Aspergillus Kanagawaensis and Related Species in Wisconsin Forest Soils

SUMMARY

Recognition of a new major group in the Aspergilli, the Aspergillus cervinus group, is proposed and a key to the known species is provided. The new group brings together four taxa: A. cervinus Massee, A. kanagawaensis Nehira, A. nutans McLennan & Ducker, and A. parvulus Smith. The four species are characterized by fawn-colored conidial heads, smooth yellow-brown conidiophores, sterigmata in a single series, and smooth globose conidia. A brief account of the outstanding characteristics of each of the species and its known occurrence in nature is presented.

The taxonomic treatment of these four species was stimulated by the isolation of several hundred uniseriate pink-spored Aspergilli, representing A. kanagawaensis, A. nutans, and A. cervinus, in the course of an extensive survey of the soil microfungi in native plant communities of Wisconsin. The more than 400 Wisconsin isolates of A. kanagawaensis and 17 isolates of A. nutans constitute the first reported isolations of these species outside of Japan and Australia, respectively. A. kanagawaensis was obtained from soils in 11 northern Wisconsin forests, but was encountered at highest frequencies in hemlock and in jack pine communities where mor humus overlies acid podzolic sands. An expanded description of A. kanagawaensis based on representatives of these numerous isolates is presented. A. nutans was obtained from dry podzolic sands in four northern Wisconsin pine-oak forests and in one southern Wisconsin oak community.