Genus

Saagaromyces

Species

ratnagiriensis

Author

(S.D. Patil & Borse) K.L. Pang & E.B.G. Jones, Mycol. Progr. 2: 35 (2003)

Class

Sordariomycetes, subclass Hypocreomycetidae

Order

Microascales

Family

Halosphaeriaceae

Synonymy: ≡ Halosarpheia ratnagiriensis S.D. Patil & Borse, indian Botnical Reporrter 1: 102 (1982) = Littispora ratnagiriensis (S.D. Patil & Borse)) J. Campb., J.L. Anderson & Shearer, Mycologia 95: 549 (2003)

Sexual morph: Ascomata 300-6560 µm high, 400-800 µm in diam., ellipsoidal, immersed, ostiolate, papillate, coriaeous, hyaline, main axis sometimes horizontal with a lateral, recurved neck. Peridium 25-40 µm thick, cells forming pa textura angularis, merging with the pseudoparenchyma of the centrum. Necks about 1mm long, 100-160 µm in diam., cylindrical, emerging with whitish, fuzzy tips over the wood surface, centrally or laterally inserted, ostiolar canal periphysate. Asci 250-340 x 50-68 µm, 8-spored, clavate, pedunculate, untitunicate, thin-walled, thicker below the apex, persistent, with a refractive lens-shaped apical plate, 3-6 µm in diam., 0.8 µm thick, developing at the base of the ascomata venter. Ascospores 48-64-71.4 x 22-28 µm, ellipsoidal, 1-septate, slightly constricted at the septum, hyaline, with apical-subapical appendages. Appendages bipolar, hamate, at maturity uncoiling to form long thread-like filaments.

Key references:

Baker T. (1991). Taxonomic studies of the Halosphaeriaceae with special reference to ultrastructure of spore ontogeny. PhD Thesis, Portsmouth Polytechnic, Portsmouth, UK. p287.

Campbell J, Anderson JL, Shearer CA. (2003). Systematics of Halosarpheia based on morphological and molecular data. Mycologia 95: 530-552.

Jones EBG, Suetrong S, Sakayaroj J, Bahkali AH, Abdel-Wahab MA, Boekhout T, Pang KL (2015) Classification of marine Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota and Chytridiomycota. Fungal Diversity 73: 1-72.

Liu JK, Hyde KD, Jones EBG, Airiyawansa HA, Bhat DJ, Boonmee S, et al. (2015). Fungal diversity notes 1-100: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal species. Fungal Diversity 72: 1-198.

Maharachchikumbura SSN, Hyde KD, Jones EBG, Mckenzie EHC, Huang SK, Abdel-Wahab MA et al. (2015). Towards a natural classification and backbone tree for Sordariomcyetes. Fungal Diversity 72: 199-299.

Pang KL, Vrijmoed LLP, Kong RYC, Jones EBG. (2003a). Polyphyly of Halosarpheia (Halosphaeriales, Ascomycota): implications on the use of unfurling ascospore appendage as a systematic character. Nova Hedwigia 77: 1-18.

 

Key to Saagaromyces species:

  1. Ascospores lacking appendages                                           S. glitra

  1. Ascospores with bipolar appendages                                    2

  2. Ascospores shorter than 32 µm long and 16 µm wide            S. mangrovei

  2. Ascospores greater than 33 µm long                                    3

  3. Ascospores 48-64-71.4 x 22-28 µm                                     S. ratnagiriensis

  3. Ascospores 33-47 ×16-22 μm                                             S. abonnis

Type & Location:
Other Specimens:
Substratum:
saprobic on dead mangrove wood and immersed wood and bark.
Habitat:
Distribution:
India, Malaysia, Thailand
Pertinent Literature:
Comments:
NOTES: This species was initially described as a Halosarpheia species, but the large ascospores, prominent bipolar appendages and a long ascus stalk distinguish it from species in that genus. Molecular data confirm that Halosarpheia ratnagiriensis was not monophyletic with Halosarpheia sensu stricto, and a new genus, Saagaromyces introduced to accommodate it and S. abonnis and S. glitra (Pang et al. 2003b). Campbell et al. (2003) referred Halosarpheia ratnagiriensis to the genus Littispora, but Saagaromyces has priority (Pang et al. 200). A species frequently collected on mangrove wood, with perithecia deeply embedded in the host wood, but it is not a colonizer of freshly exposed wood in mangroves (Tan et al. 1989, Leong et al. 1991). Currently, four species are assigned to Saagaromyces with the introduction of S. mangrovei from mangrove wood collected in Saudi Arabia (Liu et al. 2015). Saagaromyces species form a well-supported clade in the Halosphaeriaceae (Pang et al. 2003b, Jones et al. 2015, Liu et al. 2015). However, S. abonnis may be a species complex and further collections and a wider range of genes required to be sequenced. Ultrastructural studies of the ascospores and their appendages have been undertaken by Baker (1991).

Address

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torperadgj@gmail.com

Contact

Sueggestions for improvement of the webiste, corrections or additions should be send to:

Gareth Jones: Email: torperadgj@gmail.com

Mark Calabon: Email: mscalabon@up.edu.ph