Flexuomyces asteliae Crous, sp. nov.
MycoBank number: MB 839496; Index Fungorum number: IF 839496; Facesoffungi number: FoF;
Etymology. Name refers to the host genus Astelia from which it was isolated.
Conidiomata convex with a short stipe arising from a basal stroma of brown textura epidermoidea; stipe short, of brown, parallel cylindrical cells, fanning outward towards umbrella-like apex, which is pale brown, giving rise to cylindrical, hyaline conidiogenous cells that taper at apex; conidiomata brown, 200 – 400 µm diam, sessile with a crystalline mucoid conidial mass; wall of several layers of brown textura epidermoidea. Conidiophores septate, cylindrical, tightly aggregated, up to 40 µm tall, 2 – 3 µm diam; on inner plane forming a layer of phialidic conidiogenous cells, hyaline, smooth, 4 –7 × 2 µm. Conidia single, hyaline, smooth, subcylindrical to acicular, 3 – 8-septate, guttulate, apex subobtuse, base truncate, conidia spirally twisted in middle with apical and basal part in different planes, 60 –100 × 1.5 – 2 µm, widest at basal septum, tapering to truncate hilum, 1 µm diam.
Culture characteristics — Colonies erumpent, spreading, with sparse to moderate aerial mycelium and smooth, even margin, reaching 40 mm diam after 2 wk at 25 °C on MEA, but covering dish on PDA and OA. On MEA surface and reverse umber; on PDA surface and reverse chestnut; on OA surface umber with patches of buff.
Typus. NEW ZEALAND, Auckland, Taunton Terrace, from leaf spots of Astelia chathamica (Asteliaceae), 14 Mar. 2019, C. Inglis (holotype CBS H-24416, culture ex-type CPC 38522 = T19_02324E = CBS 146786, ITS and LSU sequences GenBank MZ064409.1 and MZ064466.1).
Notes — Flexuomyces is related to hyphomycetous genera such as Pallidophorina, Variabilispora (Bien et al. 2020) and Vandijckella (Crous et al. 2017). It can easily be distinguished from those genera by its convex conidiomata with a short stipe, and multiseptate, spirally twisted conidia.