Developing characteristics and relationships of Shiraia bambusicola with bamboo

Growth of Shiraia bambusicola was observed in the wild during its developing process, and its morphologicalcharacteristics and relationships with bamboo tissue were observed by light microscopy and SEM. The fungal stromata werefound only on top stalks of the previous year branches. Parasitic relationship of the fungus with the bamboo could not beindicated from the morphological evidence. The fungus grew around the interspace of bamboo leaf sheaths, showed thetissue specificity on leaf sheath of several bamboo genera. A possible life cycle of S. bambusicola was proposed and discussed.The fungus was confirmed to have bitunicate asci with pseudoparaphyses thus should be placed in the Pleoporalesorder and not in the Dothidiales. Asexual and sexual developments of S. bambusicola were observed and for the first timefour stages of ascus and ascospore development were described. The four stages consisted of ascus primordium formation,ascus elongation, young ascospore formation, and ascospore maturation.