<i>Ramomarthamyces octomerus</i> sp. nov. and Insights into the Evolution and Diversification of <i>Ramomarthamyces</i> (Ascomycota, Leotiomycetes, Marthamycetales)

oleh: Jason M. Karakehian, Luis Quijada, Andrew N. Miller, Lothar Krieglsteiner, Hans-Otto Baral

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-04-01

Deskripsi

The apothecial fungus <i>Ramomarthamyces octomerus</i> sp. nov. is described from specimens collected in Mediterranean climate regions in southern Portugal, Spain (Canary Islands), and the Dalmatian region of Croatia. Presumably saprobic, <i>R. octomerus</i> occurs on intact, decorticated wood of <i>Laurus novocanariensis</i> and <i>Olea europaea</i>. Ascospores are cylindric-ellipsoid and seven-septate. Surprisingly, in our four-locus phylogenetic analysis (nuSSU, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, LSU, mtSSU), this fungus clusters among species of <i>Cyclaneusma</i>, <i>Marthamyces</i>, <i>Naemacyclus</i>, and <i>Ramomarthamyces</i> in a core Marthamycetaceae clade that circumscribes primarily leaf-inhabiting, filiform-spored species. In addition, the asci of <i>R. octomerus</i> possess an amyloid pore, but the reaction varies between specimens collected in the Canary Islands and those collected in Portugal and Croatia. The occurrence of an amyloid reaction in the asci of <i>R. octomerus</i> challenges the characterization of Marthamycetales taxa as possessing inamyloid asci. In our discussion we provide background and analysis of these notable observations.