Pyrenomycetes of the Russian Far East 4: family Nitschkiaceae (Coronophorales, Ascomycota).

Ascomata of 10 species assigned to family Nitschkiaceae were examined with a scanning electron microscope to reveal their distinctive features. These observations, along with biogeographical considerations of the 10 species, form the basis for a revised interpretation of the concepts used for those nitschkiaceous taxa in the Russian Far East. Four genera instead of five are recognized as a result of the unification of Nitschkia and Calyculosphaeria, whereas Calyculosphaeria grevillei is replaced by Nitschkia grevillei. The name Fracchiaea subcongregata is now applied to the entity formerly recognized as Fracchiaea broomeiana, and the species recorded originally as Nitschkia cupularis is now identified as Nitschkia parasitans. Two new species, Fracchiaea seticoronata and Nitschkia modesta, are described and discussed.

Three new Xylaria species from Russian Far East.

Three new species of Xylaria, X. lepidota, X. primorskensis and X. sibirica were collected from Primorsky Territory in Russian Far East and neighboring areas. Xylaria primorskensis is a species with erect, stipitate stromata, whereas X. lepidota and X. sibirica produce stunted, sessile stromata. Cultures were obtained from X. primorskensis and X. sibirica. Xylaria sibirica formed a Xylocoremium anamorph in culture, while X. primorskensis remained sterile.

New species of the diaporthales from eastern Asia and eastern North America.

Seven previously undescribed diaporthalean species were found in eastern Asia and eastern North America. Three of these new species and one previously known species are assigned to a new genus Leucodiaporthe. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for the new taxa including Allantoporthe leucoth6es sp. nov., Diaporthella corylina sp. nov., Leucodiaporthe acerina sp. nov., L. juglandis sp. nov., L. maackii comb. nov., L. robiniae sp. nov., Leucostoma pseudoniveum sp. nov., Leucostoma excipienda comb. nov., and Phragmodiaporthe padi sp. nov.

The genus Pyrenomyxa and its affinities to other cleistocarpous Hypoxyloideae as inferred from morphological and chemical traits.

Types and authentic specimens of Hypoxylon piceum, Pulveria porrecta, and Pyrenomyxa invocans were studied for morphological traits and extrolite (= secondary metabolite) profiles generated by analytical HPLC with UV-visual and mass spectrometric detection. The orange stromatal pigments of P. invocans are rubiginosin A and mitorubrinol. It lacks three different types of extrolites (BNT, macrocarpone and hypomiltin) that are known from Hypoxylon taxa and occur in H. piceum and P. porrecta. In agreement with morphological traits, the latter two names are regarded as synonymous and transferred to Pyrenomyxa. Another species from Eastern Russia, Pyrenomyxa morganii sp. nov., is recognized. It contains yet unidentified azaphilones besides BNT and orsellinic acid, and its culture produces 5-methylmellein and a virgariella-like anamorph. These findings suggest a close relationship of Pyrenomyxa to Hypoxylon and emphasize the utility of chemotaxonomic traits for fungal taxonomy in general. Pyrenomyxa is accepted ad interim until the phylogenetic relationships among Hypoxylon have been further evaluated by means of chemotaxonomic, morphological and molecular methods.

Amphirosellinia gen. nov. and a new species of Entoleuca.

The new genus Amphirosellinia is erected to include five xylariaceous fungi with erumpent or immersed perithecioid stromata. Amphirosellinia fushanensis, A. nigrospora and A. tennesseensis are newly described, whereas A. evansii and A. quercina are new combinations. Synnematous, geniculosporium-like anamorphs are known for A. fushanensis, A. nigrospora, A. tennesseensis and A. evansii; the anamorph of the latter species was produced on natural substratum, whereas those of the former three species were produced in culture. Dichotomous keys are presented for the Amphirosellinia species and for some genera that might be confused with Amphirosellinia. Entoleuca ellisii also is described as new. It readily can be separated from the known species in the genus by its smaller ascospore size range and short ascospore germ slit.

A preliminary overview of the Diaporthales based on large subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences.

The ascomycete order Diaporthales includes a number of plant pathogenic fungi such as Cryphonectria parasitica, the chestnut blight fungus, as well as many asexually reproducing fungi without known sexual states. Relationships among genera in the Diaporthales were evaluated as a basis for the recognition of families and to provide a taxonomic framework for the asexually reproducing diaporthalean fungi. Phylogenetic relationships were determined based on analyses of large subunit (LSU) nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences. Within the Diaporthales 82 sequences representing 69 taxa were analyzed. Results suggest the presence of at least six major lineages within the Diaporthales recognized as the Gnomoniaceae sensu stricto, Melanconidaceae sensu stricto, Schizoparme complex including the anamorph genera Coniella and Pilidiella, Cryphonectria-Endothia complex, Valsaceae sensu stricto, and Diaporthaceae sensu stricto. In addition, six teleomorphic and anamorphic taxa fell within the Diaporthales but were not allied with any of the six lineages.