Two new species of Acroconidiella from India I. B. Prasher* and R. K. Verma**

Abstract

Acroconidiella indica sp. nov. and A. manoharacharii sp. nov. are being described and illustrated from Solan
and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh respectively

Full text

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Two new species of Acroconidiella from India
I. B. Prasher* and R. K. Verma**
Department of Botany, Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory,
Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
Corresponding author:*chromista@yahoo.co.in **vermarajnish1985@gmail.com
| Received: 19 March 2015 | Accepted: 16 May 2015 |
ABSTRACT
Acroconidiella indica sp. nov. and A. manoharacharii sp. nov. are being described and illustrated from Solan
and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh respectively.
Key Words: Anamorphic fungi, Hyphomycetes, Taxonomy.
INTRODUCTION
Himachal Pradesh is a part of the Indian
Himalayas. It extends between 30°22’40” to
33°12’40” north latitudes and 75°45' 55" to 79°04'
20" east longitudes. The entire region of Himachal
Pradesh is hilly with the altitude ranging from 350
meters to 7000 meters above sea level. The state
encompasses unique vegetative communities and
floral assemblages that can be attributed to the wide
altitudinal gradient together with the local
alterations. Studies on the fungal diversity of
North–Western Himalayan ecosystem with
particular reference to Himachal Pradesh has been
mainly restricted to Myxomycetes (Thind 1977,
Lakhanpal & Mukerji 1981), Glomeromycota
(Prasher et al. 2004) Agaricomycetes (Prasher &
Ashok 2013, Ashok & Prasher 2014a, 2014b).
There are only few reports of Hyphomycetes from
this area (Bilgrami et al. 1991, Jamaluddin et al.
2004, Prasher & Verma 2012a, b, 2014a, b, Prasher
& Singh 2014a, Gautam 2014). The few records of
hyphomycetes described from this region pertain
primarily to the plant pathogenic fungi affecting the
crops (Bilgrami et al. 1991, Jamaluddin et al.
2004). This communication is in continuation with
earlier reports of Hyphomycetes from North India
and North- Western Himalayas (Prasher et al.
2008, Prasher and Kaur 2014, Prasher and Singh
2012, 2013, 2014b, Prasher and Verma 2014c,
2015a, 2015b, Prasher and Sushma 2014).
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Decaying culms, bark, twigs, fallen leaves and dead
wood were collected in ziplock plastic bags and
taken to the laboratory. The specimens were
mounted in 4% KOH, lactophenol and cotton blue
0.01% in lactophenol (Kirk et. al 2008). The
drawings of various structures like Conidia and
Conidiophores were made with the help of Camera
Lucida manufactured by “Irma” from slide mounts.
The specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of
Department of Botany, Panjab University,
Chandigarh, India (PAN).
RESULTS
Taxonomy
Acroconidiella indica I. B. Prasher and R. K.
Verma sp. nov. Fig. 1 A-C
MycoBank MB812609
Journal on New Biological Reports
JNBR 4(2) 111-114 (2015)
ISSN 2319 – 1104 (Online)
Published by
www.researchtrend.net

Prasher and Verma JNBR 4(2) 111 – 114 (2015)
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Colonies on natural substratum effuse, superficial
on the substratum forming large stromatoid masses,
made up of mycelium 3.2-6.4 µm wide, dark
brown, thick-walled, slightly roughened,
extensively branched (branches close), short celled,
bear erect vertical conidiophores. Conidiophores 8-
126×3.2-11.2 µm, brown, short or elongate,
cylindric, straight or slightly curved, septate, thick-
walled, pigmented opaque, with a swollen basal
cell, bear conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cell
is rachiform, pale brown to colorless, straight or
flexuous, geniculated, geniculations thickened and
minute, few (1-2), poroid. Conidia phaeo, ceteri,
phragmosporous, porosporous, acrogenous, 3.2-
33.6×1.6-10.3 µm, brown to dark brown, thick
walled, oval to elliptical or elongate, cylindrical,
straight or slightly curved, dry, (1-6 celled), with
transverse septa only, smooth, constricted at the
septum: septa thick walled, distinct, apical cell
round or sometimes pointed; basal cell more or less
triangular and narrowed towards the hilum; hilum
protruding, thickened. Germination of the conidia
starts in situ or on the substrate (after falling) by
short germ tube which bear secondary conidia on
them.
Etymology: the epithet refers to the country of
origin.
Known distribution: India
Material examined: India, Himachal Pradesh,
Solan on dead twigs of unidentified tree, 10
Febuary 2009, I. B. Prasher, PAN 30076
(Holotype).
Fig 1. A-C Acroconidiella indica A Conidiophore, conidiogenous cell and developing conidia B. Conidiophores
C. conidia. D, E, Acroconidiella manoharacharii Conidiophore with conidia E Conidia. Scale bar = 20 µm.

Prasher and Verma JNBR 4(2) 111 – 114 (2015)
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Table 1: Comparison of Acroconidiella spp.
Species
Conidiophore [µm]
Conidia
Reference
Size [µm]
No. of septa
A. eschscholtziae
Up to 85 long 5-8
thick
28-90×9-18
1-7 transverse
septa, 1-2
longitudinal septa
Ellis 1976
A. trisepta
Up to 140 long 4- 4.8
wide
22-27(-33)×8-10(-
12)
3 rarely 2
transverse septa
Muchovej 1980
A. tropaeoli
Up to 180 long 5-10
wide
30-50×15-27
1-3 mostly 2 septa
Lindquist and
Alippi 1964
A. indicus
8-126×3.2-11.2
3.2-33.6 × 1.6-10.3
0-5 transverse septa
Present study
A. manoharacharii
7.2-51×3.2-9.6
8-20×3.2-8
0-2 transverse
septa
Present study
Acroconidiella manoharacharii I. B. Prasher and
R. K. Verma sp. nov. Fig. 1 D- E
MycoBank MB812610
Colonies on natural substratum black, minute,
velvety, distributed throughout forming a scum.
Mycelium immersed in the substratum, composed
of branched, septate, brown, smooth-walled
hyphae. Conidiophores 7.2-51 × 3.2-9.6 µm,
branched, brown, short, cylindric, straight or
slightly curved, septate, with a swollen basal cell,
pigmented opaque, thick walled, bear an apical
conidiogenous cell. Conidiogenous cell is
rachiform, pale brown, straight or flexuous,
geniculated, geniculations thickened and minute,
few (1-2) poroid. Conidia phragmo, ceteri, phaeo,
porosporous, borne singly, 8-20 × 3.2-8.0 µm,
brown, thick walled, oval to elliptic, straight or
slightly curved, dry (1-3 celled) with transverse
septa, smooth, constricted at the septum; septa
thick walled, distinct; apical cell round or
occasionally pointed; basal cell more or less
triangular and narrowed towards the hilum; hilum
protruding thickened.
Etymology: In honor of Prof. C. Manoharachary
who has contributed immensely to the
understanding of anamorphic fungi.
Known distribution: India.
Material examined: India, Himachal Pradesh,
Shimla, Tara Devi, angiospermous sticks, 23
September 2010, I. B. Prasher, PAN 30077
(Holotype).
DISCUSSION
The genus is characterized by macronematous,
mononematous, simple or occasionally branched
conidiophores with integrated, terminal, polytretic
sympodial conidiogenous cell bearing solitary
ellipsoidal, septate echinulated conidia (Ellis 1971).
Three species of Acroconidiella have been reported
till to date (Lindquist and Alippi 1964, Ellis 1971,
1976 and Muchovej 1980). Both of the newly
described species viz. A. indicus and A.
manoharacharii differs from previously described
species in having non septate to septate conidia.
Acroconidiella manoharacharii has the smallest
conidia of all the species whereas A indicus differs
from A. manoharacharii in having 0-5 septate
conidia in comparison to 0-2 septate in the latter
(Table 1).
ACKOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are thankful to Ministry of
Environment and Forests, Government of India for
the financial assistance (vide letter No. 14/26/2008-
ERS/RE dt. 06. 07. 2010) and to UGC (SAP, DRS
III) and Chairperson Botany Department Panjab
University for providing infrastructural and
laboratory facilities.
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