Coniella

Höhn. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 36: 316. 1918.

Synomyms: Schizoparme Shear, Mycologia 15: 120. 1923.
Baeumleria Petr. & Syd., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 42: 268. 1927.
Pilidiella Petr. & Syd., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 42: 462. 1927.
Anthasthoopa Subram. & K. Ramakr., Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Sect. B 43: 173. 1956.
Cyclodomella Mathur et al., Sydowia 13: 144. 1959.
Embolidium Bat., Brotéria, N.S. 33(3–4): 194. 1964 non Sacc. 1978.
Classification: Sordariomycetes, Sordariomycetidae, Diaporthales, Schizoparmaceae
Type species: Coniella fragariae (Oudem.) B. Sutton (syn. Coniella pulchella Höhn.). Neotype and ex-neotype culture: CBS H-10697, CBS 172.49 = CPC 3930.
DNA barcodes (genus): LSU, rpb2.
DNA barcodes (species): ITS, rpb2, tef1.

Ascomata brown to black, collapsed collabent, erumpent, becoming superficial, globose, papillate, with central periphysate ostiole. Paraphyses lacking. Asci clavate to subcylindrical, with distinct apical ring, free at maturity. Ascospores ellipsoid, aseptate, hyaline, at times becoming pale brown at maturity, smooth, with or without mucoid caps. Conidiomata pycnidial, immersed to semi-immersed, unilocular, glabrous, ostiolate; ostiole central, circular or oval, often situated in a conical or rostrate neck; conidiomatal wall brown to dark brown or black, composed of thin, pale brown textura angularis on exterior, and hyaline, thin-walled, textura prismatica in the inner layers except at base, which has a convex, pulvinate tissue of hyaline textura angularis giving rise to conidiophores or conidiogenous cells. Conidiophores mostly reduced to conidiogenous cells, occasionally septate and branched at base, invested in mucus. Conidiogenous cells discrete, cylindrical, subcylindrical, obclavate or lageniform, hyaline, smooth-walled, proliferating percurrently, with visible periclinal thickening. Conidia ellipsoid, fusiform, globose, napiform or naviculate with a truncate base and an obtuse to apiculate apex, unicellular, thin- or thick-walled, smooth, hyaline, pale yellowish, pale yellowish brown, or olivaceous brown to brown, sometimes with a longitudinal germ-slit, with or without a mucoid appendage extending from apex to base on one side; basal hila with or without a short tubular basal appendage. Spermatophores formed in same conidioma, hyaline, smooth, 1-septate with several apical conidiogenous cells, or reduced to conidiogenous cells. Spermatogenous cells hyaline, smooth, lageniform to subcylindrical, with visible periclinal thickening. Spermatia hyaline, smooth, rod-shaped with rounded ends (adapted from Crous et al. 2014).

Culture characteristics:

On PDA produces white aerial mycelium with or without black conidiomata. On OA frequently produces white aerial mycelium with black conidiomata, but sometimes with luteous to orange zones.

Optimal media and cultivation conditions: On 2 % MEA, PDA and OA, at 25 °C under continuous near-ultraviolet light to promote sporulation.

Distribution:

Worldwide.

Hosts:

Wide variety of hosts, e.g. Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae), Fragaria (Rosaceae), Hibiscus (Malvaceae), Psidium (Myrtaceae), Punica (Lythraceae), Terminalia (Combretaceae) and Vitis (Vitaceae).

Disease symptoms:

Foliar, fruit, stem and root lesions, white rot and crown rot.

Notes:

In the most recent revision of the members of Schizoparmaceae, Pilidiella and its sexual morph Schizoparme were synonymised under Coniella since the type species of the three genera clustered in a single well-supported clade in a phylogenetic analysis based on four different loci (LSU, ITS, rpb2 and tef1) (Alvarez et al. 2016). Coniella and Pilidiella were initially distinguished by von Arx (1981) based on their conidial pigmentation, being hyaline to pale brown in Pilidiella and dark brown in Coniella. However, Alvarez et al. (2016) demonstrated that conidial colour evolved multiple times throughout the clade representing Coniella, and therefore rejected it as a character for generic delimitation in Schizoparmaceae. Sutton (1980) and Nag Raj (1993) also considered Coniella and Pilidiella synonymous since both genera presented identical conidiomata, conidiogenesis and orientation of conidiophores. However, Castlebury et al. (2002) demonstrated a separation of both genera in a phylogenetic study based on LSU sequences. It was confirmed by van Niekerk et al. (2004) based on their LSU, ITS and tef1 sequence data. Based on these molecular studies, together with the difference in conidial pigmentation reported by von Arx (1981), Wijayawardene et al. (2016) regarded Coniella and Pilidiella as two separate genera in a recent study of dematiaceous coelomycetes. By adding more molecular loci and expanding the number of isolates studied, Alvarez et al. (2016) resolved the conflict that lasted a few decades regarding the classification of these genera.

References:

Van Niekerk et al. 2004, Crous et al. 2014, Alvarez et al. 2016 (morphology and phylogeny).
Alvarez LV, Groenewald JZ, Crous PW (2016). Revising the Schizoparmaceae: Coniella, Pilidiella and Schizoparme. Studies in Mycology 85: 1–34.
Castlebury LA, Rossman AY, Jaklitsch WJ, et al. (2002). A preliminary overview of the Diaporthales based on large subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences. Mycologia 94: 1017–1031.
Crous PW, Giraldo A, Hawksworth DL, et al. (2014). The Genera of Fungi: fixing the application of the type species of generic names. IMA Fungus 5: 141–160.
Nag Raj TR (1993). Coelomycetous anamorphs with appendage bearing conidia. Mycologue Publications, Waterloo, Canada.
Sutton BC (1980). The Coelomycetes. Fungi imperfecti with pycnidia, acervuli and stromata. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, UK.
Van Niekerk JM, Groenewald JZ, Verkley GJM, et al. (2004). Systematic reappraisal of Coniella and Pilidiella, with specific reference to species occurring on Eucalyptus and Vitis in South Africa. Mycological Research 108: 283–303.
von Arx JA (1981). The genera of fungi sporulating in pure culture. 3rd edn. J Cramer, Liechtenstein.
Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Wanasinghe DN, et al. (2016). Taxonomy and phylogeny of dematiaceous coelomycetes. Fungal Diversity 77: 1–316.

Table 8. DNA barcodes of accepted Coniella spp.

Species	Isolates¹		GenBank accession numbers²				References
		ITS		*rpb2*	*tef1*
Con. africana	CBS 114133^T	AY339344		KX833421	KX833600	Van Niekerk et al. (2004), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. crousii	NFCCI 2213	HQ264189		-	-	Rajeshkumar et al. (2011)
Con. diplodiella	CBS 111858^ET	AY339323		KX833423	KX833603	Van Niekerk et al. (2004), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. diplodiopsis	CBS 590.84^T	AY339334		-	-	Van Niekerk et al. (2004)
Con. diplodiopsis	CBS 109.23	AY339332		KX833440	KX833624	Van Niekerk et al. (2004), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. duckerae	VPRI 13689 = CBS 142045^T	KY924929		-	-	Marin-Felix et al. (2017)
Con. erumpens	CBS 523.78^T	KX833535		KX833446	KX833630	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. eucalyptigena	CBS 139893^T	KR476725		-	-	Crous et al. (2015b)
Con. eucalyptorum	CBS 112640^T	AY339338		KX833452	KX833637	Van Niekerk et al. (2004), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. fragariae	CBS 172.49^NT	AY339317		KX833472	KX833663	Van Niekerk et al. (2004), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. fusiformis	CBS 141596^T	KX833576		KX833481	KX833674	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. granati	CBS 252.38	KX833581		KX833488	KX833681	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. hibisci	CBS 109757^ET	KX833589		-	KX833689	Marin-Felix et al. (2017)
Con. javanica	CBS 455.68^T	KX833583		KX833489	KX833683	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. koreana	CBS 143.97^T	KX833584		KX833490	KX833684	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. lanneae	CBS 141597^T	KX833585		KX833491	KX833685	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. limoniformis	CBS 111021^T	KX833586		KX833492	KX833686	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. macrospora	CBS 524.73^T	KX833587		KX833493	KX833687	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. malaysiana	CBS 141598^T	KX833588		KX833494	KX833688	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. nicotianae	CBS 875.72^T	KX833590		KX833495	KX833690	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. nigra	CBS 165.60^T	AY339319		KX833496	KX833691	Van Niekerk et al. (2004), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. obovata	CBS 111025	AY339313		KX833497	KX833692	Van Niekerk et al. (2004), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. paracastaneicola	CBS 141292^T	KX833591		KX833498	KX833693	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. peruensis	CBS 110394^T	KJ710463		KX833499	KX833695	Crous et al. (2015a), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. pseudogranati	CBS 137980^T	KJ869132		-	-	Crous et al. (2014)
Con. pseudostraminea	CBS 112624^T	KX833593		KX833500	KX833696	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. quercicola	CBS 904.69^NT	KX833595		KX833502	KX833698	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. solicola	CBS 766.71^T	KX833597		KX833505	KX833701	Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. straminea	CBS 149.22	AY339348		KX833506	KX833704	Van Niekerk et al. (2004), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. tibouchinae	CBS 131594^T	JQ281774		KX833507	JQ281778	Miranda et al. (2012), Alvarez et al. (2016)
Con. wangiensis	CBS 132530^T	JX069873		KX833509	KX833705	Crous et al. (2012), Alvarez et al. (2016)

¹CBS: Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands; NFCCI: National Fungal Culture Collection of India, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India; VPRI: Victorian Plant Pathogen Herbarium, Bundoora, Australia. ^{T, ET} and ^NT indicate ex-type, ex-epitype and ex-neotype strains, respectively.

²ITS: internal transcribed spacers and intervening 5.8S nrDNA; rpb2: partial RNA polymerase II second largest subunit gene; tef1: partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene.

Alvarez LV, Groenewald JZ, Crous PW (2016). Revising the Schizoparmaceae: Coniella, Pilidiella and Schizoparme. Studies in Mycology 85: 1–34.
Crous PW, Schumacher RK, Wingfield MJ, et al. (2015a). Fungal Systematics and Evolution: FUSE 1. Sydowia 67: 81–118.
Crous PW, Shivas RG, Quaedvlieg W, et al. (2014). Fungal Planet description sheets 214–280. Persoonia 32: 184–306.
Crous PW, Summerell BA, Shivas RG, et al. (2012). Fungal Planet description sheets: 107–127. Persoonia 28: 138–182.
Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Guarro J, et al. (2015b). Fungal Planet description sheets: 320–370. Persoonia 34: 167–266.
Marin-Felix Y, Groenewald JZ, Cai, L, et al. (2017). Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 1. Studies in Mycology xxxx.
Miranda BEC, Barreto RW, Crous PW, et al. (2012). Pilidiella tibouchinae sp. nov. associated with foliage blight of Tibouchina granulosa (quaresmeira) in Brazil. IMA Fungus 3: 1–7.
Rajeshkumar KC, Hepat RP, Gaikwad SB, et al. (2011). Pilidiella crousii sp. nov. from the northern Western Ghats, India. Mycotaxon 115: 155–162.
Van Niekerk JM, Groenewald JZ, Verkley GJM, et al. (2004). Systematic reappraisal of Coniella and Pilidiella, with specific reference to species occurring on Eucalyptus and Vitis in South Africa. Mycological Research 108: 283–303.