Genus

Arecophila

Species

nypae

Author

K.D. Hyde, Nova Hedwigia 63(1-2): 95 (1996)

Class

Sordariomycetes, Subclass Xylariomycetidae

Order

Xylariales

Family

Cainiaceae

Synonymy:

Description

Arecophila K.D. Hyde, Nova Hedwigia 63(1-2): 82 (1996)

Type species:

Arecophila gulubiicola K.D. Hyde, Nova Hedwigia 63: 91 (1996)

Marine species:

Arecophila nypae K.D. Hyde, Nova Hedwigia 63(1-2): 95 (1996)

Index Fungorum Number: Faceoffungi Number:

Ascomata immersed in the pinna midrib, visible as minute umbilicate blackened ostiolar dots on the host surface; in vertical section c. 400-500 µm diam., subglobose, coriaceous, brown-black, ostiolate, papillate, solitary or gregarious. Peridium up to 20 µm thick, comprising an inner layer of dark small angular cells and an outer layer of host cells with dark interwoven hyphae. Papilla central, short, piercing the host epidermis and periphysate. Paraphyses hypha-like, filiform, tapering slightly distally, septate and branched. Asci 140-205 x 11-13 µm, 8-spored, thin-walled, unitunicate, short-pedicellate, apically rounded, with a J+, wedge-shaped, apical ring, 4.5 µm diam., 2.5-4 µm high. Ascospores 19-26 x 7-8 µm, ellipsoidal, brown, bicellular, constricted slightly at the septum, which has the appearance of a black band, curved, wall minutely striate and surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined (Description based on Hyde (1996)).

Key references:

Hyde KD (1996) Fungi from palms. XXIX. Arecophila gen. nov. (Amphisphaeriaceae, Ascomycota), with five new species and two new combinations. Nova Hedwigia. 63:81-100

Jones EBG, Sakayaroj J, Suetrong S, Somrithipol S, Pang KL (2009) Classification of marine Ascomycota, anamorphic taxa and Basidiomycota. Fungal Diversity 35:1-187.

Kang JC, Hyde KD, Kong RYC (1999) Studies on Amphisphaeriales: the Cainiaceae. Mycological Research 103: 1621-1627.

Type & Location:

Other Specimens:

Substratum:

Nypa brackish water palm.

Habitat:

Distribution:

Malaysia

Pertinent Literature:

Comments:

Arecophila differs from Amphisphaeria in having deeply immersed, subglobose to lenticular ascomata, with a peridium of angular cells with a small or lacking a clypeus. Arecophila species develop within the host tissue beneath a clypeus (or lacking), ascomata often lenticular, paraphyses are hyphal-like, asci unitunicate, cylindrical with an apical J+ ring and brown bi-cellular ascospores that are verrucose or striated. Ascospores are surrounded by a wide mucilaginous sheath (Hyde 1996, Jones et al. 2009). Arecophila is similar to another marine ascomycete, Atrotorquata but differs in lacking an ascospore germ slit (Hyde 1996). Kang et al. (1999) placed the Arecophila in the Cainiaceae based on molecular evidence, formerly referred to the Amphisphaeriaceae. Some 15 Arecophila species are listed in MycoBank (2017) with mosty known from palms or bamboo. Arecophila nypae differs from other species in having ascospores with rounded cells and occurs on the brackish water palm Nypa fruticans. Arecophila nypae is similar to A. calamicolar, which can be distinguished having ascospores with rounded ends and smaller in size, and a different, terrestrial substratum (Hyde 1996).

Images