Comoclathris acuminata A. J. Mattoo, S. Nonzom & A. Ghosh 2023, sp. nov.

• Main Authors: Mattoo, Aroosa Jan, Ghosh, Aniket, Nonzom, Skarma
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2023
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Fungi; Ascomycota; Dothideomycetes; Pleosporales; Diademaceae; Comoclathris; Comoclathris acuminata; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7776934; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/220E1B42D75BFFF3FF04FF12FAE2F7AF

Comoclathris acuminata A.J. Mattoo, S. Nonzom & A. Ghosh sp. nov. Figures 2–3 Mycobank:—MB 847073 GenBank: MW205771 (nrITS, holotype), OQ547243 (nrITS), OQ547244 (nrLSU, holotype), OQ547245 (nrLSU). Etymology :—Specific epithet ‘ acuminata ’ refers to the ascospores with pointed apex. Holotype :— INDIA. Ladakh: Kargil district, Namkila pass, isolated as an endophyte from stem of Ephedra gerardiana Wall. ex Stapf ( Ephedraceae ), 3700 msl elev., 34°20ʹ.10ʹʹN, 76°33ʹ.21ʹʹE, 13 October, 2019, A.J Mattoo & S. Nonzom E2/MN2 (holotype MCC 9771), preserved in a metabolically inactive form. Diagnosis :— Comoclathris acuminata differs from C. spartii by having larger ascomata, dark-brown ascospores with pointed apex and from C. antarctica by having superficial ascomata, larger asci and ovoid to elliptical ascospores with acuminate apex. Description :— Mycelium brown,hyphae septate, branched,5–12 µm wide. Ascomata perithecial,slightly immersed to erumpent, (75–) 150–225 (–300) µm (n= 57) in diam., solitary, scattered or aggregated into small groups, globose to sub-globose, dark brown to black, with an inconspicuous, 47–103 μm ostiole; perithecial hyphae brown to dark brown, 4–7 µm wide. Peridium (9.8–) 21.7–29.1 (–33) µm wide, with 2–4 layers of dark brown to lightly pigmented cells of textura angularis. Asci (112–) 143–165 (–190) × (23–) 33–43 (–45) µm (x̅ = 154 × 38 µm, n= 36), 8-spored, cylindroclavate, stipitate; stipe slightly curved; bitunicate, fissitunicate, (15–) 30–36 (–40) × (3–) 4–5 (–6) µm (x̅ = 33 × 5 µm, n= 11); apex round, with a distinct, shallow ocular chamber. Hamathecium comprising numerous, (1.4–) 1.9–2.4 (–2.8) µm (n= 16) wide, cellular, filamentous, anastomosing pseudoparaphyses. Ascospores (17–) 24–29 (–30) × (13–) 14–17 (–18) µm (x̅ = 26 × 15 µm, n= 70), uni- to bi-seriate in asci, partially overlapping, golden when immature, darkbrown at maturity, roughly ovoid to elliptical, smooth, constricted at the middle transverse septum, upper half slightly broader than the lower half, clavate, ...