Roland Kirschner

National Taiwan University | NTU · School of Forestry and Resource Conservation

A new hyphomycetous fungus found on dead petioles of the fern Angiopteris lygodiifolia in Taiwan is described as Xylo-lentia simplex in honor of late Prof. Dr. Chiu Yuan Chien (簡秋源; Chien 簡 and the Latin "simplex" both meaning "simple"). The new species differs from other three hyaline-spored species of Xylolentia by its pale brown conidia and from...

Grovesinia moricola (Helotiales) 所引起之臺灣水麻Debregeasia orientalis (Urticaceae)輪斑病與新紀錄寄主木蘭屬 Magnolia sp.植物 王介鼎 1 阿部淳一Peter 2 劉家棻 3 葉昱緯 3 羅南德 3 【摘要】 Grovesinia moricola 於臺大實驗林溪頭教育中心的野生木本灌木 Debregeasia orientalis 與台 北市士林區的觀賞性木蘭品系植物上皆有被記錄。其中 D. orientalis 為此真菌於全球首次發現的新 宿主屬，而木蘭屬則為於台灣首次紀錄的新宿主屬。本研究透過此真菌於寄主上的無性世代之形態 與 ITS rDNA 序列相似度鑑定此真菌物種。於此二種宿主上，所產生之輪斑病的病徵...

Rhytisma Fr. is the type genus of Rhytismataceae (Rhytismatales, Leotiomycetes, Ascomycota). Rhytisma-like species include members of Cryptomyces, Rhytisma and Vladracula. They are parasites on leaves of broadleaf trees and cause tar spot diseases. In this study, a phylogeny based on the large subunit of the ribosomal rRNA gene (nrLSU) and the mito...

A new species of Memnoniella (Hypocreales, Stachybotryaceae) is described from decaying petioles of the subtropical giant fern Angiopteris lygodiifolia (Marattiales) from central Taiwan. The morphology of this fungus is described from the natural substrate and culture, based on light and scanning electron microscopy. The species is phylogenetically...

BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) is most commonly used for molecular species identification based on DNA sequences in fungi. Sequences labeled with wrong species names are multiplied in databases through a snowball effect, while the few correct information may eventually become hidden. By in-depth analyses such errors can be resolved, but...

DNA sequence-based species identification and phylogeny have become indispensable in biological sciences. The DNA sequence databases, however, are flooded with more data than can be curated, leaving increasing responsibility to the users in order to minimize errors due to wrong information. Since many publications deal with the principles of DNA ba...

Ipomoea pes-caprae is a plant of sand coasts and it can tolerate stresses, such as high salinity, strong wind and sand movements and lack of nutrients. It plays an important role in coast protection and preventing erosion. Fungal endophytes show high biodiversity and have a strong influence on the survival of plants under different stress factors....

Erysiphales (powdery mildews) from ornamental trees at the Fenghuang Nature Education Center of the Experimental Forest of National Taiwan University were identified based on anamorph morphology and comparison of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal gene region. Podosphaera pruni-cerasoidis found on Prunus campanulata, Pru...

Favolaschia calocera in Taiwan serves as example of introduced fungi and for explaining the term neomycetes in a popular science journal (Scientific American, Taiwan Edition) in Chinese. https://sa.ylib.com/MagArticle.aspx?id=5244

With the change to one scientific name for fungal taxa, generic names typified by species with sexual or asexual morph types are being evaluated to determine which names represent the same genus and thus compete for use. In this paper generic names of the Agaricomycotina ( Basidiomycota ) were evaluated to determine synonymy based on their type. Fo...

A Ramularia-like hyphomycete was discovered on uredinia of Phakopsora ampelopsidis on leaves of wild Ampelopsis brevipedunculata and cultivated Parthenocissus tricuspidata in several cities in Taiwan. The micromorphology of this fungicolous fungus is similar to that of species of the genus Ramularia which are mostly plant parasites but some species...

The coastal plant Glehnia littoralis is closely related to Angelica species and is also used as a medicinal plant in East Asia. In our study, a fungus was found on leaf spots of wild Glehnia littoralis at the sand coast of northern Taiwan. The fungus was identified as Septoria dearnessii based on three genetic markers (ITS, TEF and TUB) and morphol...

Sphagneticola trilobata (Asteraceae) is one of the most common ornamental groundcover plants in public green spaces and also invasive in Taiwan. Downy mildew symptoms were found on this plant in Taipei City. Based on the host, morphology and ribosomal large subunit RNA gene (LSU) sequence analysis, the associated oomycete was identified as Plas-mop...

Two powdery mildew fungi are new records for Taiwan. They were identified based on anamorph morphology and internal transcribed spacer sequence comparison. Erysiphe mori was found on the upper side of leaves of Morus sp. in the Experimental Forest of National Taiwan University in Nantou County. In spite of potential native hosts, the late and patch...

Production of medicinal plants in Taiwan is not only hampered by international market competition, but also lack of knowledge of their pathogens, such as powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales, Ascomycota). Records of these fungi in Taiwan originate from few researchers for the last one hundred years and are still incomplete. Since powdery mildews in tr...

Podosphaera xanthii is presently considered as one of the powdery mildew fungi with the broadest host range. Confusion is caused by taxonomical and nomenclatural changes of the host plants and the fungal parasite. Based on the list of powdery mildews from Taiwan from 1998, an updated list of host plants of P. xanthii in this country is presented. N...

A dematiaceous hyphomycete with erect unbranched conidiophore stipes and Cladosporium-like branched conidial chains arranged at nodes along the stipe was found on living leaves of wild banana (Musa itinerans) in Taiwan. Scanning electron microscopy indicated a type of conidiogenous loci differing from that of Cladosporium by lacking the cleft betwe...

The identification of the first record of Erysiphe magnifica for Taiwan is based on anamorphic material on diseased leaves of Magnolia × alba. Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequence comparison shows 100% identity with other sequences from E. magnifica with a clear barcode gap to other species. The morphology, however, deviates considerably from...

Background Production of medicinal plants in Taiwan is not only hampered by international market competition, but also lack of knowledge of their pathogens, such as powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales, Ascomycota). Records of these fungi in Taiwan originate from few researchers for the last one hundred years and are still incomplete. Since powdery mi...

Background: Production of medicinal plants in Taiwan is not only hampered by international market competition, but also lack of knowledge of their pathogens, such as powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales, Ascomycota). Records of these fungi in Taiwan originate from few researchers for the last one hundred years and are still incomplete. Since powdery m...

Powdery mildews are common pathogens on wild elm trees as well as on planted ornamentals in Asia and Europe. The taxonomy of the powdery Erysiphe species on elms (Ulmus spp., Ulmaceae) is complicated by taxonomical changes and inconsistently labelled DNA data in databases and publications. Based on morphology and phylogenetic analysis of new collec...

Chinese mesona (Platostoma palustre) plays an important role as special crop in Southeast Asia and Taiwan for the production of herbal tea, grass jelly, and further processed food. In order to assess the potential threat of fungi to Chinese mesona, we surveyed isolates from symptomless plants in the area of mesona production, as well as from leaf s...

Plant stress through global warming may be counteracted by the application of tropical or subtropical organisms. Pleurotus pulmonarius is an edible mesophilic wood-decay mushroom which additionally can promote plant growth. The potential of alleviating plant stress has been tested in vitro in this study using a subtropical strain from Taiwan. The a...

A new species of Pseudobeltrania (Ascomycota, Xylariales, Beltraniaceae) is proposed for a specimen from leaf spots of Cinnamomum cassia (Lauraceae). It is characterized by conidiophores composed of 1–2 stipes arising from a strongly lobed basal cell, and narrow (less than 10 μm wide) rhombical conidia with equatorial hyaline band. Comparison betwe...

Basidiomata were found on dead stems of wild native Formosa palm (Arenga engleri) in Taiwan. The fungus was identified based on morphology and internal transcribed spacer sequence comparison as the oil palm pathogen M. palmivorus. A pathogenicity test with cultivated mycelium of M. palmivorus positively produced disease symptoms and death of non‐wo...

4-t-octylphenol (4-t-OP), a well-known endocrine disrupting compound, is frequently found in various environmental compartments at levels that may cause adverse effects to the ecosystem and public health. To date, most of the studies that investigate microbial transformations of 4-t-OP have focused on the process mediated by bacteria, ligninolytic...

Background: Based on traditional and folk medicine, mushrooms have been developed into anti-cancer therapeutics. In this article, a brief overview is given of the most important medical mushroom species and their specific anti-cancer functions and mechanisms. Taiwanofungus camphoratus (Antrodia cinnamomea), is a medical fungus chosen to examine the...

Aims: To demonstrate the plant-growth promoting potential of a wood-decay mushroom. Methods and results: A wild strain of a white rot fungus (Pleurotus pulmonarius) was found to convert 10 m-mol l-1 L-tryptophan (TRP) to approximately 15 μg/ml indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) under the optimal growth conditions of 30 °C and pH 5 for 15 days. Results o...

Antigonon leptopus has been naturalized in Taiwan for about 100 years, but hitherto no fungal species was recorded on this plant in Taiwan. A powdery mildew fungus collected on A. leptopus in central and northern Taiwan was identified as Erysiphe polygoni based on internal transcribed spacer sequence comparison and morphology of the anamorph.

Endophytic fungal strains isolated from the coastal plant Vitex rotundifolia in Taiwan were accommodated in Alpestrisphaeria according to an analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Based on this analysis and on a unique monodictys-like anamorph, the species, A. monodictyoides, is proposed as new...

Vitex rotundifolia L. f. (Lamiaceae), which commonly grows at sand coasts, is important for coast protection and the prevention of erosion. However, the diversity and roles of fungi associated with this plant remain unclear. A total of 1,052 endophytic isolates from 1,782 plants tissues from two sand beaches in northern Taiwan were classified into...

A species of Cladosporium was isolated from an air conditioner outlet in a hospital in Taipei. Based on the morphology, cultural characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis of sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of the rRNA gene and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1α) gene, this strain was identified as Cladosporiu...

Foliicolous fungi were collected on living plants of mycologically rarely explored plant families in the montane Quercus-Chusquea forest of western Panama. Five new species of the genera Periconiella, Pseudocercospora, Sporidesmium, and Zasmidium are morphologically described from living leaves of Myrsine coriacea (Primulaceae) and Clusia stenophyl...

In spite of the economic importance of powdery mildew on cucurbits, literature and databases about the fungal species reveal different species numbers and names, often indicating only two species, with inconsistent host specificities for different members of Cucurbitaceae. Revision of the available literature indicates the presence of at least six...

A small blue stipitate-pileate mushroom with porioid hymenophore was found on dead Calamus sp. (Arecaceae) in Taiwan. Microscopic characteristics indicated a placement within the Mycenaceae. ITS as well as partial LSU ribosomal RNA gene sequences analyses showed a close relationship with Mycena illuminans within the Mycenaceae. A new species with c...

Using the adequate morph terminology is an important tool for describing the different stages of fungi with their often hidden and flexible sexual processes. These processes play significant roles in the evolution and spread of pathogenic fungi as well as their antifungal resistance. Their knowledge is also the base for control of human and plant p...

With the change to one scientific name for pleomorphic fungi, generic names typified by sexual and asexual morphs have been evaluated to recommend which name to use when two names represent the same genus and thus compete for use. In this paper, generic names in Pucciniomycotina and Ustilaginomycotina are evaluated based on their type species to de...

Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to am...

Three fungi associated with living leaves of plants are new records for Panama: Annellophora phoenicis causing leaf spots of Cocos nucifera (Arecaceae), Cercospora corniculatae (C. apii s. lat.) on living leaves of Oxalis barrelieri (Oxalidaceae) with and without discoloration, and Sclerotium coffeicola on zonate leaf spots of Annona montana (Annon...

Two specimens of Sebacinales from Panama and Taiwan were identified based on morphology and partial LSU rDNA sequences. A specimen on oak fruits from Panama was identified as Chaetospermum camelliae, which contained an Efibulobasidium teleomorph. Conidiogenesis in this species is classified as postsomatogamic and sympodial. For a specimen from Taiw...

Although Panama is hypothesized to play an important role for the spread of powdery mildews from North to South America, only few species are known from Panama. Two species with hyphae penetrating into the host leaf mesophyll are presented here. Phyllactinia spathodeae from Spathodea campanulata is considered a synonym of Ph. obclavata. Leveillula...

Associations of Diptera with slime molds have hitherto been recorded only for the Palearctic region. Dipteran pupal exuviae were found on two fruiting bodies of the slime mold Fuligo candida on a living mango tree stem in the tropical lowlands of Panama. During incubation of the fruiting bodies, adult flies emerged which were identified as Cecidomy...

Otitis externa caused by fungi (otomycosis) occurs more commonly in tropical areas with high moisture than in temperate regions. Bilateral otomycosis is, however, rarely reported. In a case of bilateral otitis externa in a 56-year-old male patient in Taiwan, direct microscopic examination of the cerumen as well as isolation of strains indicated the...

4-t-Octylphenol (4-t-OP) has become a serious environmental concern due to the endocrine disruption in animals and humans. The biodegradation of 4-t-OP by pure cultures has been extensively investigated only in bacteria and wood-decaying fungi. In this study we isolated and identified 14 filamentous fungal strains from wastewater samples in Taiwan...

Collections of saprobic dematiaceous hyphomycetes on dead Poaceae from the high mountains of western Panama revealed new records of Pendulispora venezuelanica, Phaeostilbelloides velloziae, and Spegazzinia tessarthra for Panama and a new species of Shrungabeeja. The new species differs from the most similar other species, Sh. vadirajensis, by narro...

In spite of the self-cleaning property of its leaves called the lotus effect, leaves of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) provide a habitat for an unknown fungal diversity. The aim of this study was to detect and identify fungi from leaves of N. nucifera, including ectophytic, parasitic and endophytic fungi, in Taiwan using different collection strategies,...

Vitex rotundifolia L. fil. grows in dune ecosystems of temperate and tropical areas (Park et al. 2013). In April 2016, leaf spots were observed on V. rotundifolia planted in the Botanial Garden of the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung City, Taiwan. Among the ∼30% of diseased twigs of two or three sprawling shrubs, symptoms were observed...

A species of Cladosporium was isolated from indoor environment. Based on the morphology, cultural characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) sequence of the rRNA gene, this strain was identified as Cladosporium halotolerans. It is a new record in Taiwan. Morphological and cultural characteristics...

The monotypic genus Thysanorea (Chaetothyriomycetes) is characterized by Periconiella-like penicillate conidiophores. The morphology and geographic distribution of Thysanorea papuana are revised based on fresh collections from Taiwan, literature research, and type studies. It is revealed that the original morphological generic characterization is b...

4-(1, 1, 3, 3-tetramethylbutane)-phenol (4-tert-OP) is one of the most prevalent endocrine disrupting pollutants. Information about bioremediation of 4-tert-OP remains limited, and no study has been reported on the mechanism of 4-tert-OP degradation by yeasts. The yeast Candida rugopelliculosa RRKY5 was proved to be able to utilize 4-methylphenol,...

The obscure species Exobasidium sawadae and the enigmatic hyphomycetous genus Elaeodema transform fruits of Cinnamomum species to galls. Fresh collections from Guangxi in China and Taiwan island were studied with microscopy and analysis of partial large subunit (LSU) ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Study of young stages and of isotype material of El....

Neostagonospora spinificis sp. nov.

A new species of Neostagonospora associated with Spinifex littoreus was found. Endophytic isolates remained sterile, but a specimen collected on living leaves could be used for morphological characterization and cultivation. The ITS sequences from the cultures as well as from direct total DNA extraction from the plant indicated conspecificity and a...

The fungus Stauronema spinificis, an asexual morph, hitherto known only from the coastal grass Spinifex littoreus in India was collected on dead leaves of Spinifex littoreus in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA genes indicated a placement within Dinemasporium and confirmed that the species...

A fungus was isolated from a nail of a 54-year-old female patient with onychomycosis in Taiwan. Based on ITS rDNA as well as beta tubulin gene sequences and microscopic analyses, this fungus was identified as Exophiala oligosperma. This is the first record of E. oligosperma in Taiwan. Negative keratin azure test indicates that keratin degradation i...

Long-chain alkylphenols including octylphenol (OP) are well-known toxic pollutants prevailing in the environment due to the massive demand of these chemicals in industry and have been identified as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). While a considerable amount of work has addressed the degradation capacity of EDCs carried out by bacterial and f...

Exosporium bryophylli is recognized as a later heterotypic synonym of Helminthosporium bryophylli. The fungus is hitherto known only from leaf scab symptoms of Kalanchoe pinnata which are formed by the subcuticular growth of the hyphae. The conidiophores penetrate through ruptures of the cuticle as well as through stomata. The few but distant geogr...

The powdery mildew on Cocculus species, E. pseudolonicerae, has in Taiwan hitherto only been known as anamorph for more than fifty years. A specimen on Cocculusorbiculatus collected during the cold season in northern Taiwan revealed fully developed ascomata. The anamorph and teleomorph stages are described in detail. The identification was confirme...

Mikania micrantha, originating from tropical South and Central America, has become a noxious invasive weed in Tai-wan. Cercospora mikaniicola (anamorphic Mycosphaerellaceae, Capnodiales), hitherto known from Mikania species in several countries, is recorded for Taiwan for the first time. The spread and potential of this fungus for effective control...

The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem that affects the development, nutritional status and immunological responses of the host. Prokaryotes and fungi in the community have the abilities to withstand the adverse conditions of high temperature, low oxygen etc. and to decompose complex organic molecules. The novel approaches of metagenomics and me...

Six species of mycosphaerellaceous fungi on ferns from mainland China and Taiwan island are investigated by morphology and analysis of the internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal RNA genes. Two species of Pseudocercospora from spots on living leaves of ferns (Polypodiales) in Taiwan are newly described. One species found on Microlepia spp. (De...

A new species of Corynesporopsis from rotting wood of Acacia confusa differs from similar species with one-septate conidia by comparatively short conidiophores and conidia and deeper brown pigmentation of conidiogenous cells than of more proximal cells of the conidiophore. Morphology in culture differs from that in situ mainly by hyaline vegetative...

Three new species of Meliolaceae, Appendiculella monsterae on Monstera deliciosa (Araceae), Asteridiella nitidae on Buddleja nitida (Scrophulariaceae), and Irenopsis chrysophylli on Chrysophyllum sp. (Sapotaceae), are described based on material collected in Panama. Eighteen species of Meliolaceae are reported for the first time for Panama, which i...

Foliicolous hyphomycetes recorded from Panama for the first time are Gonatophragmium mori from zonate leaf spots of Calathea lutea and Goeppertia panamensis (Marantaceae) and Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae), Periconiella geonomae growing superficially on Hymenaea courbaril (Fabaceae) and Tabebuia cf. rosea (Bignoniaceae), Pseudocercospora melochia...

Selected fungi on ferns in Taiwan are described, illustrated, annotated and complemented with first DNA sequences. The ranges of distribution, host species, morphology, and the taxonomy of some species were revised. ITS rDNA sequences proved to be useful for distinguishing between species on the same host. A new species of Venustosynnema found on d...

Hypohelion is small genus with only three species. Based on recent collections on the twigs of Stephanandra incisa (Rosaceae) from Anhui Province, China, a new species of Hypohelion is described. The new species is similar to the type species Hypohelion scirpinum but differs in that it has a darkened basal layer of ascomata, smaller ascomata and as...

Selected fungi on ferns in Taiwan are described, illustrated, annotated and complemented with first DNA sequences. The ranges of distribution, host species, morphology, and the taxonomy of some species were revised. ITS rDNA sequences proved to be useful for distinguishing between species on the same host. A new species of Venustosynnema found on d...

New species of Passalora on Aphelandra scabra (Acanthaceae) and of Periconiella on Persea americana (Lauraceae) are described from tropical lowland vegetation in Panama. The new Passalora species differs from congeneric species on members of Acanthaceae by its external hyphae giving rise to conidiophores. The new Periconiella species can be disting...

Sarocladium species are frequently associated with grasses as saprobes, parasites, and mutualistic endophytes. A species of Sarocladium (anamorphic Hypocreales) was isolated as endophytic fungus from the coastal grass Spinifex littoreus (Poaceae). According to characterization by LSU and ITS rDNA sequences and culture morphology and micromorphology...

A taxonomic re-evaluation of the Ceratobasidium-Rhizoctonia group suggests that Ceratobasidium contains only the type species C. calosporum, which deviates in micromorphological and ultrastructural characters from all other species so far included in that genus. Rhizoctonia species are compared with the type species of Ceratobasidium, Cejpomyces, O...

A newly described species of Pseudocercospora from Ficus microcarpa differs from other Pseudocercospora species on Ficus spp. (Moraceae) by small fascicles of branched conidiophores hidden in the suprastomatal chamber and by the absence of leaf spots, of stromata and of external hyphae. Newly recorded fungi on other ornamental plants in Taiwan are...

A new species of Pseudocercospora is described on lesions restricted to the leaf margins of living leaves of Ginkgo biloba in Taiwan. The lesions were also colonized by the hyphomycete Scolecobasidium humicola. Telia of the basidiomycete Bartheletia paradoxa are first recorded from Japan. These three species are presumed to be saprobionts in the pr...

We provide the first description of the mite species Imparipes (Imparipes) burgeri n. sp. (Scutacaridae, Heterostigmatina). The species is recorded from localities in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. A total of 759 females have been found phoretic upon 45 host species belonging to ground-nesting or parasitc on ground-nesting hosts ap...