Pichia hawaiiensis sp. nov., occurring in decaying bark of Charpentiera trees in the Hawaiian archipelago.

A description is given for Pichia hawaiiensis sp. nov., a nitrate-utilizing member of the genus Pichia E. C. Hansen emend. Kurtzman. Seven strains of the new species were isolated during the years 1972, 1973 and 1978 from rotting bark of the Hawaiian tree genera Charpentiera, Pisonia and Cheirodendron. P. hawaiiensis is heterothallic but appears to occur in nature mainly in the diploid state. Asci are deliquescent and produce up to four hat-shaped spores per ascus. Phylogenetic analysis of the 600 nucleotide D1/D2 domain of the 26S rDNA showed that P. hawaiiensis is most closely related to Pichia populi and Williopsis californica (syn. Hansenula californica). The type strain of P. hawaiiensis, isolated on the island of Hawaii from the rotting bark of Charpentiera sp. containing insect larvae, is strain UCD-FST 72-181T (= ATCC MYA-137T = CBS 8760T = NRRL Y-27270T).