Beltrania liliiferae P. Razaghi, M. Raza & L. Cai sp. nov.
Index Fungorum number: IF 900337; Mycobank number: MB 900337; Facesoffungi number: FoF 12673; Fig. 1
Etymology – The name refers to the host “Magnolia liliifera”.
Holotype – HMAS 352088.
Setae numerous, erect, arising from radially lobed basal cells, straight to flexuous, unbranched, 2–6-septate, thick-walled, verrucose, dark brown to black, 155–207 µm long, 4.5–7 µm wide, tapering to a pointed apex. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, single or in small groups, erect, unbranched, hyaline to pale brown, smooth, straight to flexuous, mostly geniculate at the apical region, 2–12(–23) septate, 37–91(–380)×4–7.5 µm, arising from basal cells of setae or from separate dark brown, swollen, radially lobed cells, 11–19 μm (av.=13.47±2.32 μm) diam. Conidiogenous cells polyblastic, integrated, terminal, sympodial, with several flat-tipped denticles, cylindrical, clavate, subhyaline to pale brown, smooth (14.5–)18–24.5×4.5–8.5 μm (av.=20.71±4.37×6.11±1.35 μm). Separating cells hyaline, finely roughened, aseptate, ellipsoidal, obovoid, 9.5–13×5–7 μm (av.=1 0.81±0.97×5.68±0.47 μm), with several apical, flat-tipped denticles. Conidia arise directly from conidiogenous cells or from separating cells, acrogenous, biconic, rhomboidal, aseptate, solitary, smooth, pale brown to pale smoky-brown with a hyaline to subhyaline equatorial transverse band, with distinct granules, rounded or 1-denticulate at base, 20–25×8.5–10 μm
(av. = 22.66 ± 1.39 × 9.36 ± 0.51 μm), apical appendage 7–12 μm (av.=8.94±1.29 μm) long, tapering to an acutely rounded tip. Sexual morph: Undetermined.
Culture characteristics – Colonies on PDA raised, with undulate edge, smooth, grayish green from above, reverse centric circles in grayish green and cream, velutinous, producing olivaceous exudate droplets on aerial mycelia, reaching 71–77 mm in diam after 7 d at 25 °C; on SNA flat, with undulate edge, colorless, sparse aerial mycelia, reaching 36–42 mm diam after 7 d at 25 °C.
Material examined – Thailand, on dead leaves of Magnolia liliifera, 2010, Anonymous (HMAS 352088, holotype), ex-holotype living culture, CGMCC 3.23464=LC0063. Thailand, on dead leaves of Magnolia liliifera, 2010, Anonymous, living culture, LC15869.
GenBank numbers – CGMCC 3.23464: ITS=OP022176, LSU = OP022172; LC15869: ITS = OP022177, LSU=OP022173.
Notes – Based on phylogenetic analysis of combined LSU and ITS sequence data, two isolates of Beltrania liliiferae grouped together and formed a distinct clade closely related to B. rhombica (Fig. 2). However, it differs from the latter by having longer setae (155–207 µm vs. 103–167 µm), larger conidiophores [37–91(–380)×4–7.5 µm vs. 22.5–46×2–4.5] μm and wider conidia (8.5–10 vs. 6–8.5 μm, Lin et al. 2017). Beltrania rhombica lacks type material; therefore, to ensure better designation of the species, recollecting on Citrus limon in Italy is required.
Figure 1 – Beltrania liliiferae (HMAS 352088, holotype). a–d Upper and reverse views of cultures on PDA and SNA after 1 week of inoculation, respectively. e Exudate droplets on PDA. f Conidiophores and setae on pine needle on SNA. g, h Setae, conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidia. i–l Conidiophores and radial lobed basal cells of conidiophores. m Separating cells. n Conidia. Scale bars: g, h=20 µm, i–n=5 µm
Figure 2 – Phylogenetic tree generated from Maximum likelihood analysis (RAxML) based on combined ITS and LSU sequence data of Beltraniaceae. Fifty-three strains are included in the combined analyses which comprised 1373 characters (547 characters for ITS and 820 characters for LSU) after alignment. Anthostomella leucospermi (CBS 110126) was used as the outgroup taxon. The best scoring RAxML tree with a final likelihood value of -4929.358117 is presented. The matrix had 335 distinct alignment patterns, with 11.74% of undetermined characters or gaps. Estimated base frequencies were as follows: A=0.2705, C=0.2648, G=0.2173, T=0.2474; substitution rates: AC=0.6116, AG=3.9808, AT=1.0000, CG=0.6116, CT=1.9749, GT=1.0000; gamma distribution shape parameter α=0.4680. Bootstrap support values for ML equal to or greater than 50% are given above the nodes (left side). Bayesian posterior probabilities (BYPP) equal to or greater than 0.80 are given above the nodes (right side). Ex-type strains are in bold and newly generated sequences are in blue