Torulaspora floroides M. Silva, F. Paraiso, K. O. Barros, C. A. Rosa & J. P. Sampaio 2025

Torulaspora floroides M. Silva, F. Paraíso, K.O. Barros, C.A. Rosa & J.P. Sampaio, sp. nov. MB 853855. Fig. 4E–G. Etymology: Torulaspora floroides. flo.ro’i.des, N.L. fem. adj. floroides, flower-like, referring to the peculiar budding pattern seen in this species in which a central parent cell is surrounded by multiple smaller buds, thus resembling a flower. Typus: Brazil, state of Amazonas, Itacoatiara, Amazonian rainforest, Campus of the Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), rotting wood, 2019, K.O. Barros (holotype PYCC 9895H, ex-holotype cultures PYCC 9895, UFMG-CM-Y6992). The holotype is permanently maintained in a metabolically inactive state in the Portuguese Yeast Culture Collection, Caparica, Portugal. The genome of this species was deposited at DDBJ /ENA/GenBank under the accession GCA_964263535. The version described in this paper is v. 1. Description: After 1 wk on YM agar at 25 °C, cultures are smooth, cream-coloured, and butyrous. After 3 d of growth on YM agar at 25 °C, cells are globose (2.5–4 µm) to sub-globose (3–5 × 2.5–3 µm) and occur singly or in pairs, and proliferation is by conspicuous multilateral budding (Fig. 4E). On Dalmau plates after 2 wk at 25 °C, no pseudohyphae nor true hyphae are formed. Sexual reproduction is observed on acetate agar after 20 d at 20 °C, and the culture appears to be homothallic. Asci are persistent and normally are formed after conjugation involving a cell and its bud. Asci produce one to two smooth and spherical ascospores, measuring 2–3 µm diam. (Fig. 4G). Conspicuous multilateral budding resulting in a central parental cell surrounded by numerous buds with a flower-like appearance is observed in older cultures grown in sporulation medium (Fig. 4F). The physiological and biochemical profile of the species is shown in Table 1 and Table S5. Habitat and distribution: This species was found only once, in rotting wood, Amazonas state, Brazil.