Canariomyces asexualis Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano 2025, sp. nov.

Canariomyces asexualis Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, sp. nov. MycoBank MB 847933. Fig. 3. Etymology: From Latin a -, without, - sexus -, sex, and - alis, quality of, because the fungus lacks of sexual reproduction. Typus: Spain, Canary Islands, La Palma, Fuencaliente (Los Canarios), from soil of Teneguía volcano, 15 Jul. 2008, coll. M. Calduch & A.M. Stchigel, isol. A.P. Sastoque (holotype CBS H-25249, culture ex-type FMR 19389 = CBS 149966). On oatmeal agar after 4 wk at 25 °C: Mycelium abundant, mostly aerial, septate, branching, smooth- and thin-walled hyphae when hyaline to subhyaline but granulose when pigmented, 1–4.5 μm wide, often coiled. Conidiogenous cells integrated to the hyphae, monoblastic, producing sessile conidia. Conidia 1-celled, solitary, arising laterally on the hyphae, subhyaline to olivaceous brown, smooth- and thin-walled, obovoid, pyriform, broadly fusiform, subglobose, ellipsoidal, clavate or heart-shaped, 3–6 × 2.5–4 μm (Fig. 3E, F). Sexual morph not observed. Culture characteristics (after 7 d at 25 ° C): Colonies on PCA 35–36 mm diam., flat and circular; margin filamentous; surface natural (4B3) without aerial hyphae and with grey (3E1) radiate superficial mycelium; soluble pigment absent; reverse beige (4B3) and pale yellow in the centre (4A3). Colonies on OA 39–40 mm diam., flat, circular, and expansive; margin filamentous; surface beige (4B3) to golden (4C6) without aerial mycelium; soluble pigment absent; reverse uncoloured to golden (4C6). Colonies on CMA 22–23 mm diam., flat, circular, and expansive; margin filamentous; surface without aerial mycelium, champagne (4B4) in the central area with radiate soot brown (5F5) superficial mycelium and uncoloured margins; soluble pigment absent; reverse sepia (5E4). Colonies on MEA 34–35 mm diam., flat and circular; margin entire; surface with hair brown (5F2) superficial mycelium radiated, sparse floccose white (5A1) aerial mycelium just in the centre and natural (4B3) margins; soluble pigment absent; reverse like surface. Culture iconography after 4 wk of incubation on PCA, OA, CMA and MEA (Fig. 3A–D, respectively). Minimum, optimum and maximum temperature of growth on PDA after 7 d: 12 °C, 35 °C and 40 °C, respectively. Notes: Canariomyces asexualis was placed in a fully supported terminal clade together with Canariomyces microsporus CBS 276.74 and CBS 161.80, but in a separate branch as a distinct species (Fig. 1). Canariomyces asexualis lacks a sexual morph and differs morphologically from Canariomyces microsporus in the size and shape of conidia (Can. microsporus produces obovoid to clavate conidia, measuring 4–10.5 × 2–3.5 μm, whereas Can. asexualis forms obovoid, pyriform, broadly fusiform, subglobose, ellipsoidal, clavate, or heart-shaped conidia, measuring 3–6 × 2.5–4 μm) (Mouchacca 1973, Wang et al. 2019a).