Exploration of microfungal diversity from terrestrial substrates in Bhagwan Mahavir National Park (Mollem), Goa, led to the discovery of a distinct taxon referable to Kirschsteiniothelia. Morphological characterisation coupled with multi-gene phylogenetic analyses of internal transcribed spacer regions, large subunit and small subunit sequence data confirmed the taxon as a novel species, Kirschsteiniothelia kanadii, belonging to the family Kirschsteiniotheliaceae and represented only by a Dendryphiopsis-like anamorph. In addition, this study presents an updated molecular phylogeny of the genus Kirschsteiniothelia and a comprehensive morphological comparative account of all currently accepted species, including information on their host associations and geographic distributions.
The present paper is part of a larger project dealing with the exploration of boletes in the underexplored regions of district Swat, Pakistan. Based on the morphology and molecular data from the ITS and LSU regions of the nuclear DNA, one species of Hortiboletus is proposed as new to science, while H. swaticus is reported for the second time in Pakistan with emended description. Despite variation in their ITS sequences, the LSU sequences of H. indorubellus, as well as both the type and our samples of H. swaticus, showed homology. Additional specimens, especially those of H. indorubellus, along with their sequence data from the ITS and LSU regions will be required for clarification.
Habitat salinization is an increasing global challenge that adversely affects plant growth, development, and photosynthetic performance. Although salt responses have been extensively investigated in tracheophytes, and to some extent, in the model moss Physcomitrium patens, comparable information for other mosses-even closely related species-remains scarce. This study compared the effects of increasing NaCl substrate concentrations (0, 10, 50, and 250 mM) on morphogenesis, photosynthetic pigment composition, and chlorophyll fluorescence in P. patens and P. eurystomum grown under in vitro conditions. Morphogenetic traits were monitored continuously over 4 weeks, whereas pigment content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were determined after 28 days of cultivation. Both species maintained 100% survival across all treatments, indicating that salinity primarily affected growth and development rather than viability. However, their morphogenetic responses differed markedly. P. patens maintained all investigated morphological traits under low and moderate NaCl stress, whereas P. eurystomum exhibited lower morphogenetic performance under the experimental conditions. At 250 mM NaCl, bud (and gametophore) formation was strongly inhibited in both species despite the persistence of viable protonemal tissue. Photosynthetic pigment and fluorescence responses also differed between species. Physcomitrium eurystomum accumulated significantly higher chlorophylls and carotenoids under 50 mM NaCl, whereas pigment concentrations remained largely unchanged in P. patens. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements indicated that PSII function was largely preserved under low and moderate NaCl stress, whereas severe stress reduced the maximum quantum yield of PSII and elicited species-specific changes in nonphotochemical quenching. These findings demonstrate that closely related Physcomitrium species exhibit distinct developmental and physiological acclimation response patterns under NaCl stress, emphasizing that developmental plasticity and photosynthetic regulation represent complementary components of bryophyte salinity responses.
During a survey of saprobic fungi in Phayao Province, northern Thailand, a hysteriaceous ascomycete was collected from decaying twigs of Shorea obtusa. Multigene phylogenetic analyses based on LSU, ITS, SSU and tef1-alpha sequence data resolved the new isolate within Rhytidhysteron. Morphologically, our specimen differs from the closely related taxa R. thailandicum, R. bannaense and R. sichuanense, particularly in characters of the sexual morph, including longer and strictly superficial ascomata (823-2816 & micro;m), a thicker exciple (70-188 & micro;m) and smaller ascospores (17-25 & times; 5-8 & micro;m; L/W = 3.2). Asexual morphs have not been reported for R. bannaense or R. sichuanense. The asexual morph of our isolate differs from that of R. thailandicum in having larger conidiomata with elongate papillate necks (314-605 & times; 141-253 & micro;m) and longer conidiogenous cells (7-10 & micro;m long). Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic evidence, we introduce Rhytidhysteron phayaoense sp. nov. This study expands knowledge of Rhytidhysteron in Thailand and contributes to a better understanding of species diversity within the genus.
Ceramothyrium (Chaetothyriaceae, Chaetothyriales) comprises mainly foliicolous fungi characterized by superficial ascomata covered by a mycelial pellicle, bitunicate asci, and hyaline, pluriseptate ascospores, and is predominantly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. During an investigation of leaf-associated microfungi on Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem. (Moraceae) in northern Thailand, an undescribed species of Ceramothyrium was discovered. Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses based on concatenated ITS and LSU sequence data place C. siamense within Ceramothyrium, forming a distinct and well-supported lineage sister to C. aquaticum and C. phuquocense. Notably, these phylogenetically closest relatives are known only from their asexual morphs, whereas C. siamense is represented by a sexual morph. Morphologically, C. siamense is distinguished by superficial, nonsetose ascomata of moderate size compared to other species in the genus, relatively smaller bitunicate asci, and oblong-ellipsoid, hyaline ascospores with 3-5 transverse septa, lacking longitudinal septa and arranged 2-3 seriately. A morphological comparison of sexual Ceramothyrium species is provided.
