The name refers to the morphological similarity with Dendryphiella.

Neodendryphiella tarraconensis Iturrieta-González, Gené & Dania García.

Conidiophores semi-macronematous to macronematous, mononematous, erect or slightly flexuous, unbranched or branched towards the apical region, septate, subhyaline to brown, smooth to verrucose, cylindrical, some slightly swollen in the conidiogenous loci. Conidiogenous integrated, terminal or intercalary, polytretic, cylindrical or clavate, forming conidia in acropetal branched chains. Ramoconidia aseptate or septate, pale brown, smooth to verruculose, mostly cylindrical or subcylindrical, rounded apex and truncate base, with several pores and conidial scars often thickened and darkened. Conidia blastocatenate, aseptate or septate, pale brown, verruculose to verrucose, ellipsoidal, doliiform, clavate or subcylindrical, with scars thickened and darkened. Sexual morph not observed.

Italy, Mexico and Spain.

Name refers to the substrate, Malus domestica, where the type strain of the species was collected.

Italy, Dipt. Prot. Valor. Agroalimentare, from leaf of Malus domestica, Feb. 1995, A. Cesari (holotype CBS H-23477, culture ex-type CBS 139.95).

Mycelium superficial and immersed, composed of septate, branched, smooth to verruculose, hyaline to pale brown hyphae of 1–3 μm wide. Conidiophores semi-macronematous to macronematous, mononematous, erect or slightly flexuous, branched or unbranched, up to 11-septate, cylindrical, up to 385 μm long, 3–4 μm wide, brown, usually darker toward the base, smooth to verrucose. Conidiogenous terminal and intercalary, mostly cylindrical, 8–38 × 3–4(–5) μm, with 1–4 pores. Ramoconidia 0–1-septate, with up to 3 terminal and lateral pores, pale brown, smooth to verruculose, mostly cylindrical, (11–)15–17(–21) × 3–4 μm. Conidia catenate, with up to 10 conidia in the terminal unbranched part, (0–)1-septate, usually not constricted at the septum, pale brown, verruculose to verrucose, ellipsoidal, doliiform or subcylindrical with more or less rounded ends, 4–15 × 3–5 μm.

Figure 2. 

Neodendryphiella mali sp. nov. (ex-type CBS 139.95). A–E Colonies on APDAB PCA C SNA D OA E MEA at 25 °C after 14 d F–K Conidiophores and conidia. Scale bars: 10 µm (F–K).

(14 d at 25 °C). Colonies on PDA reaching 22 mm diam., convex, slightly convoluted at the centre, pastel grey to white (1C1/1A1), aerial mycelium scarce, with slightly fimbriate margin; reverse olive brown to yellowish-brown (4D3/3A2). On PCA attaining 23 mm diam., flat, olive brown to greyish-beige (4F8/4C2), aerial mycelium scarce, slightly fimbriate margin; reverse greyish-beige to brownish-grey (4C2/4D2). On OA reaching 40 mm diam., flat, granular, yellowish-brown to reddish-yellow (5E8/4B7), aerial mycelium scarce, with a regular margin; reverse olive brown to yellowish-brown (4D8/4B7). On SNA attaining 24 mm diam., flat, slightly granular, olive brown to grey (4F8/4B1), aerial mycelium scarce, with fimbriate margin; reverse yellowish-brown (5F7/5E4). On MEA reaching 11–15 mm diam., umbonate, slightly cerebriform towards the periphery, velvety, olive grey (3E2), with irregular margin; reverse olive grey (3E2).

Optimum 25 °C, maximum 30 °C, minimum 10 °C.

Italy and Spain.

Spain, Els Ports de Beseit Natural Park, Teruel, from herbivore dung, Oct. 2017, Dania García (FMR 17003)

Although LSU sequences of N. mali (CBS 139.95 and FMR 17003) were very similar to those of N. michoacanensis (FMR 16098) and N. tarraconensis (FMR 16234), ITS regions showed a similarity of 96.2% (identities = 441/458, gaps 2/458 (0 %)) with respect to N. michoacanensis and of 92.3% (identities = 423/458, gaps 1/458 (0%)) with respect to N. tarraconensis. ITS sequences of the two latter species described below were 92.1% similar (identities = 422/458, gaps 0/458 (0%)).

Neodendryphilla mali is morphologically very similar to N. michoacanensis since both have conidia and ramoconidia 0–1-septate; however, N. michoacanensis has shorter conidiophores (up to 280 μm long) and terminal conidial branches with fewer conidia (up to 4 per branch), which measure 5–16(–18) × 3–6 μm. In addition, 2-septate conidia can also be present in N. michoacanensis and this species tends to grow faster than N. mali on PDA (34 mm vs 22 mm diam. after 14 d, respectively) and PCA (42 mm vs 23 mm diam. after 14 d, respectively). Neodendryphiella mali also resembles D. infuscans, but the latter exhibits longer conidiophores, up to 500 μm and smooth to minutely verruculose conidia with up to 2 septa (Ellis 1971). However, the protologue of D. infuscans (as Cladosporium infuscans; Thümen 1879), which was based on a specimen collected in Aiken (USA), describes conidia 0–1-septate, smooth-walled and up to 10 μm long. No living culture of the type specimen was preserved for further comparison.

As mentioned before, the strain CBS 139.95 was identified as Di. asperum and found by other authors to be related with dictyosporium-like fungi (Shenoy et al. 2010, Tanaka et al. 2015). However, the protologue of Di. asperum was characterised by single or fasciculate conidiophores, which were up to 250 μm long, bearing terminal or subterminal, short and unbranched chains of conidia with only 1 septum (Pirozynski 1972), morphological features that do not fit with those observed in the above-mentioned strain. We therefore concluded that it was a misidentified strain and clearly represents a different species. At any rate, it is of note that the taxonomy of Di. asperum is controversial because of the different interpretation of the morphological features of Pirozynski’s specimen (DAOM 133941c isotype). Holubová-Jechová (1982) described conidiogenous cells showing inconspicuous denticles or conidiogenous scars instead of the typical pores in conidiogenous cells of Diplococcium and suggested excluding this species from the genus. On the other hand, Goh and Hyde (1998) re-examined the isotype of Di. asperum and observed the typical pores of tretic conidiogenesis, considering it an acceptable species for Diplococcium. However, since only herbarium material is preserved for comparison (Pirozynski 1972), its phylogeny remains uncertain.

Name refers to Michoacán, the geographical area where the fungus was collected.

Mexico, Michoacán, Villa Jiménez, from soil, Sept. 2016, E. Rodriguez-Andrade (holotype CBS H-23478; culture ex-type CBS 144323 = FMR 16098).

Mycelium superficial and immersed, composed of septate, branched, smooth to verruculose and hyaline to pale brown hyphae of 1–3 μm wide. Conidiophores semi-macronematous to macronematous, mononematous, erect or slightly flexuous, slightly branched, 1–13 septate, cylindrical or slightly swollen in the conidiogenous loci, 44–280 × 2–4 μm, brown, usually darker toward the base, smooth or verruculose, verrucose at the base. Conidiogenous terminal and intercalary, cylindrical or clavate, 11–62 × 3–5 μm, with up to 3 pores. Ramoconidia (0–)1-septate, with up to 4 terminal or subterminal pores, pale brown, smooth to verruculose, cylindrical, subcylindrical, to slightly clavate, with more or less rounded apex and truncate base, 12–23 × 3–4(–5) μm. Conidia catenate, with up to 4 conidia in the terminal unbranched part, (0–)1(–2)-septate, some slightly constricted at the septum, pale brown, verruculose to verrucose, ellipsoidal or subcylindrical, 5–16(–18) × 3–6 μm.

Figure 3. 

Neodendryphiella michoacanensis sp. nov. (ex-type FMR 16098). A–E Colonies on APDAB PCA C SNA D OA E MEA at 25 °C after 14 d F–J Conidiophores and conidia. Scale bars: 10 µm (G–J).

(14 d at 25 °C). Colonies on PDA reaching 34 mm diam., slightly umbonate, velvety, olive brown (4F6/4E8), with slightly fimbriate margin; reverse dark green (30F8) to black. On PCA attaining 42 mm diam., flat, granular, olive brown (4F8), aerial mycelium scarce, fimbriate margin; reverse dark green to olive brown (30F8/4F8). On OA reaching 48 mm diam., flat, granular, yellowish-brown to olive (5F4/3D4), aerial mycelium scarce, with a regular margin; reverse brownish-grey to greyish-yellow (4D2/3B6). On SNA attaining 22 mm diam., flat, slightly granular, olive brown (4F8), aerial mycelium scarce, with slightly fimbriate margin; reverse dark green (30F8) to black. On MEA reaching 13–15 mm diam., slightly umbonate, flat towards the periphery, velvety, yellowish-grey to olive (3C2/3F8), with white irregular margin; reverse olive grey to dark green (3E2/30F8).

Optimum 25 °C, maximum 30 °C, minimum 10 °C.

México.

Neodendryphiella michoacanensis morphologically resembles N. mali, in its conidiogenous apparatus with 0–1-septate ramoconidia, but the latter differs by having longer conidiophores (up to 385 μm), terminal conidial chains with up to 10 conidia and its conidia are 0–1-septate and smaller (4–15 × 3–5 μm). Neodendryphiella michoacanensis also resembles D. uniseptata in their conidial morphology, but ramoconidia of the latter species are often aseptate and can be up to 30 μm long (Matsushima 1971). Dendryphiella uniseptata is only known from the type material, which was collected in Honiara (Japan) and no ex-type culture was preserved. This species was considered a synonym of D. infuscans by Matsushima (1975) but not accepted by Liu et al. (2017).

Name refers to Tarragona, the geographical area where the fungus was collected.

Spain, Tarragona, from garden soil, Feb. 2017, I. Iturrieta-González (holotype CBS H-23479, culture ex-type CBS 144324 = FMR 16234).

Mycelium superficial and immersed abundant, composed of septate, branched, smooth to verruculose, hyaline to pale brown hyphae, 1–2 μm wide. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, erect or slightly flexuous, branched or unbranched, up to 6-septate, cylindrical, 19–185 × 2–5 μm, brown, smooth, darker and finely verrucolose towards the base. Conidiogenous terminal and intercalary, subcylindrical to clavate, 9–35 × (2–)3–4(–5) μm, with up to 2 pores. Ramoconidia (0–)1–2(–3)-septate, usually slightly constricted at the septa, with up to 3 terminal and subterminal pores, pale brown, smooth to verruculose, mostly cylindrical, with rounded apex and truncate base, 12–21(–23) × 4–5 μm. Conidia catenate, with up to 7 conidia in the terminal unbranched part, (0–)1–2-septate, pale brown, verruculose, ellipsoidal or subcylindrical with more or less rounded ends, 6–21 × 3–6(–7) μm; when 1-septate, the septum is often submedial and slightly constricted, when 2-septate, usually constricted at only one septum.

Figure 4. 

Neodendryphiella tarraconensis sp. nov. (ex-type FMR 16234). A–E Colonies on APDAB PCA C SNA D OA E MEA at 25 °C after 14 d F–K Conidiophores and conidia. Scale bars:10 µm (G–K).

(14 d at 25 °C). Colonies on PDA reaching 23 mm diam., umbonate, velvety, greyish-brown to olive brown (5E3/4F8), with slightly fimbriate margin; reverse dark green (30F8) to black. On PCA attaining 24 mm diam., flat, velvety, olive brown (4F8), slightly fimbriate margin, reverse dark green to olive brown (28F5/3B2) with a pale yellow (4A3) diffusible pigment. On OA reaching 30 mm diam., flat, slightly granular, yellowish-brown to olive brown (5F8/4F4), aerial mycelium scarce, with regular margin; reverse yellowish-brown to olive brown (5F8/4F4). On SNA attaining 21 mm diam., flat, slightly granular, yellowish-brown to olive (5F4/3F5), aerial mycelium scarce, with fimbriate margin; reverse yellowish-brown to olive (5F4/3F5). On MEA reaching 8-10 mm diam., slightly elevated but depressed at the centre, radially folded, velvety, olive (2F8), with irregular margin; reverse olive (2F4).

Optimum 25 °C, maximum 30 °C, minimum 10 °C.

Spain.

In addition to the genetic differences mentioned above, N. tarraconensis differs from the other two species in the genus by the presence of ramoconidia with up to 3 septa and conidia from terminal branches with mostly 1–2-septate. It is noteworthy that 1-septate conidia usually show a slightly longer basal cell since the septum is submedial and, when 2-septate, often only one of the septa is constricted, features not described in any species of Dendryphiella and Neodendryphiella.

Name refers to the variable number of septa in the conidia.

Cuba, from a dead leaf of a Lauraceous tree, 1996, R.F. Castañeda (holotype CBS H-23476; ex-type cultures CBS 584.96 = INIFAT C95/105-4 = MUCL 39840 = FMR 16563).

Mycelium superficial and immersed, composed of septate, branched, smooth to verruculose hyaline to pale brown hyphae, 1–3 μm wide. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, often arranged in loose fascicules, erect or slightly flexuous, branched, 1–8-septate, nodulose toward the apex, up to 143 μm long, 2–6 μm wide, brown, smooth to verruculose. Conidiogenous terminal and intercalary, sympodially extended towards the apex, with 1–5 pores surrounded by a thickened and darkened wall, clavate, 7–37 × 3–6(–7) μm. Ramoconidia (0–)2–3-septate, cylindrical to subcylindrical, with rounded ends, 16–27 × 5–6 μm, usually with 2 apical pores, conidial scars thickened and darkened. Conidia in short branched chains, with up to 5 conidia in the terminal unbranched part, (0–)3(–7)-septate, some constricted at the medial septum, pale brown, verruculose to verrucose, cylindrical or subcylindrical, with rounded ends, 6–44 × 4–6 μm, conidial scars often thickened and darkened. Sexual morph not observed.

Figure 5. 

Dendryphiella variabilis sp. nov. (ex-type CBS 584.96). A–E Colonies on APDAB PCA C SNA D OA E MEA at 25 °C after 14 d F Exudates and conidiophores produced on OA G–K Conidiophores and conidia. Scale bars: 50 µm (G–H), 10 µm (I–K).

(14 d at 25 °C). Colonies on PDA reaching 30–33 mm diam., slightly umbonate, flat towards the periphery, velvety, irregularly coloured yellowish-grey to olive brown (4B2/4D3) and brownish-grey to yellowish-brown (5F2/5F4), with irregular margin; reverse yellowish-brown (5F8) to black. On PCA attaining 48 mm diam., flat, granular to velvety, yellowish-brown (5F8), aerial mycelium scarce, undulate margin; reverse olive to greyish-yellow (3F4/3B4), with a pale yellow diffusible pigment. On OA reaching 58 mm diam., flat, slightly granular, blond to reddish-yellow (5C4/4A7), light yellow (4A4) at the periphery, aerial mycelium scarce, with a regular margin, with scarce pale brown exudate; reverse same colouration with the colony surface. On SNA attaining 40 mm diam., flat, slightly granular to velvety, yellowish-brown to grey (5F7/4B1), with fimbriate margin; reverse brownish-grey to white (5D2/1A1). On MEA reaching 32 mm diam., flat, cottony, yellowish-grey to olive (4B2/3F4), yellowish-grey (3B2) at the periphery, with regular margin; reverse dark green to white (30F8/1A1).

Optimum 25 °C, maximum 30 °C, minimum 15 °C.

Cuba.

Dendryphiella variabilis differs from D. paravinosa mainly by having longer conidia (up to 44 μm), which can have up to 7 septa. The conidia of D. paravinosa are up to 3-septate and measure (10−)24−27(−33) × (6−)7(−7.5) μm (Crous et al. 2016). The only species of the genus reported with conidia up to 5-septate are D. eucalyptorum and D. vinosa, but they are smaller, measuring (19−)20−23(−25) × 5(−7) μm in the former (Crous et al. 2014) and 13−39 × 4−8 μm in the latter (Ellis 1971). The other closely related species to D. variabilis is D. fasciculata (Fig. 1), but it mainly differs by the presence of fasciculate conidiophores and 3-septate conidia (Liu et al. 2017).