Syncephalastrum irregulare (Mucorales, Mucoromycota) – a new endophytic species from Brazil

André Luiz Cabral Monteiro de Azevedo Santiago, Diogo Xavier Lima, Karla Torres Lins de Souza Freire, Thuong Thuong Thi Nguyen, Hyang Burm Lee, Cristina Maria de Souza-Motta, Thalline Rafhaella Leite Cordeiro, Mateus Oliveira da Cruz & Jadson Diogo Pereira Bezerra

Sydowia 76: 1-10

Published online on July 17th, 2023

During an investigation of endophytic fungi associated with the leaves of Tillandsia catimbauensis (Bromeliaceae) in Brazil, we obtained two endophytic Syncephalastrum isolates (URM 8356 and KF360). Based on molecular data (ITS and LSU rDNA sequences), they were recognized as a unique lineage of Syncephalastrum that differs from all other known species of this genus. Morphologically, the new species is quite different from the other four Syncephalastrum species in concomitantly forming merosporangiophores with bizarre, irregular-shaped vesicles and merosporangia with up to 20 merospores each, which were commonly globose or subglobose, elliptical, and oblong with a few being more dilated at one end. Based on phylogenetic and morphological evidences, a new species of Syncephalastrum is hereby proposed.

Keywords: endophytes, phylogeny, Syncephalastraceae, taxonomy

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