CAMILLEA MALAYSIANENSIS SP. NOV. AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF CAMILLEA IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

The genus Camillea Fr. was erected for those xylariaceous fungi which possess erect cylindrical, or short discoid black stromata and have a hard carbonaceous crust (Fries 1849). In modern accounts this generic concept has been broadened to accommodate those applanate species, formerly placed in Hypoxylon Bull., having light-coloured, ornamented ascospores, that apparently lack a germ slit or pore, which have a bipartite stroma with a dehiscent ectostroma (Laessoe et al. 1989; San Martin Gonzalez & Rogers 1993; Whalley 1995). The ascospores usually appear smooth by light microscopy but by scanning electron microscopy are seen to be characteristically ornamented with warts, spines, pits, reticulations or are longitudinally ribbed (Laessoe et al. 1989; San Martin Gonzalez & Rogers 1993; Whalley 1995; Whalley et al. 1996). Pitted or poroid reticulations are the most frequently observed form and species displaying this type are placed in the subgenus Camillea whilst those species possessing warted ornamentations are referred to the subgenusJongiella (Laessoe et al. 1989; Whalley et al. 1996). The genus is primarily neotropical with the majority of species occurring in the Amazon region (Laessoe et al. 1989). Camillea tinctor (Berk.) Lassoe, J. D. Rogers & Whalley is the only species currently known to be widely distributed and it has been reported from South and Central America, temperate North America, Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea (Laessoe et al. 1989; Miller 1961; Van der Gucht 1992; Whalley 1993; Thienhirun 1997; Whalley 1995). Originally, Miller (1961) was doubtful about the occurrence of Camillea tinctor in Singapore and suggested that the specimens might have been placed in the wrong packet. Recent collections from Papua New Guinea (Van der Gucht 1992), Malaysia and Thailand (Thienhirun 1997; Whalley 1993, 1997), however, confirm that it is truly pantropical and probably common. The discovery of a second Camillea species, C. selangorensis M. A. Whalley, Whalley & E. B. G. Jones, described as new from