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Title: Sphaerographium nyssicola Minnis, Rossman & D.F. Farr, sp. nov.

Author
item MINNIS, A.M. - Rutgers University
item Rossman, Amy
item FARR, D. - Retired ARS Employee
item Olsen, Richard

Submitted to: Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2010
Publication Date: 12/23/2010
Citation: Minnis, A., Rossman, A.Y., Farr, D., Olsen, R.T. 2010. Sphaerographium nyssicola Minnis, Rossman & D.F. Farr, sp. nov. Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi. 25:122-123.

Interpretive Summary: Knowledge of the fungi in the U.S. is essential for making effective plant quarantine decisions and preventing the entry of invasive species. Although fungi associated with plants are relatively well known in the U.S., many species have still to be discovered. In this research a new fungal species was discovered that was associated with black gum trees. It represents a fungal genus that was not known previously in this country. The new species is described, illustrated, and compared with related species. This research will be used by mycologists, plant pathologists, and plant quarantine officials to determine what fungi should be allowed entry into the U.S.

Technical Abstract: Sphaerographium Sacc. is a little known and rarely collected genus of coelomycetes. Recent work has reduced the number of known species that are correctly classified in the genus to three. A new species, S. nyssicola, is described and is the only species in the genus known from the U.S.A. An ITS sequences of S. nyssicola was deposited in GenBank as a DNA barcode. A Blast search of the ITS sequence data reveals an affinity with Chaetomella and Pilidium in the Leotiomycetes, Ascomycota. It is presumed that S. nyssicola and the genus in general are saprotrophic.