A New Hysteriform Dothideomycete (Gloniaceae, Pleosporomycetidae Incertae sedis), Purpurepithecium murisporum gen. et sp. nov. on Pine Cone Scales

Abstract

Abstract The family Gloniaceae is represented by the genera Glonium (plant saprobes) and Cenococcum (ectomycorrhizae). This work adds to the knowledge of the family, by introducing a new taxon from dead scales of pine cones collected on the ground in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Analysis of a combined LSU, SSU, RPB2 and TEF1 sequence dataset matrix placed it in Gloniaceae and Purpurepithecium murisporum gen. et sp. nov. is introduced to accommodate the new taxon. The genus is characterized by erumpent to superficial, navicular hysterothecia, with a prominent longitudinal slit, branched pseudoparaphyses in a gel matrix, with a purple pigmented epithecium, hyaline to dark brown muriform ascospores and a Psiloglonium stygium-like asexual morph which is produced in culture. The new taxon is illustrated and compared with similar genera.