Pichia lachancei sp nov., associated with several Hawaiian plant species

A description is given of Pichia lachancei sp. nov., a new species of yeast that occurs in association with several Hawaiian plant species of the gene ra Tetraplasandra, Cheirodendron and Clermontia. The new species is heterot hallic and occurs in nature in the haploid as well as the diploid state. Up on conjugation of complementary mating types, zygotes are formed that repro duce by budding as diploid cells. When placed on sporulation medium, four h at-shaped spores are produced which are rapidly released from the ascus. Ph ylogenetic analysis showed that P. lachancei is most closely related to Pic hia rhodanensis and Pichia jadinii. The diploid type strain of P. lachancei , isolated from rotting bark of Tetraplasandra hawaiiensis on the island of Hawaii, is strain UCD-FST 79-9(T) (= ATCC 201914(T) = CBS 8557(T) = NRRL Y -27008(T)).