Highlights of the Didymellaceae - Studies in Mycology

AveSkAMp et al.
Group R:
This group comprises five species that previously were accommodated
in the sections Phoma, Peyronellaea and Phyllostictoides. As the
name of Ph. tropica already suggests, it concerns a thermotolerant
species, which is mainly found in European greenhouses on a wide
range of hosts, but which probably has a tropical origin (Schneider
& Boerema 1975), as do most other species found in the present
clade. The sole host of Ph. costarricensis is coffee bean (Coffea
arabica), while Ph. piperis is associated with Indian Long Pepper
(Piper longus), and the novel species Ph. minor has been isolated
twice from clove (Syzygium aromaticum) in Indonesia. In addition,
Ph. labilis is a warmth-preferring plurivorous species that has
been isolated in European greenhouses and from nature in the
Middle East, Turkey and Indonesia (Boerema et al. 2004). Phoma
zantedeschiae is widespread throughout the Western Hemisphere,
but always in association with arum or calla (Zantedeschia sp.), a
genus that is indigenous in southern Africa (Boerema & Hamers
1990). Thus far, however, no data of temperature-growth studies
are available for these species except for Ph. tropica. Several other
thermotolerant species, such as Ph. calidophila, Ph. calorpreferens
and Ph. multirostrata, are, however, not accommodated in this group.
These three species are soil-borne, in contrast to Ph. tropica and Ph.
costarricensis, which are associated with leaf-spots.
Phoma tropica and Ph. costarricensis are both closely related,
and colony characters are highly similar. However, the strains
available revealed a significant difference in conidial and pycnidial
sizes, consistent with the data obtained in previous studies
(Schneider & Boerema 1975, De Gruyter & Noordeloos 1992).
Phoma costarricencis Echandi, Rev. Biol. Trop. 5: 83. 1957.
Specimens examined: Nicaragua, from a twig of Coffea sp., 1991, CBS 506.91 =
PD 91/876 = IMI 215229. Unknown origin, from Coffea arabica, 1979, CBS 497.91
= PD 79/209.
Notes: Strain CBS 497.91 was initially identified as Ph. tropica.
The close phylogenetic association between this species and
Ph. costarricensis concurs with their overlapping morphological
characters (see Schneider & Boerema 1975, De Gruyter &
Noordeloos 1992).
Phoma labilis Sacc., Michelia 2(7): 341. 1881.
Specimens examined: Israel, from a stem of Rosa sp., 1970, G.H. Boerema, CBS
479.93 = PD 70/93. The Netherlands, Barendrecht, from a stem of Lycopersicon
esculentum, 1987, J. de Gruyter, CBS 124.93 = PD 87/269.
Phoma minor Aveskamp, Gruyter & Verkley, sp. nov.
MycoBank MB515641. Fig. 11.
Conidia ellipsoidea, ovoidea vel leniter allantoidea, glabra, hyalina, continua,
(3–)3.5–4.5(–5) × 1.8–2.5(–3) μm, (0–)1–3(–4) guttulis minutis praedita. Matrix
conidiorum alba.
Etymology: Epithet derived from the small-sized conidia.
Conidiomata pycnidial, solitary, (sub-)globose to broadly ellipsoidal,
glabrous or with some hyphal outgrows, on the agar surface and
immersed, (125–)150–280(–330) × (125–)150–220(–245) μm.
Ostioles (1–5), slightly papillate or non-papillate. Pycnidial wall
pseudoparenchymatous, composed of oblong to isodiametric
cells, outer cell layer pigmented, 2–4 layers, 8–15 μm thick.
Conidiogenous cells phialidic, hyaline, simple, smooth, flaskshaped
or somewhat isodiametric, ca. 4–5.5(–6.2) × 3–4.5(–4.7)
42
μm. Conidia ellipsoidal to ovoid or slightly allantoid, thin-walled,
smooth, hyaline, aseptate (3–)3.5–4.5(–5) × 1.8–2.5(–3) μm, with
(0–)1–3(–4) minute guttules. Conidial matrix white.
Culture characteristics: Colonies on OA (44–)45–50(–54) mm
diam after 7 d, margin regular. Aerial mycelium flat, grey, but
locally well-developed in densely floccose white tufts. Immersed
mycelium olivaceous with rosy-buff tinges near the colony margin;
reverse concolourous. Colonies on MEA 46-48 mm diam after 7 d,
margin regular. Immersed mycelium hyaline, with abundant semiimmersed
pycnidia, but almost completely covered by an aerial
mycelial mat. Aerial mycelium pluriform, with a compact white mat
and some felty glaucous grey or dull green zones, near colony
margin white; reverse black to grey-olivaceous. Colonies on CHA
50–54 mm diam. after 7 d, margin regular. Aerial mycelium similar
as on MEA, although the felty white and glaucous grey zones are
less abundant; reverse slate blue to leaden-black. Application of
NaOH results in a greenish yellow discolouration of the agar, best
to be observed on OA medium.
Specimens examined: Indonesia, Sumatra, from Syzygium aromaticum, Apr. 1982,
R. Kasim, holotype designated here CBS H-20236, ex-holotype culture CBS
325.82; Lampung, from Syzygium aromaticum, Dec. 1982, H. Vermeulen, CBS
315.83.
Notes: As for Ph. eucalyptica, this species has been recorded in
association with clove trees (Syzygium aromaticum, Boerema et
al. 2004). Both species, although genetically distinct, have many
characters in common, notably the colony characters on OA, the
high variation in ostiole number and a similar reaction to application
of NaOH. Although Phoma minor produces relatively small conidia,
the conidia of Ph. eucalyptica are even smaller, measuring only 2–4
× 1–2 μm (De Gruyter & Noordeloos 1992).
Phoma piperis (Tassi) Aa & Boerema, Persoonia 15(3): 398.
1993.
Basionym: Phyllosticta piperis Tassi, Boll. Reale Orto Bot. Siena
3(2): 28. 1900.
Specimens examined: The Netherlands, Tiel, from a leaf of Peperomia pereskiifolia,
1988, J. de Gruyter, CBS 268.93 = CBS 108.93 = PD 88/720; Tiel, from Peperomia
sp., 1990, J. de Gruyter, PD 90/2011
Phoma tropica R. Schneid. & Boerema, Phytopathol. Z. 83
(4): 361. 1975.
Specimen examined: Germany, Horrheim, from Saintpaulia ionantha, 1973, R.
Schneider, isotype CBS H-7629, ex-isotype culture CBS 436.75.
Phoma zantedeschiae Dippen., S. African J. Sci. 28: 284.
1931.
Specimen examined: The Netherlands, from a bulb of Zantedeschiae sp., 1969,
G.H. Boerema, CBS 131.93 = PD 69/140.
Group S – Stagonosporopsis:
This large group (BPP = 1.00, RBS = 55 %) comprises mainly
species with Stagonosporopsis synanamorphs. In the Boeremaean
classification system, these species were embedded in Phoma
section Heterospora (Boerema et al. 1997). As with the other
sections, this group also appeared to be artificial. Based on LSU
and SSU sequences, the type species of the section Heterospora,
Ph. heteromorphospora, clusters outside the Didymellaceae (De
Gruyter et al. 2009), as do Ph. samarorum and Ph. dimorphospora.