نخستین گزارش از Lichtheimia sphaerocystis برای ایران

During 2017, several samples of manure were randomly selected from Khouzestan (Ahwaz date palm gardens) Provinces. After recording the geographical characteristics of samples, they were transferred to the lab in nylon bags. From every sample, fungi were isolated by soil plate and soil dilution methods. A small portion of aerial hyphae of zygomycetes colonies was transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and one week later, the isolates were pureed by single spore or hyphal tip methods on water agar. Based on growth, morphological and microscopic characteristics of isolates and use of identification keys of Mucorales species, one of the isolates was identified as Lichtheimia sphaerocystis A. Alastruey-Izquierdo & G. Walther. Colonies of the isolate grew rapidly on PDA at 25-26 ºC, filling six cm Petri dishes within seven days. The colony color was initially white and later changing to gray and dark gray. Sporangiophores were simple or branched, hyaline, often with light brown apophysis and columella. Subsporangial septa mostly absent. Sporangia were spherical to pyriform, multispored and light brown, 22 to 38 µm in diameter. Columella was ellipsoidal, rarely subglobose, 13-24 × 9-19 µm, with or without collar.Sporangiospores were smooth, hyaline to light brown, subglobose to broadly ellipsoidal or slightly irregular, and 2.5 to 6 µm in diameter. Large intercalary hyphal swellings (giant cells) were seen in aerial hyphae and in the mycelium attached to the medium, spherical, 43 to 81 µm in diameter. The fungus was Heterothallic and Zygospores not observed. This is the first report of this taxon from Iran.