Cylindrohyalospora fici Tennakoon, C.H. Kuo, S. Hong- sanan & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov.

MycoBank number: MB 555419; Index Fungorum number: IF 555419; Facesoffungi number: FoF 09328, Fig. 40

Etymology: Name reflects the host Ficus septica. Holotype: MFLU 18-2618

Saprobic on the upper surface decaying leaves of Ficus septica, appearing as small dark brown to black dots. Hyphae superficial, straight, dark brown, irregular, easily removed from the host, appressoria not observed. Sexual morph: Undetermined. Asexual morph: Pycnothyria 50–70 μm diam., superficial, scattered, rounded to oval, flattened, brown to black, opening by stellate fissures. Upper wall comprising linear, septate, light brown to dark brown cells, which are branched at the margin and forming superficial hyphae. Conidiogenous cells evanescent. Conidia 6–7 × 1–2 µm (x̄ = 6.5 × 1.5 μm, n = 30), unicellular, cylindrical with obtuse ends, hyaline, smooth-walled.

Culture characteristics: Colonies on PDA, 20 mm diam. after 3 weeks, colonies from above: dense, circular, umbonate, surface slightly smooth, entire edge, effuse, velvety to hairy, margin well-defined, dark brown to black at the margin, grey to dark brown at the centre; reverse: dark brown to black at the margin, black at the centre.

Material examined: Taiwan, Chiayi, Ali Shan Mountain, Fanlu Township area, Dahu forest, dead leaves of Maca- ranga tanarius (Euphorbiaceae), 18 September 2019, D. S. Tennakoon, TAP049A (MFLU 18-2618, holotype); ex-type living culture, MFLUCC 19-0076, NCYUCC 19-0143, ibid., 20 September 2019, TAP049B (NCYU 19-0222, paratype); ex-paratype living culture, NCYUCC 19-0330.

GenBank numbers: MFLUCC 19-0076: LSU: MW063243. NCYUCC 19-0330: LSU: MW063244.

Notes: – Phylogeny indicates that Cylindrohyalospora (C. fici), constitutes a monophyletic clade sister to Melaspileellaceae (Melaspileella proximella) with 90% ML, 0.90 BYPP statistical support (Fig. 42). Melaspileellaceae was introduced by Dai et al. (2018) to accommodate a single genus Melaspileella based on M. proximella. However, the sexual-asexual connection of Melaspileella is still not resolved, since asexual morphs for Melaspileella species remain undiscovered (Dai et al. 2018; Hongsanan et al. 2020). Cylindrohyalospora species have superficial, scattered, rounded to oval, flattened, brown to black pycnothyria, upper wall comprising linear, septate, light brown to dark brown cells and cylindrical, unicellular, hyaline conidia with obtuse ends. Based on morphological differences between other asexual morphs of Asterinales and phylogeny, we placed Cylindrohyalospora in the new family Cylindrohyalosporaceae. However, further collections are needed for the expansion of this genus.

Fig. 40 Cylindrohyalospora fici (MFLU 18-2618, holotype): a Dead leaf of Ficus septica. b, c Appearance of colonies with pycnothyria on the leaf surface. d Squash mount of pycnothyrium. e, f Upper walls. g, h Conidia. i A germinating conidium. j Colonies from above (on PDA). k Colonies from below (on PDA). Scale bars: c, d = 20 µm, e, f = 15 µm, g–i = 5 µm

Fig. 42 The best scoring RAxML tree with a final likelihood value of – 6084.384150 for combined dataset of LSU sequence data. The tree is rooted with Parmularia styracis (VIC 42447, 42450, 42587). The matrix had 870 distinct alignment patterns with 4% undetermined characters and gaps. Estimated base frequen- cies were as follows; A = 0.239761, C = 0.245770, G= 0.323813, T = 0.190656; substitution rates AC = 0.926216, AG = 2.978501, AT= 0.762681, CG = 1.285420, CT = 9.230560, GT =1.000000; gamma distribution shape parameter α = 0.528622. Ex-type strains are indicated in bold. Newly generated sequences are in red. Bootstrap support values for ML equal to or greater than 60% and BYPP equal to or greater than 0.90 are given above the nodes