Ophiostoma africanum sp. nov., and a key to ophiostomatoid species from Protea infructescences

Two distinct and unrelated groups of ophiostomatoid fungi are associated with Protea infructescences. Two species, Gondwanamyces proteae and G. capensis, have unique anamorphs that reside in Knoxdaviesia. This anamorph genus is infrequently found amongst species of Ceratocystis sensu lato. The second group includes Ophiostoma splendens and O. protearum that have Sporothrix anamorphs typical of Ophiostoma. During recent collections of Protea gaguedi infructescences from the Northern Province in South Africa, an apparently new species of Ophiostoma with a Sporothrix anamorph was discovered. It can be distinguished from O. splendens and O. protearum based on its short ostiolar hyphae and its associated plant host. This teleomorph is described as O. africanum and the anamorph as S. africanum. Five species of ophiostomatoid fungi are now known from Protea infructescences and a key is presented for them.