Some Xylaria species on termite nests

Abstract

Xylaria arenicola, X. brasiliensis, X. escharoidea, X. furcata, X. nigripes, X. piperiformis and X. rhizomorpha represent ancient names of fungi known to inhabit abandoned termite nests. We attempt to redescribe them and to reduce the confusion among them. Xylaria tanganyikaensis and X. readeri, species that might be associated with termite nests, are described. We describe a new variety, X. furcata var. hirsuta, and discuss an unnamed fungus that probably represents a new species. Photographs and a key are presented to aid the identification of these taxa.

• systematics
• Xylaria arenicola
• Xylaria brasiliensis
• Xylaria escharoidea
• Xylaria furcata
• Xylaria furcata var. hirsuta
• Xylaria nigripes
• Xylaria piperiformis
• Xylaria readeri
• Xylaria rhizomorpha
• Xylaria tanganyikaensis
• Xylariaceae

PPNS 0397. Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University. The authors are grateful to the curators of BPI, BR, FH, K, S for loaning specimens and to Begoña Aguirre-Hudson (K), Burghard Hein (B), and Mark Spencer (BM) for trying to locate the Klotzsch material of X. nigripes. We thank Svengunnar Ryman (UPS) and Roy Watling (E) for searching for specimens and for information on the protologue of X. furcata, Brian Spooner (K) for information on a collection of T. Petch, and Anna-Lena Anderberg (S) for information on the type material of X. peperomioides. We thank Michael J. Adams, Washington State University, for aid with photography. We dedicate this paper to the memory of R.W.G. Dennis, Franz von Höhnel and Tom Petch, great mycologists who investigated Xylaria from termite nests.