Bambusicolous Fomitiporia revisited: multilocus phylogeny reveals a clade of host-exclusive species

ABSTRACT

Fomitiporia

is a genus of wood-inhabiting Hymenochaetaceae (Agaricomycetes) that includes pathogens and decomposers occurring on a wide array of plant substrates. Some species decay culms of woody bamboos, a poorly known biotic interaction. Four bambusicolous species of Fomitiporia are currently known. However, no studies concerning their phylogenetic relationships have been performed. In order to assess species boundaries and their relationships to each other, we conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses of nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) and portions of nuc 28S rDNA (28S), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1), as well as morphological analyses. Four species that occur on culms of woody bamboos, F. bambusarum, F. spinescens, F. uncinata, and the new species F. bambusipileata, grouped together in an exclusive clade within a primarily Neotropical lineage. The new species differs from all other species in the group by the pileate basidiomata. Hypotheses regarding host-exclusivity are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Bambuseae
• Basidiomycota
• Hymenochaetales
• tropical woody bamboos
• 1 new taxon

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to Fiocruz for performing the molecular sequencing; ICMBio and State Conservation Units for general support; the herbaria ICN, INPA, FLOR, and PACA for loans; Dr. Maria Aparecida de Jesus for supporting the revision of INPA herbarium collections; Dr. Tatiana T. S. Chies for supporting molecular work in the Molecular Systematic Laboratory; Dr. Mateus A. Reck for providing some of specimens; and Dr. Bernardo Lechner for providing photos concerning F. uncinata holotype in BAFC. G.A.-S. thanks IDEA WILD for donating equipment. We thank two anonymous reviewers, the associate editor Daniel Linder, and Brandon Matheny for suggestions and edits that improved earlier versions of the manuscript.

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Funding

E.R.D.-S. (process n. 311158/2018-8) and R.M.B.S. (process n. 301874/2015-8) are supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). This research is part of the MIND.Funga Project: http://mindfunga.ufsc.br/. This study was financed, in part, by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES; Financial Code 001) and by the Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul.