Fungi associated with seagrass Enhalus acoroides in Puttalam Lagoon, Sri Lanka: Discovery of two new species (Neodevriesia zeylanica and Neooccultibambusa zeylanica (Dothideomycet.es)) and taxonomic validation of Halophilomyces (Sordariomycetes)

During our ongoing research on seagrass-associated fungi in Kalpitiya, Puttalam Lagoon, Sri Lanka, ten endophytic fungal strains have been isolated from healthy leaves, roots, and rhizomes of Enhalus acoroides. A surface sterilization method was used for the isolation of fungi. Pure cultures obtained were induced to sporulate. Phylogenetic analyses based on multi-gene regions (ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2, and tef1-α) were carried out for species identification. Neodevriesia zeylanica Wijayaw. et al. and Neooccultibambusa zeylanica Wijayaw. et al. are introduced as novel species, along with two new country and host records, i.e., Neodevriesia saximollicula D.S.Paiva and Thalassodendromyces purpureus Vohník & Réblová. Two strains have been confirmed as Halophilomyces hongkongensis Xiao Wang et al. (nom. invalid), the type species of Halophilomyces Xiao Wang et al. (nom. invalid). Halophilomyces hongkongensis (based on the newly isolated strains) has been validated and provided with a new name, Halophilomyces zeylanica Wijayaw. et al., along with the designation of a new holotype and ex-type, respectively.

Project(s)

Priority 4: Accelerated Taxonomy

Funder

Funder name	Awards
National Natural Science Foundation of China, China	No. NSFC 32460002
Yunnan Revitalization Talents Support Plan, China	“Young Talents” Program and “High End Foreign Experts” Program
Yunnan Province Young and Middle-Aged Academic and Technical Leaders Reserve Talents Program, China	Grant no. 202305AC350252
Key Laboratory of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Education for Deep-Time Evolution on Biodiversity from the Origin of the Pearl River, China
Tropical Microbiology Research Foundation, Sri Lanka
Blue Resource Trust, Sri Lanks
King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia