Fungalpedia – Note 3041, Shiqia
Shiqia C.L. Hou, Q.T. Wang & P.F. Cannon.
Citation when using this data: Wang QT et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.
Classification: Rhytismataceae, Rhytismatales, Leotiomycetidae, Leotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Etymology. Honouring Prof. Shi-Qi Liu, a famous chinese forest pathologist.
Parasitic on deciduous species of Rhododendron. Usually 1–3 large stromata developing on the adaxial side of each of the living leaves. Ascomata mature on dead leaves, often strongly bulging the leaves, opening by a more or less irregular longitudinal split. Lips absent. Paraphyses filiform, often hooked or twisted at the apex. Ascospores filiform, without gelatinous sheaths.
Notes: The Rhododendron Clade Ⅱ forms an independent clade with high support values in the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 1; Wang QT et al. 2023). The species of Shiqia are parasitic on deciduous species of Rhododendron and are distantly related to the species of Densorhytisma that infect semi-evergreen species of Rhododendron. In addition to this, the morphological characteristics of stromata are different in species of the two genera. The stromata of Shiqia spp. are large spots, those of Densorhytisma are small and develop densely on a leaf. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, as well as host characteristics, this clade should be treated as a separate genus.
Type species: Shiqia yuexiensis (C.L. Hou & M. Piepenbr.) C.L. Hou, Q.T. Wang & P.F. Cannon.
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Shiqia.
References
Entry by
Qiu-Tong Wang and Mei-Jun Guo, College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Xisanhuanbeilu 105, Haidian, Beijing 100048, China.
Published online 27 August 2026