[ 160 ]

Trans. Brit. mycol. Soc. 44 (2) , 160-162 (196 1).

A NEW SPECIES OF ASPERGILLUS

By SU]AN SINGH AND B. K. BAKSHIForest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, India

(W ith 1 T ext-figure)

Aspergillus brunneo-uniseriatussp.nov., isolated from soil, is described.

During the study of fungi from soils beneath healthy and diseased shishamtre es (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. ), a new species of Aspergillus was isolated ondilution plates and established in pure culture.

Aspergillus brunneo-uniseriatus sp.nov. (Fig, I)Coloniae in agaro Czapek floccosae, albis, latere reverso 'light gr een yellow'* ad

'light viridine yellow', structuris sclerotio similibus pluribus; capitula conidialia 'lightmouse grey' ad 'violet grey', eonidiorum ea tenulis radiantibus, 159- 257 /-L . Conidio­phori hyalini, distincte septa ti, 252-504 x 4' 5-13'4/-L, parietibus levibus, hyalinis,0'5-1/-L crassis; vesiculae globosae, hyalinae, 9'9-19/-L ; sterigm ata uni seriata, hyalina,6' 1-12,8 x 4'9-6' 1/-L, ad api ces prolonga ta in tubum pallide vel alte brunneum, 6' 1­28·8 x 1'8-2'4/-L' supportantem conidiorum ca tenulis ad api cem superiorem. Conidiaglobosa, primo spinulosa, evadentia irregulariter verrucosa pro ccssibus hebetibus admaturitatem, catenulata, connectivis distinctis quae perstant conidio affixa, posteaquamconidium e eatenula separatur, ' deep olive buff', parietibus ' olive brown ' 6'1-12'2/-L'

Species ha ec nova distinguitur conid iophoris levibus, hyalinis et septa tis, capitulisradiatis et brunneo-griseis, sterigmatibus uniseriatis, conidiis asperis.

T ypu s. Cultura in tuba, No. S20 , in Culture Collection of Forest Pathology Branch,Forest R esearch Institute, Dehra Dun, India, deposita est.

Colonies on Czapek's agar fast growing, radial growth 2'7 em. in 7 daysat 25° C., floccose, consisting of cottony-woolly mycelium, turning woollywith age, snow-white with interspersed greyish conidial heads, reverse' light-green yellow' to ' light viridine yellow', white sclerotia-like struc­tures abundant. On malt agar fast growing, radial growth 2'5 em. in7 days, floccose with thin cottony mycelium, white with interspersedgreyish conidial heads, reverse unchanged, white sclerotia-like structuresabundant; conidial heads 'light mouse grey' to 'mouse grey ' to 'violetgrey' with radiating chains of conidia, 159-257 fL; conidiophores hyaline,distinctly septate, 252-504 x 4'5-13'4fL, wall smooth, hyaline, 0'5-1fLthick; vesiclesglobose, hyaline, 9'9- 19'9 fL; sterigmata in one series, hyaline,6'1-12·8 x 4'9-6'lfL, prolonged at the apex into light brown to deepbrown, 6·1-28,8 x I '8-2'4fL' tube bearing conidial chains at its upper end;conidia globose, spinulose when young, becoming irregularly warty withblunt processes with age, formed in chains with distinct connective whichpersists for some time on the conidium after the latter's detachment fromthe chain, ' deep olive buff', wall 'olive brown', 6'1-12'2fL' White masses

* Colours referred to are taken from Ridgway (1912).

Aspergillus brunneo-uniseriatus. S. Singh and B. K. Bakshi 161

of vesicular hyphae suggesting the formation of sclerotia abundant in oldcultures. Superficially they suggest the possibility of potential peritheciabut no sign of ascospores has been found.

The brownish grey colour and radiate nature of conidial heads suggestthe inclusion of the present species in Aspergillus ustus group but it differsfrom it in having uniseriate sterigmata and unpigmented conidiophores.Uniseriate sterigmata are found in the A. glaucus, A. fumigatus and A.restrictus groups. Septate conidiophores are found only in the A. glaucusgroup (Thorn & Raper, 1945)' But there is little in general pattern of

Fig. I. Aspergillus brunneo-uniseriatus. I, Conidial head with uniseriate sterigmata (8), conidia (C)and septate stalk with foot cell (F) (x 1500). 2, Conidial chain (x 1500). 3, Conidia(x 1500).

the heads, shape and size of conidia and the colour of colonies to suggestthe inclusion of this species in the above group. Hence it is described asnew.

A culture was sent to Dr Kenneth B. Raper who replied as follows:'This is quite unlike any Aspergillus that I have seen. The conidia and theradiate heads are suggestive of A. ustus but there is only a single series ofsterigmata and the conidiophores are not pigmented. The masses ofvesicular hyphae superficially suggest the possible potential of perithecia,but no sign of ascospores has been seen. There is little in the general

II Myc.44

162 Transactions British Mycological Societypattern of the heads to suggest the A . glaucus or A. fumigatus groups withuniseriate sterigmata. This, I believe, represents a new species.'

Our sincere thanks are due to Dr K. B. Raper for his invaluable adviceand to ~ev. Dr H. Santapau for rendering the Latin diagnosis of thenew species.

REFERENCES

RIDGWAY, R . (1912). Color standards and coLor nomenclature. Washington.THOM, C. & RAPER, K. B. (1945). A manual cif the Aspergilli. Baltimore.

(AcceptedfoT publication 2 May 1960)