Arecophila clypeata Q. R. Li, J. C. Kang & K. D. Hyde

Arecophila clypeata Q. R. Li, J. C. Kang & K. D. Hyde MycoKeys 88: 135 (2022) Fig. 3 Description. Saprobic on dead culms of bamboo hosts. Sexual morph. Ascomata 200–260 μm × 300–325 μm (x ̄ = 230 × 320 μm, n = 5), immersed under a black clypeus, slightly raised, dome-shaped areas, blackened, scattered or gregarious, globose to subglobose, uniloculate or multiloculate with a central, erumpent, cone-shaped papillae in vertical section. Ostioles 60–65 μm × 45–55 μm (x ̄ = 63 × 51 μm, n = 5), papillate, with hyaline periphyses, black peridium. Peridium 30–40 μm wide (x ̄ = 35 μm, n = 5), comprising several layers, outer layer brown, composed of thick-walled cells of textura angularis and inner layer hyaline, arrange with cells of textura prismatica. Paraphyses 2–5 μm wide (x ̄ = 3 μm, n = 10), hyaline, unbranched, cellular, aseptate. Asci 150–230 × 11–13 μm (x ̄ = 185 × 12 μm, n = 20), 8 - spored, cellular, long-cylindrical, short-pedicellate, apically rounded, with trapezoidal, J +, apical ring. Ascospores 18–25 × 6–10 μm (x ̄ = 22 × 8 μm, n = 5), overlapping, uniseriate, ellipsoidal, 2 - celled, guttulate, hyaline to golden brown, constricted at the septum, weakly sulcate striations along the entire length of mature spore, surrounded by a thick mucilaginous sheath in immature and thin mucilaginous sheath in mature. Asexual morph. Unknown. Culture characteristics. Colonies on PDA, reaching 25–30 mm diameter after one week at 25 ° C, white, cottony flat, low, dense, uneven margin. Reverse light brownish at the center and whitish edges. Material examined. • China, Yunnan Province, Mile City, Xiyizhen (24.4930°N, 103.3050°E, 1950 m a. s. l.), on dead culms of a bamboo host, 29 May 2021, Gao Yin, GYXG 22-11 (HKAS 130466), living culture, KUNCC 23-15549. ibid. GYXG 22-11 A (HKAS 130467), living culture, KUNCC 23-15550. Additional GenBank accession numbers. btub = PX 716850, PX 716851. Note. Our newly collected strains (HKAS 130466 and HKAS 130467) are morphologically identical to Arecophila clypeata by their globose to subglobose, cone-shaped papillate ascomata, hyaline, unbranched paraphyses, long-cylindrical, short-pedicellate asci with J +, apical ring and 1 - septate, pale brown to brown, ascospores surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath (Li et al. 2022). However, we noted aseptate paraphyses in our collection whereas septate paraphyses in the holotype (GZUCC 0110) (Li et al. 2022). According to the phylogenetic analysis, our two strains are nested together with Arecophila clypeata (GZUCC 0110 and GZUCC 0127) without significant statistical support. Comparison of nucleotide differences between these isolates and the Ar. clypeata are not showing any differences. Therefore, we recognize our new collections as conspecific with Arecophila clypeata.