Foliicolous fungi of Andaman Islands, India

Acknowledgements: We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Paramjit Singh, Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata; Dr. C. Murugan, Head, Dr. T.A.M. Jagadeesh Ram and Dr. Lalji Singh, Senior Scientists, Botanical Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Circle, Port Blair, for their guidance and help in various ways during the field collection tour to Andaman Islands. Forest officials were generous in permitting us to collect the infected leaves for the research. Dr. P.G. Latha, Director, JNTBGRI is thanked for the facilities. Abstract: One month field collection tour resulted in the collection of more than 500 foliicolous fungi. Of these, 152 collections have been identified, resulted in recording 60 fungal taxa. Of these, one new genus (Andamanomyces), 16 new species (Andamanomyces fragariae, Asterediella anaxagoreae, Asteridiella colocasiae, Asterina eleocarpigena, Asterostomella dhanikariensis, Asterostomella farrargunjensis, Irenopsis andamanica, Meliola andamanica, Meliola canarifolia, Meliola chukrasiicola, Meliola harrietensis, Meliola myristicacearam, Meliola parishiae, Meliola savarkarii, Meliola ternstroemiicola and Schiffnerula chukrasiae) and one new variety (Meliola pithecellobii var. indica) are discovered. Meliola palmicola is reported here for the first time from India. All these taxa are listed but the novel taxa are described and illustrated in detail.


INTRODUCTION
Andaman Islands, the pristine Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal is about 647 nautical miles away from the Coromandel coast of the Peninsular India, located between 92 0 12"-93 0 17''E & 6 0 45''-13 0 45''N, comprise about 325 islands, islets and rocks which cover an area of 6,408km 2 (Image 1).Geologically, these islands are considered as the emergent peaks of a submerged mountain range in continuation with the Arakan-Yoma Mountains of the Myanmar.The entire length of Andaman group of islands is estimated to be 467km while the maximum width is about 51.5km.Landfall Island demarcates the northern end of the Andaman Archipelago while Little Andaman Island occupies the extreme southern end of this group.The two volcanic islands, viz., Narcondom Island and Barren Island, demarcate the eastern boundary while Interview Island and Sentinel Islands delimit the western extremity.The Andaman Archipelago consists of four major groups of islands such as North Andamans, Middle Andamans, South Andamans and the Little Andaman.The former three groups are collectively known as Great Andamans.The biggest island in this group is South Andaman (2,021 km 2 ) and smallest is the Aves Island (0.2km 2 ).
The toponymy of Andaman Islands is in different names since 2 nd century.Ptolomy, the famous Roman geographer referred to these islands as 'Agmate' or 'Aginae' in his travelogues.It has been mentioned as 'Timattive' in 'Tanjor Incriptions' of 1050AD.The Malayan people who came to these islands for capturing slaves referred these islands as 'Handuman'.It appears that the present name has originated from 'Hanuman', the monkey god of the Indian epic, Ramayana.These islands are also known as Bay Islands, since in the Bay of Bengal.'Kala Pani' is another name, perhaps given by the Indian freedom fighters during the Indian freedom struggle.This name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Kal-Pani' which means the water of death or place of banishment but not the 'black water' as mentioned in many literature.Whatever be the different names in the remote past, these islands are referred to the name given by the Malayans with slight phonetic changes seems to be more logic in toponymy of these islands.
The proximity of these islands towards equator contributes tropical climate with an average temperature of 30 0 C, rainfall of 3100mm and relative humidity of 77%, facilitate luxuriant growth of rainforests.According to an official estimation, around 83% of the land area of these islands are covered by dense lowland rain forests which could be designated as 'humid tropics' ranging from sea level to an altitude up to 732m at Saddle Peak (North Andamans).From phytogeographical point of view, the insular flora of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is remarkable as the transitional zone vegetation between the South and Southeast Asia as well as the only stronghold of Malesian floristic elements within the Indian Territory.The geographical isolation of these islands from the major land masses of South and Southeast Asia over millions of years have resulted in unique endemism and coupled with multi-dimensional floristic affinities towards nearer and distant geographical regions such as northeastern India, Southeast Asia, Malesia and to the Western Ghats of the peninsular India.According to a recent official estimation carried out by Pandey & Diwakar from the Botanical Survey of India in 2008, the Bay Islands are known to host about 2,428 Angiosperm taxa including 294 endemics.
The general topography of the islands is very irregular and undulating.The irregular deeply indented coastal lines result in many creeks and coves.The highest point in the Bay of Bengal is the 'Saddle Peak' (732m) in North Andamans.The other major heights of Andaman archipelago are Mount Diavolo (505m), Mount Oldham (304m), Mount Angelica (458m) of the Middle Andamans, Mount Ford (428m) of the Rutland Island (South Andamans), Mount Harriet ranges of the South Andamans which reaches the maximum height of 460m at Mount Koyob of the same ranges.The other major heights are the Mount Hext (424m), Mount Warden (422m), Mount Harriet (398m), Mount Goodridge (321m), Mount Carpenter (310m) and the Mount Nappier (304m).
The insular types of vegetation ranging from shallow marine ecosystems to the inland forest ecosystems could be broadly classified into two different zonal types such as coastal or littoral vegetation and the inland vegetation, based on the proximity of the sea.The zonal types have been further subdivided into several types based on the floristic composition owing to the influence of other edaphic, climatological and physical factors such as humidity, soil types, daily tides, retentivity of soil, altitude, etc.The coastal or littoral forest vegetation constitutes marine aquatic vegetation, mangrove forest vegetation, tidal swamp vegetation and littoral forest vegetation along the sea coasts.The inland vegetation comprises the giant evergreen forests, Andaman tropical evergreen forests, southern hill top tropical evergreen forests, semi evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, grasslands, inland aquatic vegetation and manmade vegetations.
However, in such an interesting floristically rich forests, the study of lower groups is very much meager.
In case of foliicolous fungi alone, generally it is stated that there will be 10 fungi to each plant species.This archipelago has 2,428 plant species, it is expected more than 24,000 fungi against the just known 10 foliicolous fungal species (Hosagoudar & Mathew 2000).Etymology: Fungus named after the Andaman Islands.

List of Fungal Taxa
Type: Andamanomyces fragariae sp.nov.This genus is similar to Gangamyces but differs from it in having elliptical thyriothecia with central vertical suture as is in the case of Asterolibertia and Cirsosia.Colonies epiphyllous, dense, up to 3mm in diameter.Hyphae straight to substraight, branching opposite to irregular at acute angles, closely to loosely reticulate, cells 35-45x5-7 µm.Appressoria in opposite couplet, rarely solitary forming stellate lumen in the cells on which they are born, scattered to closely scattered, ovate, globose, margin entire to sublobate, couplet horizontal, 22-27 µm broad, appressoria individually 8-10 µm broad, lumen quadrangular in shape, often a link of mycelial cell is visible, with its points towards upper and lower septa and the other two directed towards the centre of lumen of appressoria, 10-15x5-7 µm.Thyriothecia oval, ellipsoidal to elongated, scattered to loosely grouped, longitudinally dehisced at the centre, 440-720x200-300 µm; margin crenate to fimbriate, fringed hyphae flexuous; asci oval to globose,
Etymology: Named after its host plant.(Hansford 1961) but Asteridiella anaxagoreae differs from it in having mostly entire head cells of appressoria and longer ascospores.
Etymology: Named after its collection locality.This is the first species of the genus Irenopsis known on the members of the family Apocynaceae (Hansford 1961;Hosagoudar 1996Hosagoudar , 2008;;Hosagoudar et al. 1997;Hosagoudar & Agarwal 2008;Hu et al. 1996Hu et al. , 1999)).The latter host (Kattabhaji) was growing profusely in most of the forest nurseries and according to locals, it is sour in taste and is being extensively used as vegetable after cooking with pulses.The infection was severe and probably this is the first report on this host plant.Colonies epiphyllous, subdense, scattered, up to 4mm in diameter.Hyphae straight to substraight, branching mostly opposite at acute to wide angles, loosely to closely reticulate, cells 27-37x5-7 µm.Appressoria opposite, 1% solitary, straight to curved, antrorse to subantrorse, 15-17 µm long; head cells ovate to oblong, entire, 10-12x5-7 µm.Phialides mixed with appressoria, alternate to opposite, ampulliform, 20-25x5-7 µm.Mycelial setae scattered, simple, straight, acute to obtuse at the tip, up to 750µm long.Perithecia scattered, globose, up to 180 µm in diameter; ascospores obovoidal, 4-septate, deeply constricted at the septa, 37-40x12-15 µm.This is the only species of the genus Meliola known in the member of the family Strychnaceae in having only opposite appressoria (some are solitary) (Hansford 1961;Hosagoudar 1996Hosagoudar , 2008Hosagoudar , 2013;;Hue et al. 1997).

Meliola anceps Sydow & Sydow
Meliola canarii is known on this host genus from the tropical countries and also from the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (Hansford 1961;Hosagoudar 1996).However, Meliola canarifolia differs from Meliola canarii in having frequently truncate and rarely sublobate head cells of the appressoria and distinctly larger ascospores.
Etymology: Named after its host plant.This is very common plant along with the edges of the evergreen forests with this fungus.Meliola chukrasiae known on Chukrasia sp. from Western Ghats (Hosagoudar 1996).However, Meliola chukrasiicola differs from it in having straight, acute to 2-3-dentate mycelial setae.
Meliola knemae Hosag.& Robin is known on Knema attenuata from the Western Ghats of Kerala.However, the present species difers from it in having opposite appressoria and uncinate mycelial setae (Hosagoudar & Robin 2011).
This species is similar to Meliola silentvalleyensis Hosag.but differs from it in having phialides mixed with appressoria and head cells of the appressoria are entire (Hosagoudar 2008).

Mitteriella ziziphina Sydow
Schiffnerulla entandrophragmatis Hansf.and Schiffnerulla azadirachtae Hosag.& Sabeena are known on Entandrophragma anglolense and Azadirachta indica from Uganda, Nepal and India, respectively.Based on the host specificity, this fungus has been accommodated in a new species.
Etymology: Named after its host plant.Aegle marmelos is being cultivated in and around the temples and the teleomorph of the fungus is based on the few thyriothecia.However, it was surprising to locate this plant in the natural forest with very much robust leaves in contrast to tender leaves in the main land.Here, the fungus persisted mainly in teleomorph with few Sarcinella conidia.