Barriopsis archontophoenicis

Barriopsis archontophoenicis

Konta, Boonmee & K.D. Hyde (2016)

Classification:Ascomycota-Pezizomycotina-Dothideomycetes-Botryosphaeriales-Botryosphaeriaceae-Barriopsis

Host species: Archontophoenix alexandrae (Konta et al. 2016)

Holotype: MFLU 15–0015 (Konta et al. 2016)

Known distribution: Chiang Mai, Thailand

IF Number: IF552104      Mycobank Number: 552104     FOF Number: FoF02097

Description

Saprobic on woody tissue of Archontophoenix alexandrae. Sexual morph on fresh specimen: Ascostromata 103–194 μm, high × 99–124 μm diam. (x̅ = 132 × 120 μm, n = 10), solitary to aggregated, immersed, erumpent at maturity, uniloculate, subglobose, minutely papillate, some with a short neck, and slightly flattened at the base. Ostiole epapillate. Peridium 5–14 μm wide, composed of outer layers of black, thick-walled, cells of textura angularis, inner layers hyaline and thin-walled. Hamathecium comprising numerous, 2–3 µm wide, hypha-like, septate, cellular pseudoparaphyses. Asci 70–144 × 17–25 μm (x̅ = 109 × 20 μm, n = 10), 8-spored, bitunicate, cylindrical-clavate, short-pedicellate, apically rounded, with an ocular chamber. Ascospores 17–24 × 7–10 μm (x̅ = 22 × 9 μm, n = 20), bi-seriate, ellipsoid to ovoid, broad at the middle, aseptate, initially hyaline, becoming dark brown at maturity, with a large central guttule, without terminal apiculi, smooth-walled, with a distinct mucilaginous sheath. Sexual morph formed in culture after 6 months of incubation: Ascostromata 206–478 μm high × 322–435 μm diam. (x̅ = 321 × 336 μm, n = 10), superficial, covered by mycelium, solitary or gregarious, scattered, uniloculate, globose to subglobose, dark brown to black. Ostiole and Hamathecium not apparent. Peridium comprising several layers of textura angularis, outer layers dark-brown and thick-walled, inner layers hyaline and thin-walled. Ascospores 20–36 × 10–16 µm (x̅ = 32 × 14 µm, n = 20), ellipsoid to ovoid, initially reddish-brown, becoming dark brown at maturity, 2-septate, with two large guttules in center, thick-walled, smooth-walled, ellipsoid to obovoid, with terminal apiculi at both ends. Asexual morph in culture: Coelomycetous. Conidiomata stromatic, pycnidial, superficial, dark brown to black, covered with dense mycelium, on PDA mostly uniloculate, individual or aggregated, thick-walled, ostiolate. Ostiole central, circular, epapillate. Paraphyses arising from the conidiogenous layer, extending above the level of developing conidia, thin-walled, hyaline, usually aseptate, and tip rounded. Conidiophores absent. Conidiogenous cells 6–11 × 3–4 μm, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, cylindrical, holoblastic. Conidia 26–34 × 14–17 μm (x̅ = 30 × 16 μm, n = 10), thick-walled, initially hyaline, aseptate with longitudinal striations on immature conidia, oval, both ends broadly rounded.

Culture conditions: Ascospores germinating on MEA within 24 hours and germ tube produced from one end of the ascospore. Colonies on MEA and PDA fast growing, reaching 7–8.5 cm diam. after 4 days at 25 °C, white at the edge, grey in the middle with strong radiations outwards. After 24 days of incubation, colonies on MEA and PDA become grey-olivaceous, spongy, hyphae septate, branched, smooth, producing conidiomata and after 6 months of incubation, producing ascomata and ascospores.

Barriopsis archontophoenicis (MFLU: 15–0015, holotype) (A) Palm Archontophoenix alexandrae. (B) Appearance of ascostromata on host substrate. (C) Close up of ascostroma erumpent through the host surface. (D) Peridium. (E) Pseudoparaphyses. (F) Section of ascostromata. (G) Immature ascus. (H–J) Mature asci. (K–P) Ascospores. (Q) Germinating ascospore. Scale bars: B = 500 μm, C = 200 μm, D = 50 μm, E, G–J = 20 μm, F, K–Q = 10 μm.