A revision of Verticillium section Prostrata. V. The genus Pochonia, with notes on Rotiferophthora

Abstract

A part of the species formerly classified in Verticillium sect. Prostratu is unrelated to the majority subsumed in Lecanicillium on molecular grounds. Most species of this clade have conspicuous dictyochlamydospores (formerly assembled in Diheterospora), while others are distinct only by the tendency to form swollen vegetative hyphae, chromophilic, relatively short conidia, and the lack of crystals. The genus Pochonia which predates Diheterospora is used for this group. The distinctness of I? chlurnyclosporia and f? suchlasporia, each with two varieties, is confirmed. A teleomorph, Cordyceps chlamydosporia, is newly described for the former. Eight anamorph taxa are keyed out, including two new species, f? microbactrosporu and I? rubescen.~. Two species of Rotiferophthom were available for investigation, and their generic distinctness was confirmed. The parasite of rust fungi Verticillium epiphytum and a fungicolous species with conspicuous intercalary chlamydospores, K incurvum, were studied for comparison with Pochonia, but are not formally classified. Verticillium epiphytum is close to but falls outside Pochonia, V incurvum is probably a nectriaceous anamorph. Verticillium pseudohemipterigenum with erect conidiophores bearing numerous tlask-shaped phialides in dense whorls is also not formally reclassified. 4 the