Raghukumaria
Raghukumaria Devadatha, V.V Sarma et E.B.G Jones, in Jones et al., Bot. Mar. 63(2): 163 (2019) [2020].
Index Fungorum number: IF 829062; Facesoffungi number: FoF 08384, 1 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2021), 1 species with molecular data.
Saprobic on decayed mangrove wood. Sexual morph: Ascomata globose to oval, gregarious, immersed, erumpent, dark brown to black, coriaceous, periphyses absent, short papillate, ostiolate, hyphae-like setae arise from apical and basal parts of ascomata. Peridium one-layered, composed of hyaline to dark brown layers of irregular to polygonal thick-walled cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium composed of cellular pseudoparaphyses, septate, anastomosing above the asci. Asci 8-spored, thick-walled, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical to clavate, with a short, thick, furcate pedicel and with an apical chamber. Ascospores uniseriate to biseriate, broadly fusiform with narrowly rounded ends, straight to slightly curved, hyaline, thick-walled, transverse septate, phragmosporous, slightly constricted at the median septum, the upper half broader than the lower one, rough-walled, slightly verruculose. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Jones et al. 2019).
Type species: Raghukumaria keshaphalae Devadatha, V.V. Sarma & E.B.G. Jones
Notes: Raghukumaria is characterised by immersed, erumpent, dark brown to black, cylindrical to clavate asci, and broadly fusiform ascospores with narrowly rounded ends. Raghukumaria resembles Halomassarina and Falciformispora in having aggregate, erumpent, globose to ovoid, brown to black, short papillate ascomata, hamathecium containing cellular pseudoparaphyses, and ascospores that are hyaline, fusiform and transversely septate (Suetrong et al. 2009, 2011). Raghukumaria differs from Halomassarina and Falciformispora in having immersed ascomata, without clypeus and periphyses, covered by hyphae-like setae, and ascospores that are broadly fusiform with narrowly rounded ends, rough-walled slightly verruculose and lack globules, appendages or gelatinous sheaths (Jones et al. 2019). Raghukumaria has also been compared to Trematosphaeria in having similar ascomata and asci characters but Trematosphaeria lacks hyphae-like setae on the ascomata and has brown to dark brown ascospores when compared to Raghukumaria (Suetrong et al. 2011). Raghukumaria also resembles Quintaria, a polyphyletic genus, in having hyaline, fusiform, transverse septate ascospores lacking a sheath and appendages but differs in having an erumpent, coriaceous, short papillate ascomata enclosed by hyphae-like setae (Kohlmeyer & Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, 1991, Jones et al. 2009) while Raghukumaria has entirely immersed, obpyriform, carbonaceous ascomata with black deposits covering the sides of the ascomata Raghukumaria share similarities with other genera such as Morosphaeria and Farasanispora but can be differentiated based on DNA sequence data. Raghukumaria is accommodated in Trematosphaeriaceae based on morphology and DNA sequence data and is a well-supported genus within the family. Molecular markers available for Raghukumaria are ITS, LSU, SSU, TEF-1α and RPB2.
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