Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 June 2018 | 10(7): 11995–11996

Macrofungus Nitschkia macrospora Teng (Ascomycetes: Nitschkiaceae), a new report to India

K.J. Nandan Patel¹, M. Krishnappa ² & V. Krishna ³

^1,2,3 Department of P.G Studies and Research in Applied Botany, Jnana Sahyadri,Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta,Shivamogga, Karnataka 577451, India

¹ nandanpatelkj@gmail.com (corresponding author),

² krishnappam4281@yahoo.com, ³ krishnabiotech2003@gmail.com

doi: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4083.10.7.11995-11996

Editor: V.B. Hosagoudar, Bilgi, Bagalkhot, India. Date of publication: 26 June 2018 (online & print)

Manuscript details: Ms# 4083 | Received 15 February 2018 | Final received 31 May 2018 | Finally accepted 03 June 2018

Citation: Patel, K.J.N., M. Krishnappa & V. Krishna (2018).Macrofungus Nitschkia macrospora Teng (Ascomycetes: Nitschkiaceae), a new report to India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(7): 11995–11996;http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4083.10.7.11995-11996

Copyright: © Patel et al. 2018. 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: DBT, New Delhi.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Acknowledgements: Authors are thankful to The Chairman, Department of Applied Botany, KuvempuUniversity, Shankaraghattafor providing lab facilities. We are thankful to DBT, New Delhi, India for providing support through DBT-BUILDER program (Order No. BT/PR9128/INF/22/190/2013, Dated: 30/06/2015).

The study of wood inhabiting macrofungi was carried out during October 2017, in the central Western Ghats region of ShivamoggaDistrict, in Karnataka State. An interesting wood inhabiting macrofungus belonging to the family Nitschkiaceae was collected. A critical microscopic study revealed that it is a hitherto unrecorded species from India and hence the note (Bianchinotti 2004; Huhndorf et al. 2004; Mugambi & Huhndorf2010).

Members of this family are saprophytic wood degraders with worldwide distribution (Mugambi& Huhndorf 2010). Nitschkiaceaemembers are generally characterized by turbinate ascomataand later transforms in to cupulate on maturity (Bianchinotti 2004). Ostiolar opening is indehiscent and thin walled, asci having variable number of spores, ascospores large, fusoidor cylindrical.

The field survey was conducted in Jambekoppa locality (14.10597222⁰N & 75.14305556⁰E) of Shimoga (Shivamogga) District forest regions. This deciduous forest is known for varied macrofungal biota. Sporocarp were observed, photographs were taken in their natural habitat, field notes were taken along with their geographical ranges (Garmin-650) and samples were collected with substratum, brought to laboratory, anatomical characters were studied using a compound microscope. Classical taxonomy was followed for the characterization of species. The name of the taxa was authenticated and confirmed by using http://www.mycobank.org and http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/names.asp.

Nitschkia macrospora Teng

(Images 1–4)

Sporocarp 0.4x0.5 mm in size, black in colour, weakly attached to substratum, found in clusters, earlier rounded later turned into cuplet, without prominent ostiole with smooth surface. Asci clavate, 90–100 x 11–14 µm, with stalks up to 75µm long. Ascospores large, fusiform, septate, slightly curved, 35–45 x 6–7 µm.

Material examined: Accession number KUABMK-137, 12.x.2017, on unidentified wood log, Jambekoppa (14.10597222⁰N & 75.14305556⁰E),Shivamogga District, Karnataka State, India, coll. K.J. Nandan Patel & M. Krishnappa. Herbarium samples have been deposited in the departmental herbarium, department of Applied Botany, KuvempuUniversity, Shankaraghatta (Image 5).

Nitschkia macrospora was proposed by Teng (1934) from China. Vasilyeva et al. (2010) reported the species from Russia, and Pande (2008) studied the genus Nitschkia in India and this species forms an addition to the fungi of India.

References

Bianchinotti, M.V. (2004). Two new lignicolous species of Nitschkiafrom Argentina. Mycologia 96: 911–916.

Huhndorf, S.M., A.N. Miller & F.A. Fernandez (2004). Molecular systematics of the Coronophoralesand new species of Bertia, Lasiobertiaand Nitschkia. Mycological Research108: 1384–1398.

Mugambi, G.K. & S.M. Huhndorf(2010) Multigene phylogeny of the Coronophorales: morphology and new species in the order Mycologia102: 185–210.

Pande, A. (2008). Ascomycetes of Peninsular India. Scientific Publisher (India), Jodhpur, 584pp.

Teng, S.J. (1934). Notes on Sphaeriales from China. Sinensia 4: 359–449.

Vasilyeva, L., A. Chernyshev& S.L. Stephenson (2010). Pyrenomycetes of the Russian Far East 4: family Nitschkiaceae (Coronophorales, Ascomycota). Mycologia 102: 233–247.