Liberomyces gen. nov. with two new species of endophytic coelomycetes from broadleaf trees

Abstract

During a study of endophytic and saprotrophic fungi in the sapwood and phloem of broadleaf trees (Salix alba, Quercus robur, Ulmus laevis, Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula) fungi belonging to an anamorphic coelomycetous genus not attributable to a described taxon were detected and isolated in pure culture. The new genus, Liberomyces, with two species, L. saliciphilus and L. macrosporus, is described. Both species have subglobose conidiomata containing holoblastic sympodial conidiogenous cells. The conidiomata dehisce irregularly or by ostiole and secrete a slimy suspension of conidia. The conidia are hyaline, narrowly allantoid with a typically curved distal end. In L. macrosporus simultaneous production of synanamorph with thin filamentous conidia was observed occasionally. The genus has no known teleomorph. Related sequences in the public databases belong to endophytes of angiosperms. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a position close to the Xylariales (Sordariomycetes), but family and order affiliation remained unclear.

• Alnus
• anamorph
• phylogeny
• Quercus
• Salix
• Ulmus

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by the Czech Institutional Research Concept No. AV0Z5020903, Czech Science Foundation grant 206/07/0283 and by the Institutional Project MSM 0021620828 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.

Miroslav Hyliš is thanked for help with scanning electron microscopy.