MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Morpho-molecular characterization of Discosia ravennica sp. nov. and a new host record for Sporocadus rosigena

Summary

This research describes a newly discovered fungal species and documents another fungal species on a new host plant. The findings contribute to our understanding of fungal diversity and classification, which is important for plant disease management and ecological studies. Impacts on everyday life: – Helps identify and track potential plant pathogens that could affect crops – Contributes to better understanding of plant-fungal relationships – Aids in developing more effective plant disease control strategies – Supports biodiversity conservation efforts – Advances our knowledge of natural ecosystems

Background

Members of the Sporocadaceae (Amphisphaeriales, Sordariomycetes) are generally appendage-bearing coelomycetes known as ‘pestalotioid fungi’. Discosia and Sporocadus are two genera in this family that have been shown to be phylogenetically linked as sister taxa.

Objective

To introduce a new Discosia species collected from Italy based on morphology supported by phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, ITS, β-tub and rpb2 sequence data, and report a new host record for a sporocadus-like taxon identified as Sporocadus rosigena isolated from Quercus ilex in Italy.

Results

A new species Discosia ravennica was identified, forming an independent lineage basal to D. neofraxinea strains with strong statistical support. The species differs in having unilocular to bilocular, applanate conidiomata with basal stroma composed of cells of textura angularis, elongate-ampulliform conidiogenous cells and smaller conidia. Sporocadus rosigena was identified as a new host record from Quercus ilex, showing similar morphology to other S. rosigena strains.

Conclusion

The study established a new fungal species D. ravennica based on morphological and molecular evidence, and documented S. rosigena from a new host. This contributes to fungal taxonomy and diversity knowledge, with potential implications for plant pathology and disease management strategies.
  • Published in:MycoKeys,
  • Study Type:Taxonomic Study,
  • Source: 10.3897/mycokeys.79.60662
Scroll to Top