Genus

Cryptovalsa

Species

mangrovei

Author

Abdel-Wahab & Inderb., Mycol. Res. 103: 1628 (1999)

Class

Sordariomycetes, Subclass Sordariomycetidae

Order

Xylariales

Family

Diatrypaceae

Synonymy:

Description

Sexual morph: Entostroma effuse, a faint black line between the groups sometimes present, wood softened, a thin layer of white pulvinate fungal material sometimes present around the ascomal venter. Ascomata 240-270 μm high, 260-350 μm diam., subglobose to broadly ellipsoidal, with a flattened base, immersed, raising the substratum, or erumpent. Necks 180-230 μm long, 190-210 μm diam., ostiolate, periphysate (36 × ca. 1 μm), comprising an outer layer of completely melanized cells, 32-40 μm wide, and an inner layer, up to 32 μm wide, of less pigmented, elongate cells. Peridium two-layered, with an outer layer of small, thick-walled, melanized, rounded cells 8-20 μm wide, and an inner layer, up to 12 μm wide, of hyaline, elongate cells of textura angularis. Paraphyses hyaline, septate, deliquescent, up to 160 ×11 μm. Asci (77-)88-180(-206) × 9.5-15 μm, clavate, truncate, with a stalk, spore-bearing part 45-96 (-136) μm long, multi-spored, apex up to 4 μm thick, with a refractive subapical, non-amyloid ring at the base of an invagination of the ascus apex. Ascospores (5.5-)8-15.5(-18) × 1.5-3.5 μm, allantoid, pale yellow to pale brown, ca. 128 per ascus. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Key references:

Dayarathne MC, Phookamsak R, Hyde KD, Manawasinghe IS, To-anun C and Jones EBG (2016) Halodiatrype, a novel diatrypaceous genus from mangroves with H. salinicola and H. avicenniae spp. nov. Mycosphere 7 (5): 612–627.

Inderbitzin P, Abdel-Wahab MA, Jones EBG, Vrijmoed LLP (1999) A new species of Cryptovalsa from Mai Po mangrove in Hong Kong. Mycological Research 103: 1628-1630.

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.

Mehrabi M, Hemmati R, Vasilyeva LN, Trouillas FP (2015) A new species and a new record of Diatrypaceae from Iran. Mycosphere 6(1): 60–68.

Trouillas FP, Wayne MP, Sosnowski MR, Huang R, Peduto F, Loshiavo A, Savocchia S, Scott ES, Gubler WD (2011) Taxonomy and DNA phylogeny of Diatrypaceae associated with Vitis vinifera and other woody plants in Australia. Fungal Diversity 49: 203–223.

Key to marine species of Cryptovalsa:

1. Asci 8-spored, ascospores hyaline, smooth walled 4-7 x 1.5-2 μm C. halosarciicola

1. Asci 64-spored, ascospores pale yellow-pale brown, 5.6-11 x 1.6-3.6 μm C. mangrovei

Image: Cryptovalsa mangrovei. (a) Section of immersed ascomata in an entostroma. (b) Peridium. (c) Periphysate neck. (d) Clavate, thin-walled ascus with ca. 128 spores. (e) Curved, allantoid ascospores. Scale bar: a=100 μm; b=50 μm; c, d=30 μm; e=10 μm. Photo reproduced with the permission of the National Taiwan Ocean University.

Type & Location:

Other Specimens:

Substratum:

saprobic on dead mangrove wood.

Habitat:

Distribution:

Bahamas, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand.

Pertinent Literature:

Comments:

NOTES: This is a species with a limited distribution. Cryptovalsa is mainly a terrestrial genus although Jones et al. (2015) accepted two marine species: C. mangrovei and C. halosarceicola. However, Cryptovalsa suaedicola has been described from the salt marsh plant Suaeda fruticosa (Spooner 1981) but it is unclear if this was submerged by seawater. Cryptovalsa mangrovei can be easily recognized by the 128 ascospores in an ascus (Inderbitzin et al. 1999). The genus Cryptovalsa has been assigned to various families/orders: Diaporthales and family Valsaceae (Jones et al. 2009). Dayarathne et al. (2016), in a molecular study of various Xylariales families, showed that the genus grouped in the family Diatrypaceae (Xylariales) with strong boot strap support. However, the type species of the genus Cryptovalsa protracta has not been sequenced and only unverified taxa have been sequenced. Furthermore, studies on Diatrypaceae are needed because of the taxonomic confusion resulting from the difficulty in separating the various genera by morphological characteristics and the limited availability of sequence data of types or authenticated specimens and lack of reference cultures in collections (Trouillas et al. 2011, Mehrabi et al. 2015).

Images

Fig 2