Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai 50200 Thailand.
Centre of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand Centre of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University Chiang Rai 57100 Thailand.
CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia (KLPB), Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia (KLPB), Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650201 Yunnan China.
World Agro forestry Centre East and Central Asia, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China World Agro forestry Centre East and Central Asia, Kunming 650201 Yunnan China.
Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany.
Research Department, Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, BE-1860, Meise, Belgium Research Department, Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, BE-1860 Meise Belgium.
Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service Général de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique, Rue A. Lavallée 1, BE-1080, Bruxelles, Belgium Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service Général de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique, Rue A. Lavallée 1, BE-1080 Bruxelles Belgium.
Innovative Agriculture Research Centre, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand Innovative Agriculture Research Centre, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai 50200 Thailand.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai 50200 Thailand.
Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai 50200 Thailand.
background: Mendogia belongs to Dothideomycetes and its members are epiphytic on living bamboo culms or palms and distributed in tropical regions. Currently, the genus comprises seven species. Another collection resembling Mendogia was collected from the leaves of Fagales sp. in Thailand. Morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analyses, using ITS, LSU and SSU sequences, showed that the fungus is new to science, described herein as Mendogiadiffusa. Mendogiadiffusa is characterised by apothecial ascostromata, a carbonised epithecium, dark brown setae on the ascostromatal surface, hyaline paraphysoids, ovoid to clavate asci and oblong to elliptical, muriform ascospores. The fungus has a dark pigmented surface and is occasionally facultatively associated with patches of green algae, but not actually lichenised. Instead, the fungus penetrates the upper leaf surface, forming dark pigmented isodiametric cells below the epidermis.
new information: Re-examination of specimens of M.chiangraiensis, M.macrostroma and M.yunnanensis revealed the absence of algal associations. The status of Mendogiaphilippinensis (= M.calami) and M.bambusina (= Uleopeltisbambusina) was established, based on morphological comparisons and previous studies. Comprehensive morphological descriptions with phylogenetic analyses support M.diffusa as a novel species in Myriangiaceae. An updated key to the known species of the genus is also provided.
Keywords: morphology; multilocus phylogeny; one new species; saprotroph; taxonomy
