Myrmecridium hiemale sp. nov. was isolated from snow-covered alpine bare soil and is described as the first eurypsychrophilic species of this genus of filamentous fungi. Colony growth temperature experiments were carried out in the range 4-37 C. Morphological characteristics and colony appearance were in accordance with characteristics typical for Myrmecridium, but M. hiemale does not grow at temperatures of 25 C and above. Sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer and LSU rRNA D1/D2

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... regions indicated that the strain in question represents a distinct taxon within the genus Myrmecridium (Myrmecridiaceae, Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota). The type strain of M. hiemale is CBS 141017 T (=JMRC 12083 T ). A morphological description is provided, and a key is presented for the currently known taxa of Myrmecridium, a group of interesting fungi that are either saprobes or plant endophytes.