Graphostromataceae taxa and closely related families were included in the phylogenetic analyses with two strains of Hypoxylon rickii (MUCL 53309) and H. pulicicidum (MUCL49879) as outgroup (Fig. 1). Datasets of ITS, RPB2, ACT and TUB2 were aligned respectively, and were combined to form a dataset of ITS-RPB2-TUB2-ACT. The dataset of ITS-RPB2-TUB2-ACT consisted 67 taxa, including the two sequences from two outgroup taxa, and contained 2785 alignable characters, 1347 constant characters, 1248 phylogenetically informative characters, and 190 parsimony-uninformative variable characters. Final ML optimization likelihood is -43391.566516. Topology of the complete RAxML and MrBayes trees were consistent. The tree showed that Camillea, Obolarina, Graphostroma and Cryptostroma were nested within Biscogniauxia with a well-supported (100/1). Sequences of Biscogniauxia glaucae showed a close relationship with B. formosana with bootstrap (100/1), and showed as a distinct branch. GMBC0218 was nested in group of Camillea, which showed a very close kinship with Camillea obularia (Fr.) Læssøe, J.D. Rogers & Lodge. Graphostroma guizhouensis formed a distinctly branch within the group of Graphostroma.
SEM
About 5 mm sample of stromata for SEM investigations was processed by gold coating under critical point dryer (K850). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM Inspect) was carried out to examine the preparations. The images were saved and processed using Adobe Photoshop CS6.
Taxonomy
Biscogniauxia glaucae Q.R. Li, J.C. Kang & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov. Figure 2
MycoBank number: MB 835896;
Etymology: In reference to the host, Quercus glauca Thunb..
Holotype: GMB0007
Saprobic on dead bark of Q. glauca. Sexual morph: Stromata 3–5 cm long, 1–2 cm wide and 0.3–0.4 cm high, widely effused, flat, black, bipartite, confluent, with raised margins, perithecium immersed, with black ostioles. Stromatal tissue between perithecia composed entirely of carbonaceous tissue. Ostioles openings punctate, discretely encased by carbonaceous stromatal tissue, equal or slightly lower than stromatal surface, black. Perithecia 250–350 µm high, 130–260 µm wide (av. = 285 × 183 µm, n = 10), solitary, black, carbonaceous, immersed, in vertical section, obovoid, globose to subglobose, ostiolate. Peridium 45–70 µm thick, black. Paraphyses not observed. Asci 131–180 × 10.5–12.5 µm (av. = 152.5 × 11.5 µm, n = 20), 8-spored, unitunicate, cylindrical, short-pedicellate, apically round, with a J+, wedge apical apparatus in Melzer's reagent, 3–4 µm high, 7.5–9.5 µm wide. Ascospores 13.5–16 × 7.5–9.5 µm (av. = 15 × 8.5 µm, n = 30), uniseriate, unicellular, dark brown to black, more or less equilateral with broadly rounded ends, smooth-walled, with a straight germ slit on the more concave side, nearly full spore length, lacking appendages and sheathes. Asexual morph: undetermined.
Culture characteristics: Colonies growing on PDA, reached 5 cm diam. after one week at 25 ºC, white, cottony, flat, low, dense, fructifications were not observed in culture.
Material examined: CHINA, Guizhou province, Guiyang city, Forest Park of Guiyang, on dead bark of Q. glauca, March, 2014, Q.R. Li, GZ72, (GMB0007, holotype, extype living culture GMBC0007; GACP2014QR58, isotype),.
Other material examined: CHINA, Guizhou province, Guiyang city, Huaxi Park, on dead bark of unknown plant, June, 2014, Q.R. Li, GZH96 (GMB0029, living culture GMBC0029; GACP2014QR79)..
Note
There were four species collected from China in the examined specimens by Ju et al. (1998). Most of them were obtained and published in Taiwan (Ju and Rogers 2001; Kuo et al. 2018). Currently, nine species were collected and introduced from China (Ju and Rogers 2001; Vasilyeva et al. 2009; Ariyawansa et al. 2015; Ma et al. 2020). Here we introduce a new species of Biscogniauxia found from China mainland. Molecular phylogenetic studies based on ITS, β-tubulin, RPB2 and ACT sequences indicated that B. glaucae form a distinct branch from other species and supported B. glaucae as a new species of Biscogniauxia. In morphology, this species has a similar ascospores size range to B. atropunctata var. maritima (Lar. N. Vassiljeva) Y.M. Ju & J.D. Rogers, B. citriformis var. macrospora Van der Gucht & Whalley, B. fuscella (Rehm) F. San Martín & J.D. Rogers and B. mediterranea (De Not.) Kuntze. However, stromata of B. glaucae have clear raised margins, with clear outlines which differ from those of them (Ju et al. 1998; Ju and Rogers 2001). Moreover, B. fuscella has white outer dehiscing layer and nearly equilateral ascospores with a cellular appendage on immature ascospores and some mature ascospores (Ju et al. 1998). Biscogniauxia atropunctata var. maritime shows different characteristics in having ostioles of slightly higher than the stromatal surface, with openings papillate and ascospores with narrowly rounded ends (Ju et al. 1998; Ju and Rogers 2001). Ascospores of B. citriformis var. macrospora are almost C –shaped with pinched ends, with spore-length on more convex side (Ju et al. 1998). Biscogniauxia mediterranea can be readily separated from the B. glaucae in having ostioles higher than stromatal surface, with openings coarsely papillate (Ju et al. 1998). The phylogenetic tree (Fig. 2) shows that B. glaucae, B. formosana and B. cylindrispora have a close relationship. However, B. formosana (15‒22.5 × 8‒11 µm) and B. cylindrispora (20‒26 × 10‒14 µm) has larger ascospores than those of B. glaucae.
Camillea broomeana (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Læssøe, J.D. Rogers & Whalley, Mycol. Res. 93(2): 149 (1989) Fig. 3
MycoBank number: MB 135957;
Saprobic on the surface of stem of deciduous plant, Cerasus sp.. Sexual morph: Stromata widely effused, irregular in outline, black, erumpent through bark, edges raised, up to 4 cm length, up to 3 mm thick, first covered with an ectostromatal and host tissue layer which is readily lost. Ectostroma brown to black, crust, easily separated without clear ostioles. Entostroma carbonaceous, black, with a layer of ostioles on the surface, perithecia embedded. Ostioles indistinct papillate, central. Perithecia 295–380 × 195–264 µm (av. = 320 × 245 µm), ovoid to cylindrical. Paraphyses abundant, persistent, smooth, 3 µm wide, slightly longer than asci. Asci 144.5–190.5 × 7.5–15.5 µm (av. = 167 × 10 µm, n = 30), 8 -spored, unitunicate, cylindrical, rounded at apex, with a J+, jar-shape apical apparatus in Melzer's reagent, 2–4 µm high, 3–5 µm wide. Ascospores 10–15 × 4.5–6.5 µm (av. = 13 × 5.5 µm, n = 30), one-celled, uniseriate, dilute brown, ellipsoid, mostly 1-guttulate, rounded ends, with rough warty ornamentation, without a germ slit. Asexual morph: Not observed on the surface of stromata and PDA medium.
Material examined: CHINA, Hainan province, Wuzhishan city, Emerald Park, (18°48´46.17༂N, 109°30´45.54༂E), on stem of Cerasus sp., November, 2020, Q.R. Li, 2020FCGY11, altitude: 475 m (GMB0218, extype living culture GMBC0218; HKAS 112698).
Note
There are two species of Camillea with echinulate ascospores, Camillea broomeianaand C. signata (Jong & Benjamin) Læaessøe, J. D. Rogers & Whalley. Camillea signata differs from C. broomeiana by its annulate ostioles (Læaessøe et al. 1989). Most species of Camillea have been discovered from in the Neotropics and the largest concentration of species occurs in the Amazon region (Læaessøe et al. 1989). No Camillea species by far was reported from China mainland. This is the first discovery of Camillea species in China mainland.
Graphostroma guizhouensis sp. nov. Q.R. Li Fig. 4
MycoBank number: MB XXX;
Etymology: In reference to the collection location.
Holotype: GMB0219
Saprobic on the surface of small branches of unknown deciduous plant. Sexual morph: Stromata black, widely effused, irregular in outline, black, up to 3 cm length, containing two layers. Ectostroma brown to black, crust, carbonaceous, easily separated, with cracks, without clear ostioles. Entostroma cracked, with a layer of ostioles on the surface, perithecia embedded. Ostioles crater-like, central. Perithecia 285–322 × 175–234 µm (av. = 302 × 198 µm), bottle-shaped, pyriform with a neck, with hyaline wall. Paraphyses not observed. Asci 25–39 × 3.5–6 µm (av. = 31.5 × 5 µm), 8 -spored, unitunicate, clavate, short-stalked, rounded at apex, with a non-amyloid ring in the apical apparatus. Ascospores 6–7.5 × 1–1.5 µm (av. = 6.8 × 1.4 µm), one-celled, colorless, reniform, equilateral, rounded ends, without germ slit. Asexual morph: Not observed on the surface of stromata and PDA medium.
Examined specimen: CHINA, Guizhou Province; Guiyang city, Aha lake (26°36′50.21″N, 106°40′15.78″E), on dead wood, August, 2020, collector: Sihan Long, 2020AH23, altitude: 1108 m (GMB0219, holotype, extype living culture GMBC0219; HKAS 112684, isotype).
Additional examined specimen: CHINA, Guizhou Province; Guiyang, Aha lake (26°32′50.37″N, 106°40′16.65″E), on dead wood, August, 2020, collector: Yinhui Pi, 2020AH28, Altitude: 1090 m (GMB0008, living culture GMBC0008).
Note
Here we would like to propose a new species of Graphostroma, although Graphostroma guizhouensis shows similar features with G. platystomum. A comparison of the ITS region DNA sequence data between G. guizhouensis and G. platystomum (CBS 270.87, type material of G. platystomum) revealed base pair differences of 7% which supports establishment of G. guizhouensis as a new taxon. We speculate that Graphostroma platystomum should be a group containing some cryptic species. Their morphological characteristics are very similar, but their DNA sequences are quite different. And DNA sequences should be a main diagnostic feature for the genus of Graphostroma.