Sporidesmium binserum sp. nov. from Binser forest of Almora, Himalaya, India

A new and interesting species of Sporidesmium was discovered during a survey of plant debris inhibiting litter decomposing microfungi in Binser forest, Almora, Uttarakhand, India. This new species, Sporidesmium binserum sp. nov., a dematiaceous hyphomycete was found on decaying leaf litter of the host plant Quercus leucotrichophora (oak). The key features of special interest that distinguish it from other morphologically similar species of Sporidesmium are macronematous, mononematous, percurrent proliferations towards the end in the flexuous multiseptate conidiophores with obtuse tip having distinctively curved, fusiform to subfusiform, 3-septate conidia, consist of 3 cells, second cell dark brown with slightly or distinctly constricted at the septa, tip cell of conidia highly curved and/or twisted, mostly flat and conic-truncated ends at base due to schizolytic secession. The conidial maturation is presumably synchronous with conidial ontogeny. Based on these features, the specimen is proposed here as a new species. Apart from it, a note on the current status of Sporidesmium sensu lato in India is also provided. © 2018, Indian Phytopathological Society.