Melanconis italica Senan., Camporesi & K.D. Hyde, in Senanayake et al., Stud. Mycol. 86: 273 (2017)

Index Fungorum number: IF 821560

          Saprobic on dead branch of Alnus cordata. Asexual morph: Conidiomata 100–150 µm high, 400–450 µm diam., brown, scattered, solitary, immersed beneath the host epidermis, becoming raised, erumpent through host tissue. Conidiophores reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells 14–16 × 1–2 μm, phialidic, hyaline. Conidia (7–)8–9(–10) × (1.5 )2–3(–3.5) μm, hyaline to pale brown, aseptate, fusiform with small guttules.

Material examined – Italy, Province of Forlì-Cesena, Passo della Braccina – Premilcuore, on twigs of Alnus cordata (Betulaceae), 1 May 2013, Nello Camporesi, IT1209 (MFLU 16-1308).

GenBank Numbers – ITS: MT955723, LSU: MT965724.

Known distribution (based on molecular data) – Italy (Senanayake et al. 2017).

Known hosts (based on molecular data) – Alnus cordata (Senanayake et al. 2017).

Notes – Melanconis italica was introduced by Senanayake et al. (2017) on the dead branch of Alnus cordata in Italy. The sexual morph of Melanconis italica was found on the natural substrate and asexual morph was observed on PDA media by Senanayake et al. (2017). The new strain MFLU 16-1308 that was reported in this study is phylogenetically closely related to the type MFLU 17-0879 with strong statistical support (100% ML, Fig 43). The new strain is considered herein as the first record of asexual morph of Melanconis italica from the natural substrate of same host plant.