Addition to the description of Fusarium serpentinum.

Manyatsa, M. M.*1,2, Jacobs, A.1,2, Venter, E.1

1 Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park
2 Agricultural Research Council – Plant Health Protection, Queenswood, Pretoria

Phylogenetically, the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) is a diverse and contains approximately 30 known phylogenetic species. Among these species is F. serpentinum which displays a novel single-strain lineage within the Equiseti clade. The name refers to the elongated, serpentine-like apex cells of the sporodochial conidia formed by this fungus. This species can be distinguished from others in the complex by its incredibly long sporodochial conidia, which are caused by its extended apical cells and the frequent occurrence of microcyclic conidiogenesis in culture. A single isolate (Holotype) with an unknown locality, substrate, and date was used to describe and name the initial F. serpentinum isolate. Sampling from soils with low anthropogenic disturbance within the semi-arid savannah Kalahari biome yielded more isolates that were identified as F. serpentinum. This provides the opportunity to confirm the name and add distribution and substrate metadata to the initial description. Isolation of F. serpentinum from the Kalahari region adds knowledge to the distribution of this species within South Africa.