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Xylaria minima (SWUF18-3.2). (A) Stroma. (B) Stromatal surface with ostioles. (C) Ascospores and apical ring. (D) Germ slit (arrowed). (E,F) Anamorph. (G) Ascospores. (H) Colony on PDA in a 9 cm Petri dish at 4 weeks. Xylaria cf. nigripes (SWUF17-31.2). (I) Stroma. (J) Stromata surface with ostioles. (K) Ascospores with germ slits (arrowed). (L) Ascospores. (M) Colony on PDA in a 9 cm Petri dish at 4 weeks. (G), (L) by SEM; (D), (E), (F), (K) by DIC. Scale bars (A), (H), (I), (M) = 1 cm; (B), (J) = 1 mm; (C), (D), (E)-(G), (K), (L) = 5 µm.
Source publication
The diversity of Xylaria species associated with termite nests in northeast Thailand was investigated. Among the 14 taxa included in this study, 11 species and one variety were described as new, and another two species resemble the existing taxa, X. escharoidea and X. nigripes. The newly described taxa are X. chaiyaphumensis, X. conica, X. fulvesce...
Citations
... accessed on 22 November 2023), was currently the largest genus in the family Xylariaceae (Hsieh et al. 2010;Fournier et al. 2018a). The members of Xylaria have a worldwide distribution, but they are highly diverse in the tropics and subtropics (Dennis 1956;Ju and Rogers 1999;Lodge et al. 2008;Fournier et al. 2011;Wangsawat et al. 2021). Species of Xylaria are saprobic, pathogenic, or endophytic and associated with a wide range of host (Rogers 1979a;Vannini et al. 1996;Whalley 1996;Crozier et al. 2006; Thomas et al. 2008;U'Ren et al. 2009;de Vega et al. 2010). ...
... The generic concept of Xylaria was traditionally based on morphological studies (Dennis 1957(Dennis , 1958Rogers et al. 1987Rogers et al. , 1988San Martín and Rogers 1989;Fournier 2014;Fournier et al. 2020). In the past two to three decades, molecular phylogenetic analysis was carried out on the family Xylariaceae by using a single-gene to multi-gene (Lee et al. 2000;Bahl et al. 2005;Ju et al. 2004Peláez et al. 2008;Hsieh et al. 2010;Laessøe et al. 2013; Wangsawat et al. 2021). Nuclear ribosomal DNA, ITS-5.8S, and protein-coding gene are commonly used for inferring phylogenetic relationships (Tang et al. 2009;Visser et al. 2009). ...
... Poronia pileiformis (Berk.) Fr. was selected as an outgroup (Wangsawat et al. 2021;Ma et al. 2022). The sequences of ITS, RPB2 and TUB2 were aligned individually using the online MAFFT tool (http://mafft.cbrc.jp/alignment/server/index.html), and improved manually using BioEdit 7.0.5.3 (Hall 1999) and ClustalX 1.83 (Thompson et al. 1997). ...
Morphological and phylogenetic analyses on samples of Xylaria species associated with fallen fruits from China were carried out, and two new species were described, namely X. aleuriticola and X. microcarpa. Xylaria aleuriticola is found on fallen fruits of Aleurites moluccana, and characterized by stromata dichotomously branched several times with long acute sterile apices, fertile parts roughened with perithecia and tomentose, and ellipsoid to fusiform ascospores. Xylaria microcarpa differs in its very small stromata with dark brown tomentum, light brown ascospores with an inconspicuous straight germ slit, and grows on leguminous pods. The differences between the new species and morphologically similar species are discussed. Phylogenetic analyses on ITS-RPB2-TUB sequences confirmed that the two species are clearly separated from other species of the genus Xylaria. Xylaria liquidambaris is reported as a new record from China. A key to the Xylaria species associated with fallen fruits and seeds reported from China is provided to facilitate future studies of the genus.
... Notes It is a soil parasitic species characterized by densely covered stromata surfaces with dark brown conical-shaped raised ostioles. Morphologically, X. ynmingii shares nearly identical traits with X. sihanonthii, except that the latter has larger ascospores measuring 7.5-9.5 × 3.5-4.5 μm, compared to X. yumingii ascospores measuring 5.1-6.2 × 2.7-3.5 μm (Wangsawat et al., 2021). Phylogenetically, X. yumingii Notes Morphologically, X. yunnanensis is similar to X. hongkongensis Tang et al., but it can be differentiated by the dense presence of cracks on the surface of stromata, inconspicuous ostioles, and smaller ascospores measuring 12.5-15 × 5-7.5 μm (Tang et al., 2014). ...
The genus Xylaria comprises a diverse group of fungi with a global distribution and significant ecological importance, known for being a source of bioactive secondary metabolites with antibacterial, antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and additional properties. In this study, we present a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the species of Xylaria found in some parts of southern China, characterized by an extensive multilocus phylogeny analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS), TUB2 (β‐tubulin), and DNA‐directed RNA polymerase II subunit 2 ( rpb2 ) gene regions. Morphological examination and detailed comparative analyses of the collected specimens were conducted to determine the distinctiveness of each species. The multilocus phylogeny approach allowed us to infer evolutionary relationships and assess species boundaries accurately, leading to the identification of 40 novel Xylaria species hitherto unknown to science. The newly described species are: X. baoshanensis , X. bawanglingensis , X. botryoidalis , X. dadugangensis , X. doupengshanensis , X. fanglanii , X. glaucae , X. guizhouensis , X. japonica , X. jinghongensis , X. jinshanensis , X. kuankuoshuiensis , X. liboensis , X. negundinis , X. orbiculati , X. ovata , X. pseudoanisopleura , X. pseudocubensis , X. pseudobambusicola , X. pseudoglobosa , X. pseudohemisphaerica , X. pseudohypoxylon , X. puerensis , X. qianensis , X. qiongzhouensis , X. rhombostroma , X. serratifoliae , X. shishangensis , X. shuqunii , X. shuangjiangensis , X. sinensis , X. tongrenensis , X. umbellata , X. xishuiensis , X. yaorenshanensis , X. yinggelingensis , X. yumingii , X. yunnanensis , X. zangmui , and X. zonghuangii . The study's findings shed light on the distinctiveness of the newly described species, supported by both morphological distinctions and phylogenetic relationships with their close relatives. This taxonomic revision significantly contributes to our understanding the diversity of Xylaria in China and enriches the knowledge of fungal biodiversity worldwide.
... Xylaria Hill ex Schrank is the largest genus in Xylariaceae [1,2]. Over 300 Xylaria species have been reported worldwide [3], and there are 879 records related to Xylaria in Index Fungorum (http://www.indexfungorum.org/, ...
... Many species in this genus exhibit significant changes in their stromata morphology at different development stages [4]. They are generally characterized by cylindrical or filamentous upright stromata with a pale interior, asci with amyloid apical rings that turn blue in an iodine solution, eight brown unicellular ascospores with germ slit, and geniculosporiumlike conidiophores [2,[5][6][7]. To date, most reported Xylaria species grow on wood and branches, few grow on fallen fruits and seeds, termite nests and soil, and fallen leaves and petioles [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Fallen leaves and petioles are one of the growth substrates of Xylaria species. ...
Xylaria is a widely distributed genus in the Ascomycota phylum that can decompose wood. It is an essential decomposer in ecosystems and a source of bioactive secondary metabolites. Based on morphological characteristics and molecular evidence, this article thoroughly describes two new species discovered on the fallen leaves in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, along with illustrations and comparisons with similar species. Xylaria diaoluoshanensis is characterized by filamentous stromata with long infertile apexes, ascospores sometimes with non-cellular appendages. Xylaria fulvotomentosa differentiates itself from other Xylaria species that grow on fallen leaves by its stroma surface, being yellow tomentose. These two new species of the genus Xylaria were found by phylogenetic analysis using the ITS-β-tubulin-RPB2 sequence dataset. Furthermore, a species first discovered in China, X. petchii, is described. Finally, a search table for 44 species related to fallen leaves and petioles in the world is established.
... Xylaria dicirikan dengan bentuk tubuh buah padat dan berbentuk seperti jari atau pun gada. Jamur ini dapat ditemukan pada kayu lapuk, daun, buah, biji, kotoran hewan, tanah, dan sarang rayap (Wangsawat et al., 2021). Masyarakat Suku Dayak Ngaju di Kabupaten Kapuas, Kalimantan Tengah diketahui ada yang menggunakan jamur karamu (Xylaria sp.) untuk penyembuhan penyakit kanker dan polip (Frantika & Purnaningsih, 2016). ...
The Indonesian data on macroscopic fungi diversity is considered low and mostly centered on Java Island. The information on macroscopic fungi from Central Kalimantan is still very limited compared to other regions in Indonesia. The Arboretum Nyaru Menteng in Central Kalimantan poses a high number of macroscopic fungi. However, the diversity of macroscopic fungi from Arboretum Nyaru Menteng has never been reported. The current works aimed to provide initial information on the diversity of macroscopic fungi in this conservation area. The exploration was done using the opportunistic sampling method. Fruiting bodies were documented, collected, and identified based on macroscopic characteristics. Four environmental microclimate variables were measured in four random sampling locations: temperature, light intensity, air humidity, and soil acidity. The results confirmed that there were 27 species of macroscopic fungi belonging to 18 genera and 14 families. Most fungi were found growing on a dead log while the others were recognized as mycorrhizal fungi and parasites on plants. The environmental measurements showed that Arboretum Nyaru Menteng has an optimal habitat for recorded fungi growth.
... Compared to X. furcata, X. scoparia has stromata that are frequently repeatedly branched many times, long acicular and curly stromatal apices, and darker ascospores, thus resembling X. tenellifurcata, which differs mainly by having smaller conidia and lacking the yellow apices frequently found on immature stromata produced in cultures of X. scoparia (Fig. 10H). Wangsawat et al. (2021) where illustrations of stromata, ascus, ascospores, colony, conidiophores, and conidia are also provided. Xylaria siamensis is characterized by the following features: stromata antler-like at fertile part, dichotomously branched one to many times, with long acicular and curly apices, on a glabrous stipe, 2-6.7 cm long above ground, 0.3-1 cm long × 0.2-1.5 mm diam at fertile part; stromatal surface dark brick to black, with conspicuous to half-exposed perithecial mounds, lacking an outer layer, with a white, soft interior; perithecia spherical, 200-400 µm broad, with a coarsely conic-papillate ostiole ≤ 100 µm broad at base; ascospores brown to dark brown, ellipsoid-inequilateral, with narrowly rounded ends, smooth, 5-6 × 2.5-3.5 µm, with a straight germ slit spore-length on the ventral side. ...
... However, it differs from the latter two species mainly by its coarsely conic-papillate ostioles and slightly longer ascospores. Wangsawat et al. (2021) obtained cultures, where stromata and anamorph were not produced. The anamorph found on the surface of young stromata from nature is much like that of X. furcata, except for having smaller conidia 4-4.5(-5) × 3-4 µm vs. (4.5-)5-6.5(-7) ...
... Pseudoxylaria had not been much investigated until the study of Rogers et al. (2005), where 11 taxa were recognized. The species number has since been greatly enriched, with 24 more taxa added to the subgenus (Chou et al. 2017;Hsieh et al. 2020Hsieh et al. , 2022Ju and Hsieh 2007;Ju et al. 2011Ju et al. , 2022Kim et al. 2016;Wangsawat et al. 2021). Xylaria collections from termite nests with delicate, dichotomously branched stromata are commonly identified as X. furcata, but our study showed that multiple species can be delimited by morphological features of teleomorphs and anamorphs as well as sequences of multiple DNA loci. ...
Background:
Xylaria collections from termite nests with dichotomously branched stromata have been identified as X. furcata. However, Léveillé's original material is no longer available, and the modern interpretation of X. furcata is based on a 1908 collection made by von Höhnel from termite nests at Buitenzorg Botanical Garden in Java. A packet of this von Höhnel material at FH was designated as the neotype by Rogers et al. in 2005.
Results:
We reexamined the neotype from FH and its duplicates from various herbaria and found that three different species were mixed in these specimens. Despite that all of them have dichotomously branched stromata and tiny ascospores, only one fits the 2005 neotypification of X. furcata, where exposed perithecial mounds on the stromatal surface were unambiguously indicated. This portion of material is redesignated as the neotype, while the other two species with immersed perithecia are described as new: X. hoehnelii and X. robustifurcata. The ITS sequence obtained from the neotype helped us designate a specimen with cultures obtained from it as the epitype. From specimens identifiable as X. furcata, we describe four new species: X. brevifurcata, X. furcatula, X. insignifurcata, and X. tenellifurcata. Additionally, we recognize X. furcata var. hirsuta at the species level as X. hirsuta and consider X. scoparia a distinct species rather than a synonym of X. furcata. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on three protein-coding loci showed that X. furcata and resembling species were grouped into two clusters: the X. furcata cluster with half-exposed to fully exposed perithecial mounds and the X. hoehnelii cluster with largely immersed perithecial mounds.
Conclusion:
Ten species are recognized for X. furcata and resembling species, all of which could have been identified as X. furcata in the past. Its diversity has been overlooked primarily due to the small and similar stromata. Several additional species have been confirmed to be related to X. furcata by DNA sequences but are yet to be described due to the lack of mature stromata. While the species diversity of macrotermitine termites is equally high in Africa as in Asia, all of the species are primarily found in Asia, with X. hirsuta as the only exception. This suggests that there may be many more undiscovered species for this fungal group.
... He also made it clear that there are undescribed species and that these need to be studied (Rogers 2000). Our recent studies in Thailand recognized 12 new taxa of Xylaria associated with termite nests from Northeast Thailand based on morphological and cultural characteristic and their ITS α-actin and β-tubulin sequences (Wangsawat et al. 2021a). This finding emphasises the importance of resident mycologists in the tropics to investigate and to conduct regular surveys in specified habitats. ...
... Since 2014 thirty new species of members of the Xylariaceae have been reported from Thailand alone: which is a reflection on the increased interest and research in these fungi especially in the tropics (Dai et al. 2014;Srihanant et al. 2015;Li et al. 2016;Tibpromma et al. 2017;Ju et al. 2018;Dayarathne et al. 2020;Konta et al. 2020;Wongkanoun et al. 2020;Wangsawat et al. 2021a). ...
The Xylariaceae and its relatives rank as one of the best-known members of the Ascomycota. They are now well recognized for their diversity, global distribution, ecological activities and their outstanding novel metabolites with wide ranging bioactivity.
... They also extend their habits as coprophilous and endolichenic (Piasai and Manoch 2009;Cañón et al. 2019). Most Xylaria species also serve as economically important compound producers (Ratnaweera et al. 2014;Adeleke and Babalola 2021;Wangsawat et al. 2021;Becker and Stadler 2021), which act as antibacterial, antifungal and/or biocontrol agents. Therefore, there is a need for the discovery of novel species and new geographical records of this genus. ...
The description of a new Mediterranean species, Coltricia insularis, is provided, on the basis of material collected in Corsica, Sardinia, Cyprus and Spain
... They also extend their habits as coprophilous and endolichenic (Piasai and Manoch 2009;Cañón et al. 2019). Most Xylaria species also serve as economically important compound producers (Ratnaweera et al. 2014;Adeleke and Babalola 2021;Wangsawat et al. 2021;Becker and Stadler 2021), which act as antibacterial, antifungal and/or biocontrol agents. Therefore, there is a need for the discovery of novel species and new geographical records of this genus. ...
This article is the 14th in the Fungal Diversity Notes series, wherein we report 98 taxa distributed in two phyla, seven classes, 26 orders and 50 families which are described and illustrated. Taxa in this study were collected from Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, French Guiana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. There are 59 new taxa, 39 new hosts and new geographical distributions with one new combination. The 59 new species comprise Angustimassarina kunmingense, Asterina lopi, Asterina brigadeirensis, Bartalinia bidenticola, Bartalinia caryotae, Buellia pruinocalcarea, Coltricia insularis, Colletotrichum flexuosum, Colletotrichum thasutense, Coniochaeta caraganae, Coniothyrium yuccicola, Dematipyriforma aquatic, Dematipyriforma globispora, Dematipyriforma nilotica, Distoseptispora bambusicola, Fulvifomes jawadhuvensis, Fulvifomes malaiyanurensis, Fulvifomes thiruvannamalaiensis, Fusarium purpurea, Gerronema atrovirens, Gerronema flavum, Gerronema keralense, Gerronema kuruvense, Grammothele taiwanensis, Hongkongmyces changchunensis, Hypoxylon inaequale, Kirschsteiniothelia acutisporum, Kirschsteiniothelia crustaceum, Kirschsteiniothelia extensum, Kirschsteiniothelia septemseptatum, Kirschsteiniothelia spatiosum, Lecanora immersocalcarea, Lepiota subthailandica, Lindgomyces guizhouensis, Marthe asmius pallidoaurantiacus, Marasmius tangerinus, Neovaginatispora mangiferae, Pararamichloridium aquisubtropicum, Pestalotiopsis piraubensis, Phacidium chinaum, Phaeoisaria goiasensis, Phaeoseptum thailandicum, Pleurothecium aquisubtropicum, Pseudocercospora vernoniae, Pyrenophora verruculosa, Rhachomyces cruralis, Rhachomyces hyperommae, Rhachomyces magrinii, Rhachomyces platyprosophi, Rhizomarasmius cunninghamietorum, Skeletocutis cangshanensis, Skeletocutis subchrysella, Sporisorium anadelphiae-leptocomae, Tetraploa dashaoensis, Tomentella exiguelata, Tomentella fuscoaraneosa, Tricholomopsis lechatii, Vaginatispora flavispora and Wetmoreana blastidiocalcarea. The new combination is Torula sundara. The 39 new records on hosts and geographical distribution comprise Apiospora guiyangensis, Aplosporella artocarpi, Ascochyta medicaginicola, Astrocystis bambusicola, Athelia rolfsii, Bambusicola bambusae, Bipolaris luttrellii, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Chlorophyllum squamulosum, Colletotrichum aeschynomenes, Colletotrichum pandanicola, Coprinopsis cinerea, Corylicola italica, Curvularia alcornii, Curvularia senegalensis, Diaporthe foeniculina, Diaporthe longicolla, Diaporthe phaseolorum, Diatrypella quercina, Fusarium brachygibbosum, Helicoma aquaticum, Lepiota metulispora, Lepiota pongduadensis, Lepiota subvenenata, Melanconiella meridionalis, Monotosporella erecta, Nodulosphaeria digitalis, Palmiascoma gregariascomum, Periconia byssoides, Periconia cortaderiae, Pleopunctum ellipsoideum, Psilocybe keralensis, Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium dehoogii, Scedosporium marina, Spegazzinia deightonii, Torula fici, Wiesneriomyces laurinus and Xylaria venosula. All these taxa are supported by morphological and multigene phylogenetic analyses. This article allows the researchers to publish fungal collections which are important for future studies. An updated, accurate and timely report of fungus-host and fungus-geography is important. We also provide an updated list of fungal taxa published in the previous fungal diversity notes. In this list, erroneous taxa and synonyms are marked and corrected accordingly.
... Termites have several levels of defense measures to protect this obligate nutritional symbiosis, starting with lower individual levels of hygiene measures to a higher collective level, also called social immunity [5][6][7][8]. Despite these preventive measures, fungal gardens inconspicuously host members of a distinct fungal subgenus of Xylaria (Ascomycota: Xylariaceae), commonly referred to as termite-associated Pseudoxylaria [9][10][11][12][13][14][15], which only emerge as vegetative stromata from comb material of deteriorating or inactive termite nests (Fig. 1B) [16]. While a number of studies have provided insights into their co-evolutionary relation with the fungus-farming termite symbiosis, the ecological role of Pseudoxylaria remains debated [1,7]. ...
... Although few reports suggested a commensal role supporting biomass degradation within the comb environment [10,17], other studies analyzing Termitomyces-Xylaria co-cultures hinted towards an antagonistic relation. As free-living Xylaria strains inhibited growth of Termitomyces more intensly than their termite-associated relatives [7,18,19], it was postulated that reduced antagonistic behavior might enable Pseudoxylaria to evade the defense mechanisms of a healthy termite colony, and once conditions are favourable to outcompete the fungal mutualist [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. ...
... Overall, significant differences in the composition of CAZymes were observed [8], most notably in the reduction of auxiliary activity enzymes (AA), carbohydrate esterases (CE), glycosyl hydrolases (GH), and polysaccharide lyases (PL). The most significant reduction was observed in the AA3 family (Fig. 3C), which typically displays a high multigenicity in wood-degrading fungi as many enzymes of this family catalyze the oxidation of alcohols or carbohydrates with the concomitant formation of Geographic and comparative phylogenomic analysis of termite-associated Pseudoxylaria isolates (strains 1-7) and free-living Xylaria (strains [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. A Geographic origins of genome-sequenced free-living Xylaria and termite-associated Pseudoxylaria isolates, B phylogenomic placement based on single-copy ortholog protein sequences, and C comparison of genome assembly length, and numbers of predicted proteins per genome. ...
Characterizing ancient clades of fungal symbionts is necessary for understanding the evolutionary process underlying symbiosis development. In this study, we investigated a distinct subgeneric taxon of Xylaria (Xylariaceae), named Pseudoxylaria, whose members have solely been isolated from the fungus garden of farming termites. Pseudoxylaria are inconspicuously present in active fungus gardens of termite colonies and only emerge in the form of vegetative stromata, when the fungus comb is no longer attended (“sit and wait” strategy). Insights into the genomic and metabolic consequences of their association, however, have remained sparse. Capitalizing on viable Pseudoxylaria cultures from different termite colonies, we obtained genomes of seven and transcriptomes of two Pseudoxylaria isolates. Using a whole-genome-based comparison with free-living members of the genus Xylaria, we document that the association has been accompanied by significant reductions in genome size, protein-coding gene content, and reduced functional capacities related to oxidative lignin degradation, oxidative stress responses and secondary metabolite production. Functional studies based on growth assays and fungus-fungus co-cultivations, coupled with isotope fractionation analysis, showed that Pseudoxylaria only moderately antagonizes growth of the termite food fungus Termitomyces, and instead extracts nutrients from the food fungus biomass for its own growth. We also uncovered that Pseudoxylaria is still capable of producing structurally unique metabolites, which was exemplified by the isolation of two novel metabolites, and that the natural product repertoire correlated with antimicrobial and insect antifeedant activity.
... Poronia pileiformis (Berk.) Fr. was selected as an outgroup [30]. The sequences of ITS, RPB2, and β-tubulin were aligned separately using the MAFFT V.7 online server (https://mafft.cbrc.jp/alignment/server/, ...
Xylaria, a large and cosmopolitan genus of Ascomycota, plays an important ecological role in forest ecology as wood-decomposers, and serve as a source of bioactive secondary metabolites. The present work concerns a survey of Xylaria from Southwest China. Four new species of Xylaria with pale-colored ascospores associated with fallen fruits and seeds are described and illustrated based on morphological and phylogenetic evidences. The phylogeny inferred from a combined dataset of ITS-RPB2-β-tubulin sequences supports these four species as distinct species. The four new taxa, namely Xylariarogersii, X. schimicola, X. theaceicola, and X. wallichii, are compared and contrasted against morphologically similar species. A dichotomous identification key to all the accepted species of Xylaria associated with fallen fruits and seeds is given.
