Scleroramularia vermispora G.Y. Sun & L. Gao, sp. nov.

Index Fungorum number: IF 556172; MycoBank number: MB 556172; Facesoffungi number: FoF 05788; Fig. 32

Etymology: Named after its conidia shape.

Holotype: HMUABO GLZJXJ6.

Ectophytic on the surface of Japanese banana (Musa basjoo) fruit. Sexual morph: Undetermined. Asexual morph on SNA. Mycelium creeping, superficial and submerged, consisting of hyaline, smooth, branched, septate, 1.5–2.5 μm diam hyphae. Conidiophores mostly reduced to conidiogenous cells, or with one supporting cell. Conidiogenous cells solitary, erect, intercalary on hyphae, subcylindrical, straight, with 1 terminal locus, 2–7 × 1.5–3 μm. Conidia in branched chains, hyaline, smooth, straight, curved, and usually bending into a "C" shape or vermiform if long and thin; basal conidia mostly narrowly cylindrical, 0–3-septate, 23–57 × 1.5–2.5 μm; intercalary and terminal conidia becoming more narrowly ellipsoid to vermiform, 0–4-septate, 11–34(–43) × 1.5–3 μm.

Culture characteristics: Colonies after 2 weeks at 25 °C on SNA spreading with sparse aerial mycelium and somewhat feathery margin, reaching 15 mm diam, with white surface.

Material examined: CHINA, Guangdong Province, Zhanjiang, on the surface of Musa basjoo fruit, October 2011, L. Gao, W.H. Li & H.C. Chen, GLZJXJ6 (GLZJXJ6, holotype). Other specimens examined: CHINA, Guangdong: Zhanjiang, on the surface of M. basjoo fruit, October 2011, L. Gao, W.H. Li & H.C. Chen, GL-ZJXJ-2D, GL-ZJXJ-4B, GL-ZJXJ-10, GL-ZJXJ-20, GL-ZJXJ-26B, GL-ZJXJ-30B, GL-ZJXJ-34; Guangxi Province, Beihai, on the surface of M. basjoo fruit, October 2013, L. Gao & W.Y. Zhao, GL BHBJ-6, GL-BHFJ-13, GL-BHFJ.B-18A; Guangxi, Nanning, on the surface of M. basjoo fruit, October 2013, L. Gao& W.Y. Zhao, GL-NNFJ-10, GL-NNFJ-18, GL-NNFJ-22A, GL-NNFJ-22B, GL-NNJJ-23A, GL-NNFJ-26B; Yunnan, on the surface of M. basjoo fruit, October 2011, L. Gao, W.H. Li & H.C. Chen, GL-YNFJ-3B, GL-YNFJ-5, GL-YNFJ-6, GL-YNFJ-10A, GL-YNFJ-10B, GL-YNFJ-10C, GL-YNFJ 11A, GL-YNFJ-11B.

GenBank numbers: ITS: MK454748; TEF1: MK454977.

Notes: The phylogenetic tree based on a combined ITS and TEF1 sequence dataset shows that Scleroramularia vermispora branches separately from the other species in the genus with full support (Fig. 33). The conidia of S. vermispora are long and thin, usually bending into a "C" shape or vermiform.

Fig. 32 Scleroramularia vermispora (HMUABO GLZJXJ6, holotype). a Flyspeck signs on banana peel. b Colony on synthetic nutrient-poor agar (SNA) after 2 weeks. c vermiform conidia. d Chains of conidia. e "C" type conidia. f Chains of conidia with branch. Scale bars: c–f = 20 µm

Fig. 33 Maximum parsimony tree based on a combined ITS and TEF1 sequence dataset of representing Scleroramularia. Bootstrap support values for MP ≥ 50% are given above the nodes. The tree is rooted with Phyllosticta lauridiae (CBS 145559). The new isolates are in bold