Diaporthe foeniculina Niessl, in von Thu¨men, Contr. Ad. Fl. Myc. Lusit. 2: 30. 1880.

Saprobic on dead branch of Laburnum. Sexual morph Undetermined. Asexual morph Conidiomata 215–390 μm diam. 9 160–235 μm high (x = 360 x 185 μm, n = 10), pycnidial, eustromatic, unilocular, semi-immersed, dark brown, scattered or aggregated, ostiolate, peridium consisting of brown thick-walled cells of textura angularis, conidial mass globose to conical and exuding in cirrhi, yellow to reddish brown. Conidiophores 20–28 x 2–3 (x = 24 x 2 μm, n = 10) μm hyaline, subcylindrical or cylindrical, filiform, tapering towards the apex. Alpha conidia 6–9 x 2–3 μm (x = 7 x 3 μm, n = 10), hyaline, oblong to ellipsoidal, apex bluntly rounded, base obtuse to sub-truncate, bi- to multi-guttulate. Beta conidia 26–34 x 1–2 μm (x = 28 x 1 μm, n = 10), hyaline, smooth, slightly curved.

Culture characteristics: Colony is entirely white both on surface and reverse. Aerial mycelium cottony and feathery,
colonies reaching 60 mm diam. after 5 days in 28 ºC. Material examined: ITALY, on dead branch of Laburnum (Fabaceae), 21 August 2012, Erio Camporesi (MFLU 13-0320), living cultures MFLUCC 12-0668.

 

Note: Diaporthe foeniculina has been reported on various woody hosts (from 20 host genera from 16 host families; https://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases). This is the first record of D. foeniculina on Laburnum sp. In our phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, EF-1a, b-tubulin and CAL sequence data of Diaporthe species), strain MFLUCC 12-0668 grouped together with ex-type strains of D. foeniculina with very high support (ex-epitype culture CBS 111553).

 

Fig. Diaporthe foeniculina (MFLUCC 12-0668). a Specimen on dead branch of Laburnum sp. b Conidiomata on the host surface. c, d Longitudinal section of a conidiomata. e, f Longitudinal section of peridium. g–l developing conidia. m–p Developing conidia stained with lactophenol cotton blue. q Alpha conidia. r Alpha conidia stained with lactophenol cotton blue. s Beta conidia. t Beta conidia stained with lactophenol cotton blue. u Germinating conidium. v, w Colonies on PDA, v from top, w from reverse. Scale bars c, d = 100 μm; e, f = 50 lm; g–t = 5 lm; u = 10 μm.