A new species of Perichaena (Myxomycetes) with reticulate spores from southern Vietnam

Abstract

A new species of Perichaena, described herein as P. echinolophospora, was isolated in moist chamber cultures from substrate samples collected in the monsoon deciduous lowland tropical forests (Cat Tien National Park, Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve) and mixed montane tropical forests (Bi Dup-Nui Ba Nature Reserve) of southern Vietnam. Perichaena echinolophospora was recovered from ground litter, aerial litter and the bark of living trees. The morphology of representative specimens was examined by light and scanning electron microscopy, and micrographs of relevant details are provided. Spore ornamentation consists of a regular reticulum with large meshes, 3–4 μm in wide and limited by denticulate ridges, 1.7–2.2 μm tall, and clusters of small warts and rods densely distributed over the spore surface within the meshes of the reticulum and visible only by SEM. The stability of the taxonomic characters of the species was confirmed by several collections obtained during three field seasons.