Vaginatispora appendiculata Wanasinghe, E.B.G. Jones & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov., Index Fungorum Number: IF551961

Etymology: Name reflects the appendages in this species

Holotype: MFLU 16-0522

Saprobic on dead twigs in terrestrial habitat by waterfall. Sexual morph: Ascomata 300–400 μm high, 200–400 μm diam. (x̅ = 387.3 × 266.2 μm, n = 10), scattered, immersed, coriaceous, black, globose to subglobose, ostiolate. Ostiole 100–200 μm high, 50–70 μm (x̅ = 165.3 × 63.9 μm, n = 10) diam., slit-like, central, with a crest-like papilla, with an irregular, pore-like opening, plugged by hyaline, filamentous hyphae, and occasionally lighter. Peridium 10–15 μm wide at the base, 20–30 μm wide in sides, composed of two layers, outer layer wider, comprising several layers with black, somewhat flattened cells of textura angularis, fusing and indistinguishable from the host tissues and inner layer comprising 2–4 layers of lightly pigmented to hyaline cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising 3–4.5 μm (n = 30), wide septate, cellular pseudoparaphyses, situated between and above the asci, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 130–170 × 20–35 μm (x̅ = 158.9 × 29 μm, n = 35), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical-clavate, with a developed pedicel (10–30 μm long; x̅ = 21 μm, n =30), apically rounded with an ocular chamber. Ascospores 40–45 × 10–15 μm (x̅ = 43.3 × 12.1 μm, n = 50), uniseriate to partially overlapping 1–2-seriate, hyaline, ellipsoidal, 1-septate, constricted at the septum, with 1–3, distinct large guttules in each cells, smooth-walled, with distinct hyaline appendages (3–6 μm long; x̅ = 4.8 μm, n = 40) at both ends, without a mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Culture characteristics: Colonies on PDA slow reaching 3 cm diam. after 4 weeks at 25 °C, dirty white at the beginning and dark grey at maturity, convex on the surface, undulate, smooth margins; reverse buff.

Known distribution: Thailand, on dead twigs.
Material examined: THAILAND, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Bang Saphan, Ron Thong, Sai Khu Waterfall, on dead stem of undetermined sp., 29 July 2015, D.N. Wanasinghe (MFLU 16-0522, holotype) isotype in KUN, under the code of HKAS91945, ex-type living culture, MFLUCC 16-
0314.

Gene sequence data: ITS – KU743217, LSU – KU743218, SSU – KU743219, TEF – KU743220

Fig. 2 Vaginatispora appendiculata (holotype). a Appearance of ascomata on host substrate. b Section of ascoma. c Peridium. d Close up of ostiole. e Pseudoparaphyses. f, g Asci. h–k Ascospores. l Germinated spore. Scale bars: a = 500 μm, b = 100 μm, c, e = 10 μm, d, f–l = 20 μm.