Species of the common discomycete genus Bisporella reassigned to at least four genera

ABSTRACT

Bisporella as typically conceived is a genus of noticeable, bright yellow inoperculate discomycetes. This interpretation of the genus, however, is at odds with Bisporella pallescens, the current name of the type species of the genus; furthermore, the genus has been interpreted as including the unusual species Bisporella resinicola. By comparing morphological and molecular traits of species traditionally included in Bisporella, we show that the genus is polyphyletic, with many “typical” members of the genus belonging instead in Calycina in Pezizellaceae. Bisporella pallescens is conclusively linked with its asexual morph, Bispora antennata, and the genus Bisporella is abandoned as a later synonym of the monotypic genus Bispora (previously applied only to asexual fungi) and placed as sister to Hymenoscyphus in Helotiaceae. Bisporella resinicola is shown to represent an independent monotypic genus, Eustilbum, which so far is placed incertae sedis in Helotiales. Finally, “Bisporella” subpallida, like Bispora, belongs to Helotiaceae but is instead related to “Phaeohelotium” epiphyllum.

KEYWORDS:

• Bispora
• Calycina
• Eustilbum
• Leotiomycetes
• resinicolous fungi
• 3 new taxa
• 1 new typification

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

James Mitchell acknowledges the invaluable assistance of the librarians at the Harvard Botany Libraries and the staff of the Farlow Herbarium. We also thank Drs. Kanchi Gandhi, Keith Seifert, and Scott Redhead for consultations regarding the valid publication of Eustilbum rehmianum; Connor Goff, Alejandro Huereca, Sylvia Feusi, Erich Zimmermann, Frede Scheye, and Drs. Gernot Friebes and Thomas Læssøe for either collecting specimens or arranging loans; Dr. Joey Tanney for giving a sequence of Eustilbum aureum he generated; Dr. Enrique Rubio for his excellent photographs of a specimen of “Bisporella” subpallida he allowed the use of; Danny Newman and Dr. Roo Vandegrift for bringing to our attention their specimen of a Calycina sp. collected in Ecuador (QNCEM 3192); and Elizabeth Stöckli for her excellent photographs of Eustilbum aureum she allowed the use of.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

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Additional information

Funding

Luis Quijada was supported through the Farlow Fellowship offered by the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, and the Harvard University Herbaria. Peter Johnston was supported through the Manaaki Whenua Biota Portfolio with funding from the Science and Innovation Group of the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.