FungalpediaNote

Fungalpedia Coremiostelium S. Baldauf, S. Sheikh & Thulin Index Fungorum number: IF553752 Dictyostelids, a group of cellular slime molds or social amoebae, are commonly found in a wide range of soils and play important ecological roles as predators of soil bacteria (Sheikh et al. 2018). Dictyostelids taxa were informally classified into eight distinct clades and three complex groups namely polycarpum, polycephalum and violaceum (Romeralo et al. 2011), however, this classification was in conflict with molecular evidence (Schaap et al. 2006, Romeralo et al. 2007). Sheikh et al. (2018) refined the taxonomy and proposed a new classification of dictyostelids based on the only marker available for most dictyostelids, SSU rDNA data. They proposed the polycephalum complex as a new genus Coremiostelium, which refers to Dictyosteliales genera incertae sedis. Coremiostelium species are [...]

Fungalpedia Hondaea A. Amato & O. Cagnac Index Fungorum number: IF 92274; Fig. 1 Thraustochytrids as marine protists are highly ecologically relevant to mangrove environments (Raghukumar et al. 1994, Burki et al. 2014). Dellero et al. (2018) collected two thraustochytrid strains from mangroves in Mayotte island (Indian Ocean), one of which was proposed as a new genus Hondaea based on morphological, phylogenetic, genomic and lipidomic analyses. Hondaea is a mono-specific genus with Hondaea fermentalgiana as the type species (Dellero et al. 2018). There are no further reports of Hondaea species in Species Fungorum (2023). Hondaea is characterized by spherical or subspherical, uninuclear or multinuclear vegetative cells, and the absence of ectoplasmic nets and amoeboid cells. Heterokaryotic zoospores are released by zoosporangia, produced by multinucleated cell division. Additionally, this genus produces [...]

Fungalpedia   Planticonsortium C. Walker & D. Redecker. Index Fungorum number: IF 552941; Fig. 1 During a survey on mycorrhizal endophytes in New Zealand, Greenall (1963) identified a fungus associated with enhanced plant growth from Griselinia littoralis and this “fine endophyte” was named Rhizophagus tenuis (Glomeromycotina, Glomeromycota). Hall (1977) synonymized Rhizophagus tenuis as Glomus tenuis (orthographically corrected as G. tenue). Fine endophytes consist of fine hyphae (1.5 μm diameter), which branch intra-cellularly forming a fan-like structure and were previously classified as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Hall 1977; Orchard et al. 2017). Their colourless spores are very small (<20 μm) compared to Glomeromycota (Hall 1977), therefore, its placement within Glomus and the Glomeromycota with other coarse arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is uncertain (Hall 1977; Orchard et al. 2017). Orchard et al. (2017) confirmed the [...]

Pseudotruncatella R.H. Perera, Camporesi, Maharachch. & K.D. Hyde Index Fungorum number: IF553932; Faceoffungi number: FoF 03838; Fig. 1 Currently, 15 families are included in Amphisphaeriales D. Hawksw. & O.E. Erikss (Hyde et al., 2017, Perera et al., 2018, Wijayawardene et al., 2022). Perera et al. (2018) introduced Pseudotruncatella in Amphisphaeriales genera incertae sedis based on analysis of combined LSU, ITS, and SSU sequence data. In total, three species have been reported P. arezzoensis, P. bolusanthi and P. camporesii. Pseudotruncatella bolusanthi Crous was introduced from the leaves of Bolusanthus speciosus in South Africa, and the family Pseudotruncatellaceae was introduced to accommodate Pseudotruncatella in Amphisphaeriales (Crous et al., 2019). Pseudotruncatella bolusanthi can be distinguished from P. arezzoensis based on its smaller, 2-septate conidia (17–20 × 6.5–7 μm vs 20–25 × 5.4–6.5 μm, [...]

Fungalpedia   Speleostelium S. Baldauf, S. Sheikh & Thulin Index Fungorum number: IF553748; Fig. 1 Speleostelium is classified in Raperosteliaceae and comprises a single species, Speleostelium caveatum which is the type species (Sheikh et al. 2018). Speleostelium is morphologically similar to Tieghemostelium, Hagiwaraea and Raperostelium, but the genus is different from other genera based on small subunit rRNA gene (Sheikh et al. 2018). The sorocarps have hyaline, long, delicate stalks. The spores are ellipsoid, hyaline and granuled. The myxamoebae prey upon cells of other dictyostelids and prevent them from fruiting. Type species: Speleostelium caveatum (Waddell et al.) S. Baldauf, S. Sheikh & Thulin Basionym: Dictyostelium caveatum D.R. Waddell, Raper & A.W. Rahn   Figure 1. Speleostelium caveatum (type strain B4-3). a. Clustered sorocarps. b. Sorophores. c. Vegetative myxamoebae. d. Young [...]

Fungalpedia   Tieghemostelium S. Baldauf, S. Sheikh & Thulin Index Fungorum number: IF553751; Fig 1 Tieghemostelium was introduced in the family Raperosteliaceae in the group of dictyostelids (Sheikh et al. 2018, Wijayawardene et al. 2020). It belongs under the phylum Protozoa of the kingdom Protista, thus the generic name is not considered to apply to an organism within the fungal clade. The new classification and placement of Tieghemostelium is based on molecular phylogenic analysis of small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA). It is sister to Hagiwaraea and Raperostelium but has unique nucleotides in positions 246-249 and 511-513 in the SSU rRNA gene regions (Sheikh et al. 2018). This genus has sorocarps with cellular stalks, that are colorless and easily crushed. Spores are usually variable from globose, ellipsoid to oblong, sometimes [...]