Stanjehughesia bambusicola X.D. Yu & Jian K. Liu, sp. nov.
Index Fungorum number: IF 902402; Mycobank number: MB 902402; Fig. 1
Etymology – The epithet “bambusicola” refers to the bamboo host, on which the fungus was collected.
Holotype – HKAS 127156
Saprobic on dead branches of bamboo. Sexual morph: Not observed. Asexual morph: Hyphomycetous. Colonies on wood effuse, hairy, black, scattered or in small groups, glistening. Mycelium mostly immersed, composed of septate, smooth, brown to hyaline hyphae. Conidiophores reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells 7.5–10.0 × 3.0–3.5 µm (x̅=8.2 × 3.2 µm, n=10), monoblastic, holoblastic, integrated, terminal, determinate, erect, solitary or caespitose, straight, cylindrical or lageniform, aseptate, smooth-walled, unbranched, dark brown, truncated at the apex. Conidia 35–50×8.5–10.0 µm (x̅=42.0×9.5 µm, n = 30), acrogenous, solitary, 6–8-euseptate, verrucose, fusiform or ellipsoidal, brown to dark brown, pale brown to subhyaline at the apex of apical cells, guttulate, rounded at the apex and truncated at the base.
Culture characteristics – Conidium germinated on PDA within 24 h. Colonies growing well on PDA and attaining a diameter about 15 mm after 3 months at 25 °C, circular, medium dense, flat to raised, entire margins, greyish-white, brown to dark brown from the reverse.
Material examined – China, Sichuan Province, Chengdu City, Qionglai County, Lugou Bamboo Sea Area, 30° 22′ 37″ N, 103° 16′ 45″ E, 730 m Elevation, on dead branches of bamboo in terrestrial habitat, 12 October 2021, X.D. Yu, A33 (HKAS 127156, holotype); ex-type CGMCC 3.24359.
GenBank numbers – ITS=OR822007, LSU=OR822023, tef1-α=OR855673, rpb2=OR855672.
Notes – Morphologically, S. bambusicola shares similar characteristics with S. minima in having fusiform or ellipsoidal, rounded at the apex, 6–8-euseptate conidia, but it differs in conidiogenous cell size (7.5–10.0 ×3.0–3.5 µm vs. 8–11×6–8) and conidiogenous cells habit (solitary or grouped vs. solitary) (Wu 2005). Phylogenetically, our new collection forms a separate lineage basal to S. aquatica and S. polypora with 87% ML/1.00 BYPP support within Xylariales (Fig. 1). Stanjehughesia bambusicola differs from S. aquatica and S. polypora in having no rostrate (Wu 2005; Yang et al. 2023). Therefore, Stanjehughesia bambusicola is introduced as a new species based on morphological characters and phylogenetic evidence.
Figure 1 – Stanjehughesia bambusicola (HKAS 127156, holotype) a–b Colonies on the natural substratum. d–e Conidiophores and conidia. f–j Conidia. k Germinating conidium. l, m Colony on PDA from above and below. Scale bars: d–k=10 μm