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Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]

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Threat status: Data deficient
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Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick, New Zealand J. Forest. Sci. 29 443 (2000 [1999])
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]

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Endemic
Present
New Zealand
Political Region

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Gadgil & M.A. Dick
Gadgil & M.A. Dick
2000
1999
443
ICN
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]
NZ holotype
species
Chalara myrsines

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myrsines

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Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]

Type: Caulicolous Fungi; Description: Mycelium in wood composed of brown, septate, irregularly branched hyphae. Conidiophores arising from vegetative hyphae, solitary or clustered, erect, wall brown, smooth, 3–5 septate in the basal part, 30–70 μm long and bearing a phialide; phialides brown, smooth, basal portion obclavate tapering gradually into an apical tube, 65–85 μm long. Conidia cylindrical, 0-septate, 7–15 × 3–4 μm, smooth, hyaline.
Distribution: Chatham Islands.; 1st Record: Gadgil & Dick (2000b).
Significance: This fungus has been isolated from discoloured wood in roots and lower stem of dying trees in a stand which was in a state of decline. It may be one of the factors contributing to the decline of M. chathamica in the Chatham Islands.; Host(s): Myrsine chathamica.

Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]

Mycelium in wood composed of brown, septate, irregularly branched, 5-7 µm wide hyphae. Colonies on malt agar at first pale grey, later becoming dark grey. Vegetative hyphae hyaline in young cultures (1-2 days old), pale brown in older cultures; 3-6 µm wide, septate, walls smooth. Phialophores arising from the vegetative hyphae, solitary and scattered or several arising close together, erect, numerous, wall brown, smooth, 3-5 septate in the basal part, 30-70 µm long (rarely up to 105 µm), 8-10 µm wide at the base tapering slightly to an apex 5-8 µm wide, bearing a phialide. Phialides 65-85 µm long, smooth, brown, basal section (venter) obclavate, 5-15 µm x 6-10 µm tapering gradually into an apical tube (collarette) 50-70 µm long and 3-4 µm wide at the tip; ratio of mean length of collarette to venter 6:1. Phialoconidia 0-septate, hyaline, smooth, cylindrical, with slightly rounded ends, without any vacuoles, 7-15 x 3-4 µm.
New Zealand distribution: Chatham Islands (1).
Mycelium in ligno ex hyphis brunneis, septatis, 5-7 µm crassis, irregulariter ramosis compositum. Coloniae in agaro maltoso primum pallide grisae, demum atrogrisae, post sporulationem aspectu pulverulento. Hyphae vegetativae hylinae in culturis juvenibus (1-2 dies), pallide brunnae in culturis vetioribus; 3-6 µm latee, septatae, paries hypharum levis. Phialophora ex hyphis vegetativis enascentibus, solitaria vel aggregata, erecta, numerosa, brunnea, levia, septata cum 4-6 cellis, 30-70 µm longa (raro ad 105 µm), ad basim 8-10 µm lata, gradatim protracta ad apicem 5-8 µm latum, phialis terminalis ferentia. Phialides 65-85 µm longae, leves, brunnae, apicem versus pallide brunnae; venter obclavatum, 5-15 x 6-10 µm, gradatim decrescens in collum 50-70 µm longis, ad apicem 3-4 µm latis; ratio longitudinis colli et ventri 6:1. Phialoconidia unicellula, hyalina, levia, cylindracea, cum extremis subtiliter rotundatis, sine vacuolis, 7-15 x 3-4 µm.

(The specific epithet is derived from the generic name of the host plant).

Chalara myrsines is distinct from all Chalara species described in the monograph by Nag Rai & Kendrick (1975), those noted by Morgan-Jones & Ingram (1976), Kile & Walker (1987), Kowalski & Halmschlagcr (1996), and from the two species described from the Chatham Islands (C. dracophylli and C. distans) by McKenzie (1993). It is close to Chalara australis Walker & Kile and C. neocaledoniae Kiffer & Delon but differs from both in conidial size and particularly in the collarette:venter ratio (see Table 3 for a comparison [not provided here]).

Most of the remaining stands of indigenous forest on the Chatham Islands are in poor condition, attributable to disturbance by introduced grazing animals which have been permitted to range and browse freely. Exclusion of stock from such stands in recent years has generally led to an improvement in stand vigour. Chalara myrsines was isolated from discoloured wood from the roots and lower stem of dying M. chathamica trees in a mixed stand which were in a state of decline although the stand was fenced off as a reserve. The trees were also being colonised by the pinhole borer Platypus apicalis White and by a pit weevil (Psepholax sp.). Chalara myrsines was commonly but not always associated with the tunnels of these wood-boring insects. Many species of Chalara are known as wilt pathogens (Nag Raj & Kendrick 1975) and it is possible that infection by C. myrsines is one of the causes contributing to the decline of M. chathamica in the Chatham Islands.

Habitat in caulibus radicibusque Myrsines chathamicae F. Mueller, Smith's Reserve, Te One, Chatham Island, 25.ii.1996, M. Dick, NZFRI-M 3712 holotypus.

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Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M. Dick (2000) [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M. Dick (2000) [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M. Dick (2000) [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M. Dick (2000) [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M. Dick
Chalara myrsines Gadgil & M.A. Dick 2000 [1999]

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1cb1ad41-36b9-11d5-9548-00d0592d548c
scientific name
Names_Fungi
8 February 2000
16 May 2023
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