Apiospora bambusigena D. H. Li, Z. X. Zhang, J. W. Xia & X. G. Zhang 2024, sp. nov.

Apiospora bambusigena D. H. Li, Z. X. Zhang, J. W. Xia & X. G. Zhang sp. nov. Fig. 4 Type. China • Hainan Province: Jianfengling National Forest Park, on diseased leaves of Bambusoideae sp., 12 April 2023, D. H. Li (HMAS 352970, holotype), ex-holotype living culture SAUCC 2446-2 = CGMCC 3.27948. Etymology. The epithet bambusigena refers to the fungus produced on bambusae. Description. Conidiomata in culture sporodochial, aggregated or solitary, erumpent, black, surrounded by white mycelium. Conidiophores simple or confluent, hyaline, cylindrical to clavate, 7.8–18.8 × 3.7–4.6 μm, usually reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells aggregative, hyaline, smooth, cylindrical, 5.2–8.8 × 3.0–4.6 μm. Conidia circular to slightly elliptical, immature conidia hyaline, rough, maturity conidia tanned to black, smooth, without a central scar, 15.0–18.0 × 14.5–17.0 μm, mean ± SD = 16.5 ± 1.0 × 16.0 ± 0.9 μm, n = 30. Sexual morph unknown. Culture characteristics. The colonies diameter reached 80 mm after 14 days of dark culture at 25 ° C on PDA, slightly rising above the surface of the substrate, non-uniform flocculent aerial mycelium and entire edge, white; reverse white. Additional material studied. China • Hainan Province: Jianfengling National Forest Park, on diseased leaves of Bambusoideae sp., 12 April 2023, D. H. Li, HSAUP 2446-6, living culture SAUCC 2446-6. Notes. Phylogenetic analyses of four combined sequences (ITS, LSU, TEF 1 α and TUB 2) showed that Apiospora bambusigena constitutes a distinct clade, closely affiliated with A. hydei (CBS 114990). Apiospora bambusigena is distinguished from A. hydei by 13 / 598, 1 / 1152, 20 / 351 and 8 / 467 in ITS, LSU, TEF 1 α and TUB 2 sequences, respectively. Morphologically, the conidia of A. bambusigena are narrower than A. hydei (15.0–18.0 × 14.5–17.0 μm vs. 15.0–17.0 × 19.0–22.0 μm) and the conidiophores of A. bambusigena are shorter than A. hydei (7.8–18.8 × 3.7–4.6 μm vs. 20–40 × 3–5 μm) (Crous and Groenewald 2013; Pintos and Alvarado 2021).