TY  - JOUR
JO  - Ascomycete.org
JF  - Ascomycete.org
SN  - 2100-0840
PB  - Ascomycete.org
TI  - Xylaria melitensis (Xylariaceae), a new penzigioid species from the Maltese Islands
AU  - Fournier,Jacques
AU  - Lechat,Christian
AU  - Mifsud,Stephen
AU  - Sammut,Carmel
VL  - 13
IS  - 2
SP  - 59
EP  - 67
PY  - 2021
Y1  - 2021/03/20
DA  - 2021/03/20
DO  - 10.25664/art-0318
UR  - https://doi.org/10.25664/art-0318
AB  - Based on detailed morphological observations of both sexual and asexual morphs in vivo, cultures in vitro and molecular phylogenetic data based on rDNA ITS and LSU sequences, we document herein a penzigioid Xylaria repeatedly collected in the Maltese islands of Gozo and Malta. Though it morphologically resembles X. sibirica by stromatal habit and ascospores in the same size range with a long sigmoid germ slit, some significant differences could be detected after comparison of this Xylaria with an isotype collection of X. sibirica. Further differences in cultural characteristics and occurrence of a distinctive asexual morph in vivo preceding the development of the sexual morph, along with a molecular phylogenetic analysis clearly showing that they are distantly related, strongly support the recognition of this penzigioid Xylaria as a distinct species with phylogenetic affinities with the X. polymorpha aggregate. We therefore introduce X. melitensis sp. nov. to accommodate it.
ID  - AscoOrg-ID318
DB  - Ascomycete.org https://ascomycete.org
LA  - english
ER  -