A new species and a new variety of Meliolaceae fungi from India Author Sabeena, Aliyarukunju 0000-0003-1735-7658 asabeenarasheed @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 1735 - 7658 asabeenarasheed@gmail.com Author Biju, Haridas 0000-0003-4678-5846 varier @ jntbgri. res. in; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4678 - 5846 varier@jntbgri.res.in text Phytotaxa 2022 2022-03-22 541 1 57 65 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.541.1.5 journal article 20144 10.11646/phytotaxa.541.1.5 78c6d07c-8f5b-4f41-bb5d-1685db25fb8c 1179-3163 6375217 Meliola veebeehosagoudarii A. Sabeena & H. Biju sp. nov. ( Figs 1 , 2 ) MycoBank No.: MB 842436 Type:— INDIA . South Andaman Islands : Ferrargunj , Shoal Bay 9, on leaves of Helicia excelsa (Roxb.) Blume (Proteaceae) , 8 February 2014 , H. Biju et al . 7116 ( holotype TBGT !) . Etymology:— The species is named in honor of the late Dr V.B. Hosagoudar, a renowned fungal taxonomist and a guiding force for many students and researchers in the country and also for his outstanding contribution in the field of foliar mycobionts in India , over three decades. FIGURE 1 . Meliola veebeehosagoudarii . a. Appressorium. b. Phialide. c. Apical portion of the mycelial setae. d. Ascospores. Illustrator: Aliyarukunju Sabeena. Colonies epiphyllous, thin to subdense up to 2 mm in diameter, confluent. Hyphae straight to substraight, branching opposite at acute to wide angles, loosely reticulate, cells 17–32 × 5–7 μm. Appressoria opposite to unilateral, antrorse, subantrorse to retrorse, 10–15 μm long; stalk cells cylindrical to cuneate, 2–5 μm long; head cells ovate, oblong, subglobose to globose, entire, 7–10 × 5–10 μm. Phialides mixed with appressoria, opposite, ampulliform, 17–27 × 5–7 μm. Mycelial setae scattered, simple, straight, acute to obtuse at the tip, up to 950 μm long. Perithecia scattered, globose, up to 150 μm in diam. Ascospores oblong, 4-septate, constricted at the septa, 32–37 × 10–12 μm. Notes :— Meliola heliciae Yamam. , M. banksiae Hansf. , M. lanosa Pat. , M. lanosa var. funerea (McAlpine) Hansf. , M. grevilleae Hansf. , M. grevilleae-gillivrayi B. Huguenin and M. heliciicola Hansf. ( Table 1 ) are the known species on members of Proteaceae ( Hansford 1961 , Huguenin 1969 ). However, M. veebeehosagoudarii differs from all of these in having predominantly opposite appressoria and smaller ascospores. Meliola banksiae has about 3% opposite appressoria but differs in having 2–3 dentate mycelial setae. According to Hansford (1961) , the other species reported on the family Proteaceae , Meliola rupalae Speg. has been synonymised under Irenopsis rupalae (Speg.) F. Stevens.