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A new foliicolous melioloid fungus from the Pliocene of eastern Himalaya

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Abstract

We report the in situ occurrence of a new species of Meliolinites (fossil Meliolaceae, Ascomycota), Meliolinites pliocenicus, on the lower epidermal surface of fossilized angiosperm leaf of Shorea siwalika (Dipterocarpaceae) recovered from the middle Siwalik stratum (Subansiri Formation: Pliocene) of Arunachal sub-Himalaya. This fungal morph is characterized by well-preserved unique mycelia consisting of superficial, dark brown, thick-walled, branching hyphae with appressoria as well as phialides and dispersed ellipsoidal, 3-septate, 4-celled, dark brown ascospores. The in situ evidence of the fungus on the fossil leaf cuticle indicates the prevalence of a warm, humid, tropical climate in Arunachal sub-Himalaya during the deposition and further suggests that a possible host-ectoparasite relationship existed in the ancient forest of this area during the Pliocene time.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the UGC-CAS VII, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, for the necessary facilities. We thank Sri Bimalendu De, Ex Dy. D.G., and Sri Sambhu Chakrabarty, Sr. Geologist, Geological Survey of India, Operation Arunachal, Itanagar, for their help during the field work. MB acknowledges the help and inspiration from Prof. Krishnendu Acharya, Head of the Department of Botany, University of Calcutta.

Funding

The authors MAK and SB thank Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, New Delhi [grant number: SR/S4/ES-67/2003 to S.B.], for the financial support.

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  1. Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, B.C. Road, Kolkata, 700019, India

    Meghma Bera & Subir Bera

  2. Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia, 723104, India

    Mahasin Ali Khan

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  1. Meghma Bera
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Bera, M., Khan, M.A. & Bera, S. A new foliicolous melioloid fungus from the Pliocene of eastern Himalaya. Mycol Progress 18, 921–931 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-019-01502-5

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