Barr, M. E. 2009. A Nomenclator of Loculoascomycetous Fungi from the Pacific Northwest. North American Fungi 4(1): 1-94. Published May 14, 2009 [file size: 667 kb]

doi: 10.2509/naf2009.004.001

Numerous taxa are included in bitunicate ascomycetes (Loculoascomycetes, Bitunicatae). Their asci are typically but not invariably fissitunicate. In the present listing most of the taxa are arranged under the Dothideomycetes. Lesser numbers of species fall into the family Herpotrichiellaceae of Chaetothyriales, Chaetothyriomycetes. The listing is based upon sources in the literature as well as on specimens examined. Approximately 620 species epithets assigned to 160 genera are included in the following list. A few of the species inserted here belong in unitunicate genera and are designated by an asterisk (*) but otherwise are not treated in detail. Other species mentioned are insufficiently known to dispose with precision.

Ewald, O. M . 2009. Using Latin in diagnoses: a guide for the perplexed. North American Fungi 4(2): 1-9. Published July 30, 2009 [file size: 156 kb]

doi: 10.2509/naf2009.004.002

This article describes how diagnoses of new fungal species are composed by using correct Latin. It includes information on how to use the Latin forms correctly, especially how to make adjectives modify nouns, and how to handle differential diagnoses and chemical reactions. Finally, this article offers advice on style and on how to structure a diagnosis for clarity and concision.

Carmona, A., J. Fournier, C. Williams, and M. Piepenbring. 2009. New records of Xylariaceae from Panama. North American Fungi 4(3): 1-11. Published September 5, 2009 [file size: 781 kb]

doi: 10.2509/naf2009.004.003

Twenty-two species of Xylariaceae (Xylariales, Ascomycota) are presented as new records for Panama based on specimens recently collected in this country in Southern Central America: Annulohypoxylon multiforme, A. truncatum, Biscogniauxia capnodes, B . philippinensis, Camillea stellata, Daldinia placentiformis, D. steglichii, Hypoxylon anthochroum, H. crocopeplum, H. fendleri, H. investiens, H. lividipigmentum, Kretzschmaria pavimentosa, K. sandvicensis , Nemania inmersidiscus, Poronia oedipus, Whalleya microplaca, Xylaria anisopleura, X. enteroleuca, X. fissilis, X. gracillima and X. schweinitzii. The number of species of Xylariaceae known for Panama thereby increases from 54 to 76 species. Some other collections correspond to new records in different provinces of Panama. Most species are rather common mostly in tropical and subtropical latitudes. Daldinia steglichii, however, is up to now only known for India and Papua New Guinea, Hypoxylon lividipigmentum only for Venezuela and Mexico, Nemania immersidiscus only for Guyana, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii and Whalleya microplaca is only known from China, Mauritius, the Philippines, the USA and Taiwan. Camillea stellata was recently (1989) described from Peru and since this date collected in Ecuador and Brazil. As Panama is located in a hotspot of biodiversity, many more species are still waiting for discovery.

McCune, B., E. Holt, P. Neitlich, T. Ahti, and R. Rosentreter. 2009. Macrolichen Diversity in Noatak National Preserve, Alaska. North American Fungi 4(4):1-22. Published September 8, 2009 [file size: 408 kb]

doi: 10.2509/naf2009.004.004

We sampled macrolichens in Noatak National Preserve to help address the need to document lichen biodiversity in Arctic ecosystems and to initiate regional-scale monitoring in the face of climate change and air pollution. We used a stratified random sample to allow unbiased park-wide diversity estimates, along with an intensive sample in a limited area. The purpose of the intensive sample was to allow us to calculate a correction from diversity estimates based on a single person in a time-constrained method to a value that more closely approximates the “true” diversity of a plot. Our 88, 0.38-ha plots averaged 26 species of macrolichens in the sample, while our best estimate of the true average was 42 species per plot. Our raw estimate of gamma diversity (park-wide macrolichen species richness) was 209 species, with jackknife estimates adjusting this to 255 or 290 species, depending on the estimator. Overall beta diversity was rather high at 7.1, reflecting the considerable variation in lichen communities among topographic positions, rock chemistry, substrate pH, climate, and vegetation. The richest lichen communities were in conifer forests, low birch/ericaceous vegetation, dwarf shrub, and talus lichen cover. Sparse vegetation was the cover type with lowest lichen species richness, reflecting the frequency of bare rock in that cover type. The herbaceous cover type was the most heterogeneous in lichen communities, having a high gamma diversity, high beta diversity, but averaging rather low alpha diversity. Several notable species are among the 364 taxa reported here. Leucocarpia biatorella is reported as new to the American Arctic. Cladonia libifera and C. jacutica are newly reported for North America. A second location for Rhizocarpon cumulatum beyond the type locality was found. The range of Parmelia squarrosa is extended ca. 1500 km north of coastal southeast Alaska. The high landscape-level diversity and high beta diversity in Noatak National Preserve provide a rich biotic tapestry for detecting future changes in macrolichen communities.

McCune, B. and J. Stone. 2009. Leightoniomyces phillipsii, a synnematous soil-dwelling hyphomycete new to North America. North American Fungi 4(5):1-4. Published September 18, 2009 [file size: 1325 kb]

doi: 10.2509/naf2009.004.005

The synnematous hyphomycete Leightoniomyces phillipsii is reported as new to North America, based on a soil-dwelling specimen from Oregon, U.S.A. The species forms minute stalked spherical capitula resembling calicioid fungi.

Worapong, J., J. Sun, and G. Newcombe. 2009. First report of Myrothecium roridum from a gymnosperm. North American Fungi 4(6):1-6. Published November 5, 2009 [file size: 508 kb]

doi: 10.2509/naf2009.004.006

Although Myrothecium roridum has been reported as a pathogen and an endophyte with a wide host range among Angiosperms, it has never before been reported from a gymnosperm host. Reports of this fungus are also much more common in Asia than in North America where M. roridum is infrequently found on introduced plants in the warmer, southernmost parts of the United States. Thus, it was surprising on three levels to isolate endophytic M. roridum from a North American native gymnosperm, Pinus albicaulis, at high elevation in Crater Lake National Park (CLNP) in Oregon. In PDA culture, its olive green conidia were 6-8 µm long (mean of 6.8) × 2 µm wide, and cylindrical with rounded ends. Conidia formed dark green to black masses on sessile sporodochia in concentric zones. The sequence identity of the ITS1, ITS2 and the 5.8S rRNA of CLNP isolate RV10#75 (GenBank accession GQ152603) with deposited sequences of M. roridum in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database was 99.82%. The conservation implications of this finding are discussed.

Nakasone, K. K. 2009. Morphological studies of Dendrothele species from North America. North American Fungi 4(7):1-15. Published December 11, 2009 [file size: 1673 kb]

doi: 10.2509/naf2009.004.007

The new species Dendrothele gilbertsonii, from southern Arizona, is distinct from Dendrothele incrustans and Dendrothele microspora that also have globose to subglobose basidiospores. Dendrothele pachysterigmata, with 2–4 sterigmate basidia, is compared to Dendrothele commixta, which has 2–3 sterigmate basidia. All five species are described and illustrated.

Newcombe, G., R. Gaylord, J. P. Yenish, J. Mastrogiuseppe, and F. M. Dugan. 2009. New records for pathogenic fungi on weedy or non-indigenous plants. North American Fungi 4(8): 1-12. Published December 14, 2009 [file size: 2424 kb]

doi: 10.2509/naf2009.004.008

A rust fungus, Puccinia jaceae, is reported for the first time in the United States on spotted knapweed, Centaurea stoebe. Powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis) of bulbous bluegrass, Poa bulbosa, is reported for the first time in western North America. Ramularia nivosa on Penstemon palmeri, Albugo candida on Lunaria annua, and Pucciniastrum pustulatum on Epilobium brachycarpum, are reported for the first time from Idaho. A Golovinomyces sp. on Verbena bonariensis is reported for the first time from Washington State. The basis for diagnosis for each disease is reported, accompanied by photomicrographs of the fungal pathogens, photographs of some of the diseases, and discussion of the implications of the findings.