Lectotypification, epitypification, and molecular phylogeny of the synnematous hyphomycete Pseudogliophragma indicum, the second genus in the Wiesneriomycetaceae

Abstract

The hyphomycete Pseudogliophragma indicum produces loosely constructed and often frayed synnemata, with a brown stipe and a divergent capitulum with monoblastic conidiogenous cells and deeply constricted phragmoconidia. Ramaraomyces corticola was described nine years after Ps. indicum with very similar micro-morphological characters. Both genera are monotypic. The holotype of Ps. indicum is depauperate. We re-collected Ps. indicum near the type locality. In this paper, we lectotypify the genus and species with the original illustration, and epitypify the species with a new specimen. An ex-epitype culture was derived from the epitype specimen and used to sequence regions of the nuclear RNA operon to determine the phylogenetic relationships of the species. The fungus belongs to the recently described family Wiesneriomycetaceae in the Tubeufiales, forming a sister group with the sporodochial, slimy spored genus Wiesneriomyces. We clarify the generic concept of Pseudogliophragma, propose Ramaraomyces as a synonym, and provide a new description and illustration. Wiesneriomyces laurinus is reported for the first time from Canada.