Fungalpedia – Note 94 Ascagilis

 

Ascagilis K.D. Hyde

Citation when using this entry: Calabon et al., in prep – Fungalpedia, freshwater fungi. Mycosphere.

Index Fungorum, FacesoffungiMycoBankGenBank, Fig 1.

Ascagilis has sessile or stalked ascomata, cellular pseudoparaphyses, and 1-septate, brown ascospores mostly with a refractive mucilaginous pad at each end. Ascagilis was established by Hyde (1992) to accommodate A. bipolaris, which was isolated from submerged wood at the base of a waterfall in Australia. However, subsequent study led to the suppression of Ascagilis as its type species A. bipolaris was considered to belong in Jahnula (Hyde and Wong 1999). According to Dong et al. (2020), the presence of fusiform to ellipsoidal ascospores with bipolar pads is sufficient for distinguishing Ascagilis as a distinct genus based on their new collections, which is also supported by phylogenetic analysis. Ascagilis species can be distinguished by their ascomata appendage and ascospores, which exhibit characteristic features such as septa, mucilaginous pads, dimension and dimorphic/monomorphic form. However, insufficient sequence data for certain species (e.g., A. submersa, A. sunyatsenii and A. thailandensis) may obscure their delimitation in phylogenetic analyses (Dong et al. 2020). The genetic markers recommended for current classification include LSU, SSU and ITS. All species in Ascagilis have been exclusively discovered in freshwater habitats. Ascagilis species are observed and isolated from submerged decaying wood, making them important decomposers that play a crucial role in nutrient cycling within freshwater habitats (Hyde & Wong 1999Hyde 1992, Inderbitzin et al. 2001Hyde et al. 2017Hyde et al. 2019Dong et al. 2020).

Type species: Ascagilis bipolaris K.D. Hyde

Other accepted species:

Ascagilis bipolaris K.D. Hyde – freshwater species

Ascagilis guttulaspora (Qing Tian, Y.Z. Lu & K.D. Hyde) W. Dong, Doilom & K.D. Hyde – freshwater species

Jahnula guttulaspora Qing Tian, Y.Z. Lu & K.D. Hyde

Ascagilis queenslandica (Dayar., Fryar & K.D. Hyde) W. Dong, Doilom & K.D. Hyde – freshwater species

Jahnula queenslandica Dayar., Fryar & K.D. Hyde

Ascagilis seychellensis (K.D. Hyde & S.W. Wong) W. Dong, Doilom & K.D. Hyde – freshwater species

Jahnula seychellensis K.D. Hyde & S.W. Wong

Ascagilis submersa W. Dong, H. Zhang & K.D. Hyde – freshwater species

Ascagilis sunyatsenii (Inderb.) W. Dong, Doilom & K.D. Hyde – freshwater species

Aliquandostipite sunyatsenii Inderb.

Ascagilis thailandensis W. Dong, H. Zhang & K.D. Hyde – freshwater species

 

 

 

Figure 1  Ascagilis species. a, d, f, h, i A. submersa. b, c, e, k, l A. thailandensis. g, j A. bipolaris. a Ascoma attached to the wood with broad hyphae (arrowed). b Section of an ascoma. c Structure of peridium. d-f Bitunicate asci. g-l Ascospores (h Ascospore in Indian Ink). Scale bars: b, c = 50 µm, d-l = 20 µm.

 

References

Dong W, Wang B, Hyde KD, McKenzie EHC et al. 2020 – Freshwater Dothideomycetes. Fungal Diversity 105, 319–575.

Hyde KD, Norphanphoun C, Abreu VP, Bazzicalupo A et al. 2017 – Fungal diversity notes 603–708: taxonomic and phylogenetic notes on genera and species. Fungal Diversity 87, 1–235.

Hyde KD, Tennakoon DS, Jeewon R, Bhat DJ et al. 2019 – Fungal diversity notes 1036–1150: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa. Fungal Diversity 96, 1–242.

Hyde KD, Wong SW. 1999 – Tropical Australian freshwater fungi. XV. The ascomycete genus Jahnula, with five new species and one new combination. Nova Hedwigia 68, 489–510.

Hyde KD. 1992 – Tropical Australian freshwater fungi. I. Some ascomycetes. Australian Systematic Botany 5, 109–116.

Inderbitzin P, Landvik S, Abdel-Wahab MA, Berbee ML. 2001 – Aliquandostipitaceae, a new family for two new tropical ascomycetes with unusually wide hyphae and dimorphic ascomata. American Journal of Botany 8852–61.

 

Entry by

Yongxin Shu, Innovative Institute for Plant Health / Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, Wei Dong, Innovative Institute for Plant Health / Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China, Mark S. Calabon, Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines

 

(Edited by Kevin D. Hyde)