Populocrescentia forlicesenensis Wanasinghe, Camporesi, E.B.G. Jones & K.D. Hyde.
Index Fungorum number: IF551412; Facesoffungi number: FoF00953; Fig. 1
Etymology – Name reflects the locality, Forlì-Cesena Province, where this species was collected.
Holotype – MFLU 15-1504

Saprobic on dead herbaceous branches of Populus nigra L. Sexual morph: Ascomata 150 – 270 μm high, 200 – 250 μm diam. (x̄ = 213 × 234.7 μm, n = 10), superficial, solitary, scattered, broadly oval, dark brown to black, coriaceous, cupulate when dry, ostiolate. Ostiole 30 – 60 μm high, 25 – 50 μm diam. (x̄ = 45 × 38.3 μm, n = 5), papillate, black, smooth, with short, light brown setae. Peridium 10 – 20 μm wide at the base, 20 – 35 μm wide at the sides, comprising 6 – 8 layers, outer part heavily pigmented, thick – walled, comprising blackish to dark brown cells of textura angularis, inner part composed of hyaline, thin – walled cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising numerous, 2 – 3 μm (n = 30) wide, filamentous, branched, septate, pseudoparaphyses. Asci 90 – 110 × 14 – 20 μm (x̄ = 100.5 × 16.5 μm, n = 40), 8 – spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical to cylindric – clavate, pedicellate, rounded and thick – walled at the apex, with an ocular chamber. Ascospores 17 – 22 × 8 – 10 μm (x̄ = 19.7 × 8.7 μm, n = 50), overlapping 1 – 2 – seriate, initially hyaline, becoming yellowish brown at maturity, broadly fusiform, lower part of spore longer, muriform, with 4 – 6 transverse septa and 3 – 4 vertical septa, constricted at the central septum, cells above central septum slightly swollen, weakly constricted at the other septa, ends conical, basal cell often lighter, lacking a mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Culture characteristics – Colonies on PDA reaching 30 – 35 mm diam. in 21 days, greenish – grey in the centre, with dirty white outer region, spreading with moderate aerial mycelium, and smooth, even margins; reverse rust coloured.

Material examined – ITALY, Forlì-Cesena Province, Bleda in Santa Sofia, dead and hanging branches of Populus nigra (Salicaceae), 11 October 2013, E. Camporesi (MFLU 15-1504, holotype), ex-type living culture, MFLUCC 14-0651.

Fig. 1 Populocrescentia forlicesenensis (holotype). a Ascomata on host substrate b Section of ascoma c Peridium d Pseudoparaphyses e – h Asci i – m Ascospores. Scale bars: a = 500 μm, b = 50 μm, c = 20 μm, d = 10 μm, e – h = 20 μm, i – m = 10 μm.