A
reappraisal of the fungus genus Phalangisporawith the rediscovery of P. bharathensis on leaf litter of Mangifera indica from the northern Western
Ghats, India
K.C. Rajeshkumar
Mycology &
Plant Pathology, MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, Agarkar Road, Pune, Maharashtra 411004, India
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3891.6278-81
Editor: R.K. Verma,
Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, India. Date of publication: 26 August 2014 (online
& print)
Manuscript details: Ms #
o3891 | Received 30 December 2013 | Final received 29 July 2014 | Finally
accepted 02 August 2014
Citation: Rajeshkumar,
K.C. (2014).
A reappraisal of the fungus genus Phalangisporawith the rediscovery of P. bharathensis on
leaf litter of Mangifera indicafrom the northern Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 6(9):6278–6281;http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3891.6278-81
Copyright:© Rajeshkumar 2014. Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTTallows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and
distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of
publication.
Funding:I thank the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India,
New Delhi for providing financial support (under scheme No. SP/SO/PS-55/2005).
Competing Interest:The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: I indebted to Pedro W. Crous,
Director, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Utrecht, The Netherlands and Dr.
Andrew Minnis, Systematic Mycology & Microbiology
Lab., USDA, ARS, Beltsville, U.S.A., for advice and suggestions. Dr. Amy Y. Rossman Systematic Mycology & Microbiology Lab., USDA,
ARS, Beltsville, U.S.A., for encouragement. Thanks are also due to the
Director, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune for
providing facilities.
For figures, images -- click here
During July 2010 a
survey was conducted to explore the microfungaldiversity in the natural forests of Tamhini Ghats
situated in the northern part of the Western Ghats, India, at 18027’N
& 73025’E. The
average altitude of the area is 600m, while the surrounding hilltops range from
850–1050 m. The hilly regions
show little primary evergreen forest restricted to sacred groves and
comparatively more secondary evergreen and moist deciduous forests (Dahanukar & Padhye2005). TamhiniGhats and surrounding areas are rich and diverse for their fungal diversity;
many new species including a recent new genus Tamhinispora Rajeshkumar & Rahul Sharma were identified from Tamhini Ghat valleys (Rajeshkumar et al. 2011a,b; Rajeshkumar& Singh 2012; Rajeshkumar & Sharma 2013). An obscure species of Phalangispora Nawawi& Webster form sporodochia with stauroconidia with branches radiating or up (Seifert et al.
2011) and sporodochial setae surrounding the conidiomata was found on fallen leaves of Mangifera indica.
The genus Phalangispora was described by Nawawi& Webster (1982) for a fungus having branched tetra-radiate conidia
collected from the water forms of Ulu Gaombak in Malaysia and sporulatingcultures on 2% Malt Extract Agar (IMI 256650). They established the genus Phalangispora with key characteristics ‘Mycelium
primo subhyalinum, postea brunneo olivaceum, septatum, Conidiomata (sporodochia) pustulata aut obconica primo albida postea olivacea,sicca apparentia, laxa, ca. 5mm lata, ad basim cum 1–5 seris, Setare brunneae vel attae, septatae,parietibus crassis, subulatae, Conidia ramose, septate,constricta, brunnea’; with
type species P. constricta Nawawi & Webster. The present study aims at an addition of new characteristics found in
this genus in nature which is unique in the new strain and a rediscovery of P.bharathensis KeshavaPrasad & Bhat with a varied conidial and conidial
chain dimensions found on a new substrate (dead fallen leaves of Mangifera indica),
collected from Tamhini Ghats, Maharashtra State, India.
Methods: Isolates and morphology: Sporodochia of the fungus
were isolated from the lower surface of fallen leaves and observed under a
Nikon Binocular stereo microscope (Model SMZ-1500 withDigi-CAM, Japan). For morphotaxonomicstudies and photomicrographs an Olympus CX-41 (Japan) microscope was used. Conidia, conidiophores, and setae were
measured using an ocular micrometer. The specimens were deposited in AjrekarMycological Herbarium (AMH 9580), Agharkar Research
Institute, Pune, India.
Results
Phalangispora bharathensis Keshava Prasad & Bhat 2002 (Image 1 and
Fig. 1)
Type description: Terrestrial litter hyphomycete. Colonies effuse, olivaceousbrown to dark brown. Mycelium partly superficial, hyphae 2.5−3.5 µm wide. Conidiomata sporodochial, solitary, pulvinate, slightly elevated, with 8−16 setae arising
from the margin of the base. Setae subulate, acute at apex, septate, thick walled, dark brown, smooth, 300–400
× 7–10 µm. Conidiophores mononematous, arising in
groups, septate, 1−2 times branched,
15−30 µm long, 2−4.5 µm wide. Conidiogenouscells polyblastic, terminal, hyaline,
smooth with denticulate scars at the rounded apex. Conidia hyaline, smooth, aseptate, in 2–3 branched chains of 75−85 µm
long, 2.5−4 µm wide, connected by narrow isthmi,uniseriate below, bi to tri seriate above, with
branches arising from the third or fourth cells of the main axis, of two types;
apical or basal cells conical to obclavate, 7−9
× 2.5−3 µm; intermediate cells cylindrical with truncate ends,
8−10 × 2.5−4 µm; in mass initially whitish, later becoming
pale brown.
Type specimen: Herb No. IMI 387091, 11.iii.1999, on decaying leaves of Holigarna arnotiana(Wt. & Arn.) Hook.f., Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary,
Goa, India, coll. Keshava Prasad.
Present collection: AMH 9580. On fallen decaying leaves of Mangifera indica, Mycelium semi-immersed, 2−3 µm wide,
pale brown, septate, branched, thin walled, smooth. Conidiomata sporodochial, flattened, yellowish central part with white to off white
marginal area, spherical or hemispherical, 100−240 µm diam. Setose, setae
155−250 × 6−7.25 µm, 9–28 in numbers per sporodochia, arranged around the sporodochium,
pale to dark brown or blackish, tapering towards the acute apex, paler towards
tip, septate, septa thick walled, base wider
12−15 µm, swollen with rhizoid like structures, wall smooth and
thick. Conidiophores present,
highly branched, with primary and secondary branches, cylindrical, hyaline
smooth, primary branches 16−25 × 3−3.5 µm, secondary branches
8−12 × 2.5−3.5 µm, Phialidescylindrical, smooth, hyaline 6−8 × 2.5−3 µm, tip slightly
bulged with two apical conidiogenous loci. Conidia holoblastic,
hyaline, connected in chain through isthmi, branched,
constricted at septa, overall conidia measure up to 74−87.5 ×
2−4.5 µm, uniseriate below, bi to tri seriate
above, with branches arising from the third and/or fourth cells of the main
axis, conidia are two types; apical or basal cells conical, 8−11.3
× 2−3.3 µm; intermediate cells cylindrical with truncate ends, 9.5−12.5
× 3−4.5 µm. Y shaped
conidia were also occasionally observed.
Material examined: AMH 9580, 30.vii.2010, on fallen decaying leaves of Mangifera indica L.
(Anacardiaceae), TamhiniGhats, Maharashtra State, India, coll. K.C. Rajeshkumar.
Teleomorph: Unknown.
Known distribution: Validly published from Malaysia and India
Notes: The arrangement of
dark brown, septate sporodochialsetae surrounding the sporodochia is a unique
character in this strain that differentiates it from all the species so far
recorded in this genus.
Discussion: Genus Phalangispora is a unique setose sporodochial hyphomyceteproducing hyaline smooth, unicellular conidia connected by narrow isthmi in branched chains on polyblastic,
discrete conidiogenous cells and short, thin walled,
hyaline, septate conidiophores. While authenticating the type culture ofPhalangispora in IMI (IMI 256650), BC Sutton (Nawawi & Webster 1982) had an opinion that the isolate
made from the forms in Malaysia belongs to a group of genera which include Wiesneriomyces Koord., Speiropsis Tubaki, Gliophragma Subram. & Lodhaand Pseudogliophragma Phadke& V.G. Rao. However, Phalangisporawas related to Speiropsis, having branched
conidial morphology, but differs from it in conidiomatalstructure. He also mentioned the
difference found in the presence or absence of setae in these genera; Speiropsis and Pseudogliophragmalack setae; however, Wiesneriomyces have sporodochial setae with simple chained conidia. Prior to this inventory, the conidia of
this fungus have been reported from many different countries including Nigeria
(Ingold 1959), Ghana (Dixon 1959), Sierra Leone
(Le-John 1965) Japan (Miura 1974) and Indonesia (Nayo1975) but a valid recognition was not made.
Based on the sporodochial development of P. constrictaon dry Agar, Nawawi & Webster (1982) predicted
the possibility of this fungus distribution in nature out of water. Later on, Nawawi(1985) reported that the fungus is semi-aquatic that readily grows on decaying
leaves in a moist chamber. While describing a new species of Phalangispora,P. nawawi Kuthub.(holotype, IMI 312357, Lepar Forest Reserve, Pahang, Malaysia July 1986), Kuthubutheen(1987) confirmed the occurrence of the sporodochia of
the type species in natural habitats in Malaysia. P. nawawi was erected based on the difference in
size of the individual conidia, conidial chain and number of individual cell in
the main axis and lateral branches. In P. nawawi the conidial chains were
smaller and number of cells was fewer than P. constricta. The third species of Phalangispora,
P. bharathensis was added from the Western
Ghats of India as a terrestrial litter hyphomycete onHoligarna arnotiana(Anacardiaceae) from CotigaoWildlife Sanctuary, Goa, India (IMI 387091). It was the first published species added
to the genus Phalangispora outside Malaysia
and first record of this genus from India (Prasad & Bhat2002). The major differences in
conidial characteristics of these species are given in Table 1.
In the present
study the length of setae in the new strain of P. bharathensiswas found to be shorter though the arrangement of setae was unique, surrounding
the sporodochia. Also, the number of setae is much
higher at 9–28 per sporodochia. All the species so far recorded under Phalangiospora have been described with sporodochia with basal setae; especially in P. bharathensis 8−16 setae arise from the margin of
the sporodochial base. The illustrations provided in P. nawawi and P. bharathensisstated the same. Similar
characteristics were validly considered even for differentiation of stauroconidia forming genus like Fumagopsis Speg. and Tridentaria Preuss in the
past. Spegazzini(1910) established the genus Fumagopsis with a
monotypic species under this genus F. triglifioides Speg. Later Kendrick & Carmichael (1973) incorrectly placed this genus as
a synonym of Tridentaria. But van der Aa & van Oorschot (1985) and
van der Aa & von Arx(1986) maintained Fumagopsis as an acceptable
genus with its unique charaterestics, setose sporodochial conidiomata surrounding the sporodochia. Tridentariaproduces mononematous conidiophores and colonies are
without setae. However, in the present study considering the conidial shape,
size (extend beyond type strain) and conidial chain length in AMH 9580; the new collection is placed under the species P. bharathensis.
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