Phytotaxa

An entomogenous taxon, associated with larvae of Phassus nodus (Hepialidae) collected from Xuefeng Mountains, Hunan Province, China, was found to be a new species, Ophiocordyceps xuefengensis sp. nov. It differs from similar species in having long stromata, without a sterile apex, narrow asci, long ascospores and by its occurrence on Phassus nodus in living root or trunk of Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum. Combined sequence data from the 5.8S-ITS rDNA, nrSSU, EF-1α, and RPB1 gene loci also confirmed the distinctiveness of this new species. It is presently the world’s largest known Cordyceps sensu lato species. 

The new species Asterochloris sejongensis sp. nov. has been collected from four localities of King George Island, Antarctica, and is described as a phycobiont of the lichen species Cladonia pyxidata and Sphaerophorus globosus. This discovery is based on morphological and molecular data obtained using light microscopy, confocal laser microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and two molecular markers; nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA and actin genes. This species is characterized by five unique hemi-CBCs in the nuclear ITS transcripts, deeply lobed and echinulate chloroplasts (depending on the life stage), and two rows of pyrenoglobuli associated with two thylakoid envelopes. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of the ITS and actin gene sequences indicated that this new species is closely related to A. woessiae and forms a distinct well-supported lineage with the genus.

We have counted the currently known, described and accepted number of plant species as ca 374,000, of which approximately 308,312 are vascular plants, with 295,383 flowering plants (angiosperms; monocots: 74,273; eudicots: 210,008). Global numbers of smaller plant groups are as follows: algae ca 44,000, liverworts ca 9,000, hornworts ca 225, mosses 12,700, lycopods 1,290, ferns 10,560 and gymnosperms 1,079. Phytotaxa is currently contributing more than a quarter of the ca 2000 species that are described every year, showing that it has become a major contributor to the dissemination of new species discovery. However, the rate of discovery is slowing down, due to reduction in financial and scientific support for fundamental natural history studies.

Among the tropical woody bamboos, the Melocanninae is one of the most clearly recognized subtribes morphologically and has also been consistently well delimited in molecular phylogenetic work. The relationships among those genera in this subtribe, however, have been contentious because of poorly understood generic delimitations, in part due to poor specimen material or insufficiently assessed morphological traits, sometimes exacerbated by poorly accessible provenances. We address the phylogenetic and taxonomic status of two groups which together include the largest number of species in this subtribe: the Neohouzeaua-Schizostachyum complex, distributed from India to South China, Southeast Asia and southwest Pacific, and the endemic Indian genus Ochlandra. Three Neohouzeaua species (including the generic type), 12 Schizostachyum species (including the generic type and several species of uncertain placement), together with five species of Ochlandra and representatives of Cephalostachyum, Melocanna and Pseudostachyum were assessed in a molecular phylogenetic analysis together with members of other well-distinguished subtribes. Members of Neohouzeaua and Schizostachyum align into two main groups that were not completely well-supported statistically but which members possess mostly reflexed culm leaf blades, or mostly erect culm leaf blades. Other characters which provide obvious differences between taxa, such as the number of flowers in a pseudospikelet, fusion of filaments into a staminal tube, and presence of lodicules, were inconsistent between these groups. Neohouzeaua and Schizostachyum cannot be clearly distinguished in either morphological or molecular terms, and thus are united under the latter name, which takes precedence. In reviewing names in Neohouzeaua and their basionyms, several lectotypifications are designated. Three new combinations in Schizostachyum are proposed. On the other hand, Ochlandra forms a distinct clade and its monophyly is demonstrated, supported by clear morphological characters.

Hypnea musciformis is a red macroalgal species with economic importance as a source for production of carrageenan. Recent phylogeographic studies revealed a hidden diversity of cryptic species, putting in check its cosmopolitan distribution. The DNA barcode marker COI-5P and plastid rbcL, in addition to morphological studies, were used to investigate the species in this complex and to compare them with specimens from other countries including the type locality in Italy. The divergences between sequences within the H. musciformis complex were significantly high for both markers. Based on these analyses two new species are described, Hypnea caraibica Nauer, Cassano & M.C. Oliveira sp. nov. and Hypnea schneideri Nauer, Cassano & M.C. Oliveira sp. nov. Hypnea caraibica seems to be a common, widespread species in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean and was recently introduced into Hawaii. This species was unnoticed due to lack of phylogeographic studies in the region. Hypnea schneideri seems to be more geographically restricted, but further surveys are needed to understand the distribution of this species. Because the identification of Hypnea species is complicated by their relatively simple and plastic morphology, DNA barcoding surveys and other molecular studies are essential to uncover hidden biodiversity in the genus and to supplement traditional studies based on morphology.

Two new species of the red algal genus Hypnea (Gigartinales) are described for the southeastern coast of Brazil based on three molecular markers (COI-5P, rbcL and UPA), detailed morphological analysis, and comparison with closely related species. These species were named H. wynnei Nauer, Cassano & M.C. Oliveira and H. yokoyana Nauer, Cassano & M.C. Oliveira. Hypnea wynnei is characterized primarily by its reduced size, sub-erect tufts with few lateral branches and entangled basal portion, a thallus that is flattened only at the apical portions, and tetrasporangial sori developed only at apical portions of the branchlets. Hypnea yokoyana is characterized by its larger thallus, profuse branching, entirely terete axes, larger diameter of the main axes, and lack of entangling at its base. The molecular data support the conclusion that H. wynnei and H. yokoyana are distinct from other Hypnea species and are distantly related to Hypnea from the Brazilian coast.

Among the ten species currently accepted in the genus Calliblepharis, the only representative in the Western Atlantic is C. occidentalis. The endemic Brazilian species C. jolyi was merged into Craspedocarpus, but its generic placement is unclear. Because some species superficially resemble flat Hypnea, our knowledge about the diversity and distribution of Calliblepharis could be incomplete. Therefore, to reassess species diversity of Calliblepharis in Brazil, we carried out an rbcL-based molecular survey of specimens collected along the Brazilian coast, including the type locality of C. jolyi (State of Espírito Santo). Molecular analysis of topotypes supported the reinstatement of Calliblepharis jolyi. This species was placed within Calliblepharis sensu lato in a fully supported clade with C. fimbriata, C. occidentalis, C. rammediorum and Calliblepharis sp. Calliblepharis jolyi is easily distinguished from its congeners by the presence of conspicuous lenticular thickenings. A new record of C. saidana, a species so far known only from the Indo-Pacific, was also revealed for the Atlantic Ocean. Samples collected in São Paulo were grouped with C. saidana from Japan (type locality) with rbcL intraspecific divergence of 0.8%. Taken together, our results provide a better understanding of flat Cystocloniaceae, focusing on Brazilian members and their affinities with other species. Our study call attention to the importance of a molecular approach in specimens from type localities, using information of the original descriptions to define their taxonomic status.