’23”E) on unidentified (T156F2) 06 January, 2017; Mohanpur (13˚11’14”N 92˚53’11”E) on Dolichandrone spathacea (T204F2), 17 May, 2018.
Notes – Anthostomelloides was introduced by Tibpromma et al. (2017) to accommodate Anthostommeloides krabiensis and is characterized by immersed, globose ascomata with a central, papillate, periphysate ostiolar canal, short to reduced black clypeus, asci that are wedge–shaped, with J+ apical ring and ascospores that are oblong–inequilaterally ellipsoidal. Currently, Anthostomelloides consists of 5 species (Hyde et al. 2020b). This genus differs from Anthostomella in having equilaterally ellipsoidal ascospores that usually have germ slits (Darangama et al., 2016). Anthostomelloides is closely related to Pseudoanthostomella in having an apical ring that is J+ but lacks central periphysate ostilate canals in the ascomata (Daranagama et al. 2016). Within Anthostomelloides, the following species: A. forlìcesenica, A. leucospermi and A. brabeji are closely related to A. longispora. Anthostomelloides forlìcesenica distinguishes from A. longispora by having smaller asci and ascospores and a thin mucilaginous sheath (Daranagama et al. 2015). Anthostomelloides brabeji has smaller asci and ascospores that are pale brown, while A. longispora has dark brown. Anthostomelloides leucospermi also has smaller asci, ascomata and smaller guttulate ascospores when compared to A. longispora. The Pseudoanthostomella is saprobic on the leaves, submerged to semi–submerged ascomata, cylindrical to clavate asci with J+ apical rings; ellipsoidal, brown ascospores with a germ slit and a mucilaginous sheath. The proposed taxon fits well in Anthostomelloides due to the presence of a clypeus, periphyses in the ascomata and ascospores without a germ slit and mucilaginous sheath. Anthostomelloides longispora is distinguished by having larger asci and ascospores, and equilateral, non–bilateral or ovoid ascospores.
Figs. 1. Anthostomelloideslongispora (PUFNI 357).a Ascomata. b Vertical section of ascoma. c Hamathecium. d Textura angularis cells. e Paraphyses. f-j Asci. k-p Ascospores. Scale bars: b = 200 µm, e-j = 20 µm, c, d, k-p =10 µm.