Camarosporidiella laburni (Pers.) Wanas., Bulgakov, Camporesi & K.D. Hyde, Stud. Mycol. 87: 233 (2017).

≡ Sphaeria laburni Pers., Observ. mycol. (Lipsiae) 1: 68 (1796).

MycoBank number: MB 821952; Index Fungorum number: IF 821952; Facesoffungi number: FoF 03540; Fig. 1.

Saprobic on woody branches. Sexual morph Ascomata 400–550 μm high, 450–550 μm diam. (x̅=485.5×488 μm, n=10), black, superficial to semi-immersed, confluent, gregarious, sometimes scattered beneath the host periderm or on decorticated wood, fully or partly erumpent, globose, uniloculate, ostiolate. Ostiole central, short, slightly sunken, minute and inconspicuous at the surface, smooth, ostiolar canal filled with hyaline cells. Peridium 30–50 μm wide at the base, 60–90 μm wide in sides, thick, comprising two layers, outermost layer heavily pigmented, thin-walled, comprising blackish to dark brown loosely packed cells of textura angularis, inner layer composed of pale brown to hyaline, cells towards the inside lighter, flattened, thick-walled cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising numerous, 2–3 μm (n=30) wide, filamentous, branched septate, cellular pseudoparaphyses. Asci 150–220×12–16 μm (x̅=178 × 13 μm, n=30), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical, short-pedicellate, apex rounded with a minute ocular chamber. Ascospores 24–30 × 10–13 μm (x̅=29×11 μm, n=30), overlapping uni-seriate, muriform, mostly ellipsoidal, 6–7-transversely septate, with 1–2 longitudinal septa, deeply constricted at the middle septum, slightly constricted at remaining septa, initially hyaline, becoming pale brown at maturity, asymmetrical, slightly paler, conical and narrowly rounded at the end cells, lacking a mucilaginous sheath.

Material examined –  UZBEKISTAN, Jizzakh Province, Zaamin District, Zaamin National Nature Park, river of Uriklisoy, Turkestan range of Pamir-Alay Mountains, on dead stem of Astragalus sp. (Fabaceae), 12 July 2019, Y. Gafforov YG-Z48-2 (TASM 6162, new record); ibid., on dead stems of unidentified plant, 14 July 2019, Y. Gafforov and A. Abdurazakov, YG-Z59-2 (TASM 6163).

GenBank numbers –  ITS = MZ493295, MZ493296, LSU = MZ493309, MZ493310, SSU: MZ493281, MZ493282, TEF1-α=MZ508404, MZ508405.

Notes –  Wanasinghe et al. (2017) introduced a combination species Camarosporidiella laburni from Italy based on the morphological features of its holomorph and multi-locus phylogeny. The species was previously established as Cucurbitaria laburni by De Notaris (1862) and detailed morphological studies were carried out by Green (1931) and Mirza (1968). This species was noted as clearly distinct from the remaining described species in Cucurbitaria (Wanasinghe et al. 2017). Multi-locus phylogeny demonstrated the species within Camarosporidiellaceae, distant from Cucurbitaria in Cucurbitariaceae (Wanasinghe et al. 2017). Camarosporidiella laburni is widely distributed in Europe and North America and host preferences are currently restricted to the family Fabaceae. Table. 1 shows the updates on host species and geographic distribution of Camarosporidiella laburni and it indicates that this fungus is specific to Fabaceae hosts.

Figure 1 – Camarosporidiellalaburni (TASM 6162, new record). a–c Appearance of ascomata on host surface. d Longitudinal section of an ascoma. e Section of the peridium. f Pseudoparaphyses. g–i Asci. j–o Ascospores. Scale bars: d=100 μm, e=50 μm, f=5 μm, g–i=20 μm, j–o=10 μm

Table 1 – Known hosts found for Camarosporidiella laburni