Spegazzinia cryptica sp. nov. (Didymosphaeriaceae) from the western Pacific monsoon region Author Lu, Liang-Ting 0009-0001-4762-238X School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan r09625006@ntu.edu.tw Author Sugita, Ryosuke Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036 - 8561, Japan Author Sato, Misaki Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036 - 8561, Japan Author Tanaka, Kazuaki 0000-0002-7037-0774 Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036 - 8561, Japan k-tanaka@hirosaki-u.ac.jp Author Kirschner, Roland 0000-0003-4956-5662 School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan kirschner@ntu.edu.tw text Phytotaxa 2024 2024-12-03 675 2 167 176 https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.675.2.7 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.675.2.7 1179-3163 14521820 Spegazzinia cryptica Liang T. Lu, R. Sugita, Mis. Sato, Kaz. Tanaka & R. Kirschner , sp. nov. ( Figs 3–4 ) Index Fungorum number: IF902147 Etymology:— Epithet refers to the cryptic species concept, because the species is morphologically indistinguishable from S. musae . FIGURE 3. Spegazzinia cryptica (LV0167). A. An α conidium arising from conidiogenous cell. B. Detached α conidium. C. Detached β conidium. D. Side view of β conidium. Scale bars: A, B = 10 μm, C, D = 5 μm. FIGURE 4. Spegazzinia cryptica . A. Colony on dead leaf. B. α and β conidia. C, D. Conidia arising from conidiogenous cells (arrows). E, F. Detached α conidia. G, H. Bleached α conidia. I. β conidium arising from conidiogenous cell (arrow). J–L. Detached β conidia. M. Side view of β conidium. N. Bleached β conidium. O. Upper view of PDA culture (3 weeks at 25 °C in the dark). P. Reverse view of culture. Material examined: A, C–E, H–J, M–P LV0167 (TNM). B, L. MAFF 243878. F, G, K. MAFF 244519. Scale bars: A = 0.5 mm, B–H = 10 µm, I–N = 5 µm. Holotype :— L .- T . Lu, C .- C . Chien, R . Kirschner & Y .- W . Yeh LV0167 ( TNM ) Description (based on holotype ): Saprobic on leaf of Carex pumila ( Cyperaceae ). Sexual morph: Not observed. Asexual morph: Colonies superficial, black, oblong to circular, ca . 0.5–1 mm long. Conidiophores reduced to conidiogenous cells, densely aggregated, brown to dark brown (those giving rise to the stalks of α conidia darker), subglobose, smooth-walled, ca . 4.5–7 × 4–5 µm. Conidia of two types : α conidia composed of 4–6 spinose dark brown cells (up to 8 spinose cells visible after bleaching), conidial body (11–)13.5–18(–20) µm (n = 30) diam. excluding spines, with dark brown spines up to 6 µm long, conidial stalk dark brown, sometimes pale brown at base, slightly verruculose to verrucose, up to 155 µm long, ca. 2.5 µm wide, widening up to 7.5 µm before terminating into spinose conidial body; β conidia disc-shaped, dark brown, cross-septate, 4-celled, each cell with slightly concave outermost cell wall in front view, smooth-walled, with 1–3 greenish major guttules per cell after bleaching, conidial body (10.5–)12–13(–13.5) × (10–)11–13(–13.5) µm (n = 30), 6–7.5(–8.5) × (10–)11.5–14(–15) µm (n = 19) when seen from the side, conidial stalk subhyaline to pale brown, up to 6 µm long, ca . 2.5 µm wide. Culture characteristics:— Colonies on PDA almost filling 90 mm diam. Petri dish after 3 weeks at 25 ° C in the dark. Colony in upper view circular with entire edge, flat, surface slightly rough, with concentric rings near margin, center olive brown (oac832) to greenish brown (oac866), outer most margin creamy white (oac816); in reverse view center dark brown (oac733), outer most margin creamy white (oac816); no sporulation. Material examined:— TAIWAN . New Taipei City : Gongliao District, Longmen Beach ( 25.0270 N , 121.9378 E ), on dead leaves of Carex pumila Thunb. ( Cyperaceae ), 26 December 2022 , L .- T . Lu, C .- C . Chien, R . Kirschner & Y .- W . Yeh, LV 0167 ( TNM , holotype ; ex-type strain BCRC FU 31884). JAPAN . Tokyo : Ogasawara, Isl. Chichijima, Ogasawara Subtropical Agriculture Center, on leaves of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf ( Poaceae ), 9 September 2013 , K . Tanaka, M . Sato, A . Hashimoto, and T . Sato, KT 3323 ( HHUF 30271, living strain MAFF 244519; originally identified as Spegazzinia tessarthra , Tanaka et al. 2017 ). JAPAN . Okinawa : Isl. Yonaguni, near Mt. Inbi, on stems of bamboo ( Poaceae ), 24 November 2008 , K . Tanaka & K . Hirayama, yone 279 ( HHUF 30152, living strain MAFF 243878). Diagnostic bases:— Within the sequences of S. cryptica and S. musae there are eight and 14 diagnostic bases distributed in the ITS and TEF alignment, respectively (Tables 2, 3 and Electronic Supplementary Material 3, 4), in the ITS alignment having transitions A ↔ C at position 58; A ↔ G at position 296; A ↔ T at position 344,; C ↔ G at position 89; C ↔ T at positions 33, 75 and 88; and G ↔ T at position 360; in the TEF alignment A ↔ T at position 299; C ↔ T at positions 205, 226, 247, 280, 310, 463, 484, 514, 616, 688, 697 and 796; G ↔ T at position 250 in the TEF alignment. The alignment of the LSU sequences is not shown because there are more intraspecific differences (one base in S. cryptica and three bases in S. musae ) than interspecific difference (one base). Known substrates and geographical distribution:— Dead leaves and stems of Poales ( Cyperaceae , Poaceae ); islands in the western Pacific monsoon region. Additional material examined:— Spegazzinia deightonii (S. Hughes) Subram. , TAIWAN . New Taipei City : Gongliao District, Longmen Beach ( 25.0270 N , 121.9378 E ), on dead leaves of Carex pumila , 26 December 2022 , L .- T . Lu, C .- C . Chien, R . Kirschner, & Y .- W . Yeh, LV 0169 ( TNM , living culture BCRC FU 31883).