Fungalpedia – Note 2830, Aciculadictyochaeta
Aciculadictyochaeta. W.P. Wu & Y.Z. Diao.
Citation when using this data: Wenping Wu et al. 2022 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank
Classification: Chaetosphaeriaceae, Chaetosphaeriales, Sordariomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Etymology: Refers to its similarity to Dictyochaeta but with aciculate conidia.
Diagnosis: Setae sterile, septate. Conidiophores solitary or in groups of 2–3 associated with base of setae, septate, pale brown. Conidiogenous cells monophialidic or polyphialidic, terminal, collarette conspicuous and funnel-shaped. Conidia acicular with rounded base, 3-septate, hyaline, arranged in slimy mass. Ascospores hyaline, fusiform, sometimes inequilateral, sometimes ends curved opposite directions, mostly one-septate, sometimes two or three-septate, covered with a gelatinous sheath.
Saprobe, lignicolous on decorticated wood or petiole. Teleomorph: Ascomata broadly ovoid, dark brown, separate, superficial to partly immersed, papillate, with sparse, scattered setae, light brown, multiseptate, slender, tapering to an acute apex. Ascomatal wall in surface view, opaque in water, textura epidermoidea in lactophenol, composed of pseudoparenchymatic cells. Ascomatal apex papillate, acute, short. Paraphyses sparse, simple, septate. Asci unitunicate, cylindro-clavate, short-stalked, firm-walled, thin apical cap, with 8 ascospores irregularly arranged. Ascospores hyaline, fusiform, sometimes inequilateral, sometimes ends curved opposite directions, mostly one-septate, sometimes two or three-septate, covered with a gelatinous sheath. Anamorph: Colony effused. Stroma absent. Setae sterile, straight to slightly flexuous, septate, light brown, smooth or verrucose. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, simple, solitary or in groups of 2−3 associated with base of setae, smooth, straight to slightly flexuous, septate, pale brown to subhyaline at apex. Conidiogenous cells integrated, terminal, monophialidic or polyphialidic, smooth, pale brown to subhyaline; collarette conspicuous, funnel-shaped. Conidia acicular with rounded bases, 3-septate, smooth, hyaline; produced in slimy mass (Adapted from Fernández and Huhndorf 2005).
Ecology/Substrate/Host: saprobe on dead branches and rotten wood of palm and broad leaf tree.
Geographical distribution: Brazil and Puerto Rico.
Notes: The new genus Aciculadictyochaeta is created to accommodate two species, Chaetosphaeria luquillensis and Dictyochaeta aciculata, which are phylogenetically distinct from other Chaetosphaeria and Codinaea/Dictyochaeta. On morphology, these two fungi share some similarity on forming sterile setae, short conidiophores in group and associated with base of setae, terminal phialidic conidiogenous cells with conspicuous collarettes, and hyaline, septate, acicular conidia with rounded base and formed in slimy mass (Fernández and Huhndorf 2005; Silva and Gusmão 2013). They differ from Dictyochaeta by septate and acicular conidia, and from Codinaea by lacking conidial setulae. Both anamorph and teleomorph are known for the type species A. luquillensis, and differs from Chaetosphaeria s. str., typified by C. innumera Berk. & Broome, in Chloridium anamorph and ascospore without gelatinous sheath in the latter genus (Gams and Holubová-Jechová 1976).
Key to accepted species of Aciculadictyochaeta
1. Conidia 3-septate, 36–40 × 1.5–2μm……………………………………..…………A. aciculata
1. Conidia 40–49 × 2.7–3 μm………………………………………….…….………A. luquillensis
Type species: Aciculadictyochaeta luquillensis (F.A. Fernández & Huhndorf) W.P. Wu & Y.Z. Diao (≡ Chaetosphaeria luquillensis F.A. Fernández & Huhndorf).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Aciculadictyochaeta.
References
Entry by
Wenping Wu, R&D Center, Novozymes China, No. 14 Xin Xi Lu, Shangdi Zone, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, P.R. China
Published online 22 July 2026