Apiosordaria hamata sp. nov. from lake sediment in China

A new species, Apiosordaria hamata, is described and illustrated from sediment collected from Donghu Lake, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Apiosordaria hamata is characterized by its cleistothecial ascomata with agglutinated hairs, a thin peridium, clavate asci, and two-celled, biseriate, ovoid ascospores. However, it differs from other Apiosordaria species in having hooked spines on the upper cell of the ascospores and lacking germ pores. Combined ITS and LSU sequence analyses using maximum likelihood and Bayesian analysis nest A. hamata in the Apiosordaria clade. Both morphological and molecular analyses support this fungus as a new species of Apiosordaria. A key to Apiosordaria species is provided.