Trinacrium anchorum, a new hyphomycetous fungus from Pakistan

Abstract

Trinacrium anchorum sp. nov. is recorded from the branches of Vitis trifolia L., a member of the family Vitaceae. This plant was climbing over the building of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan. This fungus is different from all the previously described species, having bigger and definitely T-shaped conidia with gradually narrowing arms, bending down towards the main axis. The conidia of this species of Trinacrium are similar to an anchor; hence it is named ‘anchorum’.

Full text

Trinacrium anchorum, a new hyphomycetous fungus from Pakistan
Kishwar Sultana
a
, M. Umar Shahbaz
b
*, M. Irfan Ul-Haque
c
and Gulshan Irshad
c
a
Institute of Natural and Management Sciences (INAM), Rawalpindi, Pakistan;
b
Pulses Research Institute, AARI Faisalabad,
Pakistan;
c
PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
(Received 19 December 2013; final version received 1 March 2014)
Trinacrium anchorum sp. nov. is recorded from the branches of Vitis trifolia L., a member of the family Vitaceae. This
plant was climbing over the building of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan. This fungus
is different from all the previously described species, having bigger and definitely T-shaped conidia with gradually nar-
rowing arms, bending down towards the main axis. The conidia of this species of Trinacrium are similar to an anchor;
hence it is named ‘anchorum’.
Keywords: fungi; hyphomycetes; Trinacrium;Vitis vinifera
Introduction
Most of the hyphomycetous fungi bearing branched con-
idia grow on the bark of high-altitude trees as parasites
as well as saprophytes during the rainy season. Their
conidia/spores are washed away with rainwater and
gather in foam near stream banks where they have been
recorded as aquatic hyphomycetes. Some Trinacrium
species were recorded from decomposing woody material
as submerged litter. Many were collected from the trees.
Trinacrium incurvum (Matsushima 1993) was iso-
lated from submerged twig litter from the River Monanti
in Peru. It was isolated and studied from submerged
leaves in Puerto Rico by Santos-Flores and Betancourt-
López (1997); also Sati et al. (2002) collected it from
Snow View stream on decaying submerged leaf litter of
Myrsine semiserrata and in water foam from Niglat.
Fiuza and Gusmao (2013) isolated it from samples of
foam and submerged leaves collected in water bodies.
Most of the species are found in rainwater from living
trees (Gönczöl and Révay 2003) semi-arid and less semi-
arid conditions also favour its growth.
Materials and methods
Collection and incubation
One-year-old dead branches of Vitis trifolia L. were
collected during the rainy season in July 2010 (Arid PP
No. 29), during which time rain continued for 2 weeks.
The branches were brought into the laboratory and 2.5–
5-cm lengths of branch were plated on a thin layer of
Potato Dextrose Agar medium under aseptic conditions
and kept in the laboratory at room temperature (28–
30°C). After 5 days the plates were examined and tri-
radiate conidia were observed. The measurements were
recorded under an oil emersion lens of Nikon
microscopes (NIKON-200 and Nikon Eclipse 80i).
The holotype is deposited in the Mycological
Herbarium of the Pakistan Museum of Natural History
(PMNH), Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad,
Pakistan.
Trinacrium anchorum Kishwar Sultana, M. Umar
Shahbaz, M. Irfan Ul-Haque & Gulshan Irshad, sp. nov.
(Figures 1,2)
Diagnosis
Coloniae effusae, hyphis hyalinae cum obscure septatis,
1–2μm crassis. Conidiophora micronemata, monone-
mata, repentia. Cellulae conidiogenae ex conidiophorus
lateraliter vel termilnaliter, ascendentes, determinatae vel
apices, sympodialiter, polyblasticae, hyalinae. Conidia T-
formia, axe caule et 2 ramis, aequales, 3–5 septatus,
15 × 5 μm cum apicem inclinans, vel (ad occidentem ver-
sus apicem axis curvi) composite, hyaline; axis clavatus,
6–7 septatus, 25–28 × 6 μm, et septa constrictis.
Type: Accession No. 12,768 (holo: PMNH).
Description
Colonies effuse on culms, punctiform, setae and
hyphopodia absent. Conidiophores micronematous,
mononematous, lateral. Conidiogenous cells sympodial,
polyblastic, hyaline. Conidia tri-radiate, T-form, hyaline,
smooth, consisting of longer main stem erect, clavate
comparatively longer 6–7 septate, 25–28 × 6 μm; tapering
downward to 1–2μm, transverse opposite arms almost
equal and perpendicular to its erect arm, 3–5 septate,
*Corresponding author. Email: umar739@yahoo.com
© 2014 Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze
Webbia: Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography, 2014
Vol. 69, No. 1, 75–77, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00837792.2014.900912

15 × 5 μm, gradually narrowing to 1–2μm at their tips and
slightly bending down.
Discussion
The already described Trinacrium species have more or
less Y-shaped conidia, such as Trinacrium subtile with the
main axis with two or three arms (Charmichael et al.
1980); T. subtile,Trinacrium gracile,Trinacrium
parvisporum and Trinacrium inaequiramiferum have
obscure septation described by Matsushima (1975). The
variety and relatively great abundance of conidia belong-
ing to different species of Trinacrium occurring in
rainwater from living trees and tree-holes in Hungary
throughout the year was described by Gönczöl and Révay
(2003,2004). Magyar et al. (2005) studied this genus and
identified three species plus a fourth that was not named.
Conidia of Trinacrium, namely T. parvisporum,
Trimacrium robustum and T. subtile were identified,
though with some doubts. Most other conidia, however,
could only be identified to genus.
These findings support the theory that most conidia
of this genus are found throughout the year in rainwa-
ter and on bark of living trees; conidia of such fungi
that are washed with rainwater and then found in the
foam of different streams are usually referred to as
aquatic hyphomycetes. The T-shaped conidia of this
genus are rare. In the present species, as is clear from
the figures (Figures 1,2), has tri-radiate conidia that
are more or less T-shaped; main axis longer like other
species. Comparison of present species with T. incurvum
studied by Santos-Flores and Betancourt-López (1997);
Figure 1. Conidia stained with Lactophenol with cotton-blue; Bar 10 μ.
Figure 2. Diagrammatic presentation of conidia.
76 K. Sultana et al.

Sati et al. (2002) and Fiuza and Gusmao (2013)is
given in Table 1. It is a water-loving fungus because it
was collected when the rain continued for 2 weeks and
its fungus species are of aquatic habitat. It is a new
record from Pakistan.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Prof. Dr Rauf Chaudhary, Prof. Dr
S.C. Sati, Patrícia Oliveira Fiuza and Douglas Parreira for pro-
viding literature on Trinacrium. Thanks also to Magyar and
Révay for sending their papers.
References
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Table 1. Comparative measurements of conidia T. incurvum and T. anchorum.
Characters
Santos-Flores and
Betancourt-López (1997)
(T. incurvum)
Sati et al. (2002)
(T. incurvum)
Fiuza and Gusmao (2013)
(T. incurvum)
Present species
T. anchorum
Main axis 23–28 × 3.5–4.5 μm35–38 × 5–7μm32–36 × 4.5–6μm25–28 × 6 μm
Septa of main
axis
3–43–43–46–7
Transverse
opposite arms
6–14 × 3-4.5 μm (Tapering
towards apex and curved
at the sub-apical region;
named appendages)
12–20 × 4–6μm (Tapering
towards tips and slightly
curved at sub-apical
region; named arms)
18.5–20 × 4.5 μm (Curved
branches bending towards
axis; named branches)
15 × 5 μm (Gradually
narrowing to 1–2μand slightly
binding down; named
transverse opposite arms)
Septa of arms 0–22–33–43
–5
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