Morpho-phylogenetic evidence reveals new species in Rhytismataceae (Rhytismatales, Leotiomycetes, Ascomycota) from Guizhou Province, China Author Zhang, Jin-Feng https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0765-2485 Institute of Tea Research, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China & Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agriculture Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China & Center of Excellence in Fungal Research and School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand Author Liu, Jian-Kui https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9232-228X Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agriculture Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China & School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China Author Hyde, Kevin D. Center of Excellence in Fungal Research and School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand & Innovative Institute of Plant Health, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510225, China & Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China Author Ekanayaka, Anusha H. Center of Excellence in Fungal Research and School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand & Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China Author Liu, Zuo-Yi Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agriculture Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China gzliuzuoyi@163.com text MycoKeys 2020 2020-12-31 76 81 106 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.76.58465 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.76.58465 1314-4049-76-81 521CFDA6D9F95A25AB0EF6B1F5742E80 Terriera meitanensis J.F. Zhang & Z.Y. Liu sp. nov. Figure 4 Holotype. MFLU 18-2299. Etymology. Referring to the locality of the holotype, Meitan County, Guizhou Province, China. Description. Apothecia developing on dead stems (Fig. 4a ), semi-immersed to superficial, elliptical or oblong-elliptical, ends slightly acute to obtuse, surface black, matt, raising the substratum surface, opening by a single longitudinal split that extends nearly the entire length (Fig. 4b, c ). In median vertical section (Fig. 4d ), apothecia deeply embedded in host tissue, with host cells becoming filled with fungal tissue as the apothecium develops. Covering stroma (Fig. 4e ) 33-42 µm thick, composed of blackish-brown, thick-walled cells that are fused with host tissue in the outermost layers, becoming pale pigmented or nearly colourless towards the hymenium, thin-walled cells, arranged in textura angularis or textura globulosa. Along the upper edge of the apothecial opening, there is a flattened, 19-34 µm thick extension adjacent to the covering stroma that is composed of strongly melanised tissue with no obvious cellular structure. Basal stroma (Fig. 4g ) 8-18 µm thick, dark-brown or blackish-brown, composed of angular to globose, thick-walled cells, 2.5-4 µm diam. Where the covering stroma meets the basal stroma, there is a triangular-shaped, 35-60 µm thick, tissue composed of thin-walled, hyaline to pale brown cells forming a textura prismatica (Fig. 4f ). Subhymenium 12-16 µm thick, consisting of hyaline textura angularis to textura intricata . Paraphyses 1-2 µm , filiform, hyaline, septate, gradually swollen or branching once at the apex, embedded in gelatinous matrix, anastomosing at the base. Asci (98.5-)113-125.5(-131.5) x 6-7.5 µm ( x ¯ = 117 x 6.5 µm , n = 20), 8-spored, unitunicate, cylindrical, somewhat long-stalked, thin-walled, apex generally truncate, J-, without circumapical thickening. Ascospores 47-54.5 x 1.5-2.5 µm ( x ¯ = 50.5 x 2 µm , n = 35), fascicle, filiform, gradually tapering towards the ends, hyaline, aseptate, smooth-walled, straight or slightly curved, lacking a gelatinous sheath. Asexual morph : Not observed. Figure 4. Terriera meitanensis a habit of apothecia on substrate b, c apothecia observed under the dissecting microscope in face view d vertical section through an apothecium e covering stroma f triangular space in section between the covering stroma and basal stroma g basal stroma h paraphyses with anastomoses amongst asci in various states of maturity i, j immature asci k, l ascospores. Note: d-l mounted in water. Scale bar: 1 cm ( a ), 1 mm ( b ), 500 µm ( c ), 100 µm ( d ), 10 µm ( e, g, k, l ), 30 µm ( f ), 20 µm ( h-j ). Material examined. CHINA, Guizhou Province, Zunyi, Meitan County, dead stems of unidentified host, 28 August 2017, J.F. Zhang, MT-1 (MFLU 18-2299, holotype ); ibid . (GZAAS 19-1731, isotype ). Notes. In our phylogenetic analysis (Fig. 1 ), Terriera meitanensis is placed in a robust clade with T. camelliicola , T. elliptica , T. karsti and T. thailandica by strong statistical support (MPBP 100% and BYPP 1.00). Terriera meitanensis has larger asci than T. camelliicola and T. thailandica , while the ascospores of T. meitanensis are smaller ( Johnston 2001 ; Hyde et al. 2016 ). Both T. meitanensis and T. karsti share similar-sized asci, but T. karsti has larger ascospores (47-54.5 x 1.5-2.5 µm vs. 55-66 x 1.5-2.0 µm ). Terriera meitanensis differs from T. elliptica by its obviously smaller asci (113-122.5 x 6-7.5 µm vs. 135-175 x 7-9 µm ) and ascospores (47-54.5 x 1.5-2.5 µm vs. 60-85 x 1.5-2 µm ) ( Zhang et al. 2015 ). Moreover, the ascospores of T. camelliicola and T. elliptica are enveloped by a gelatinous sheath, respectively, while this is not observed in T. meitanensis . In addition, the comparison of the ITS gene region is processed between T. meitanensis and its closest species T. elliptica , based on the recommendations from Jeewon and Hyde (2016) and the results showed that there are 15/489 bp (3%) differences. Therefore, we introduce T. meitanensis herein as a new species, based on morphological and molecular evidence.