A new species of Ophiostoma from Protea infructescences in South Africa

Ophiostoma capense, a new species from insect-infested infructescences of various Protea spp. in the Cape Province of South Africa, is described. The Knoxdaviesia anamorph of this fungus is likewise described as K. capensis. O. capense is morphologically similar to Ceratocystiopsis proteae previously described from infructescences of Protea repens. However, it differs from this species in various morphological characteristics, including the absence of apparently sheathed ascospores. Unlike C. proteae, O. capense was never found on P. repens but was common on flowers of numerous other Protea spp. The discovery of O. capense has called in question the taxonomic placement of C. proteae, and further studies on these taxonomically and mycogeographically interesting fungi are required.