New record of Rhopalostroma brevistipita- tum (Hypoxylaceae) and checklist of Rhopalostroma species from India

Abstract

Rhopalostroma is one of genera bearing unique taxonomic characters in the family Hypoxylaceae, within the order Xylariales of the class Sordariomycetes. Species of Rhopalostroma predominantly grow on dead wood under saprophytic conditions and are restrictedly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas, including Africa and South Asia. In India, Rhopalostroma was previously reported only from the southern part of the country. This paper presents a new record of R. brevistipitatum from India, specifically from the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh (AP). The paper also includes a morphological description and documentations of the species accompanied by photographs, and provides a checklist of Rhopalostroma species found in India.