Pleosporales - CBS - KNAW

Fungal Diversity
transverse septa, 1 longitudinal septum in each central
cell, 1 oblique septum in each end cell, constricted at all
septa, granulate, with a sheath 2–3 μm wide (as reported
in Shoemaker and Babcock 1992) (Fig.76f, g and h).
Anamorph: none reported.
Material examined: GERMANY, Budenheim, Leopold
Fuckel, Nassau’s Flora, on old paper (G NASSAU: 210558
(a), as Sphaeria chartarum Wallr., type).
Notes
Morphology
Platysporoides was introduced as a subgenus of Pleospora
by Wehmeyer (1961) and was typified by Pleospora
chartarum. Shoemaker and Babcock (1992) raised Platysporoides
to generic rank and placed it in the Pleosporaceae
based on its “applanodictyospore” and “terete pored
beak of the ascomata”. Currently, eleven species are
included in this genus (Shoemaker and Babcock 1992).
Another comparable pleosporalean family is Diademaceae,
which is distinguished from Platysporoides by its ascoma
opening as “an intraepidermal discoid lid” (Shoemaker and
Babcock 1992).
Phylogenetic study
None.
Concluding remarks
Aigialus grandis is another pleosporalean fungus
with flattened and muriform ascospores as well as
papilla and ostioles, which belongs to Aigialaceae, a
phylogenetically well supported marine family
(Suetrong et al. 2009). Thus, it is highly likely that
flattened and muriform ascospores are of little phylogenetic
significance.
Pleomassaria Speg., Anal. Soc. cient. argent. 9: 192
(1880). (Pleomassariaceae)
Generic description
Habitat terrestrial, saprobic. Ascomata medium to large,
solitary, scattered, or in small groups, immersed, erumpent
by a minute slit or a small conical swelling in the bark,
flattened, papillate, ostiolate. Hamathecium of dense,
cellular pseudoparaphyses, embedded in mucilage. Asci
bitunicate, fissitunicate, broadly cylindrical to broadly
cylindro-clavate, with a short, thick pedicel. Ascospores
muriform, brown, constricted at the septa.
Anamorphs reported for genus: Prosthemium and Shearia
(Barr 1982b; Sivanesan 1984).
Literature: Barr 1982b, 1990b, 1993a; Clements and Shear
1931; Eriksson 2006; Lumbsch and Huhndorf 2007;
Shoemaker and LeClair 1975; Sivanesan 1984; Tanaka
et al. 2005.
Type species
Pleomassaria siparia (Berk. & Broome) Sacc., Syll. fung.
2: 239 (1883) (Fig. 77)
≡ Sphaeria siparia Berk. & Broome, Ann. Mag. nat.
Hist., Ser. 2 9: 321 (1852).
Ascomata 150–410 μm high×440–740 μm diam.,
solitary, scattered, or in small groups, immersed, erumpent
by a minute slit or a small conical swelling in the bark,
depressed globose, papillalte, ostiolate (Fig. 77a). Peridium
45–60 μm wide, thicker at the apex, thinner at the
base, 1-layered, composed of small pigmented thickwalled
compressed cells, cells ca. 15×3μm diam., cell
wall 2–3.5 μm thick, apex cells larger, base composed of
small pigmented thick-walled cells of textura angularis,
ca. 5μm diam. (Fig. 77b). Hamathecium of dense, cellular
pseudoparaphyses, 1–2 μm broad, embedded in mucilage,
anastomosing or branching not observed. Asci 180–250×
28–42 μm (x¼206:3 36:8mm, n=10), 8-spored, bitunicate,
fissitunicate, broadly cylindrical to broadly cylindroclavate,
with a short, thick pedicel, 15–45 μm long, with
inconspicuous ocular chamber (Fig. 77c and d). Ascospores
45–58×12.5–17.5 μm (x ¼ 50:5 14:8mm, n=10),
biseriate, narrowly oblong with broadly to narrowly
rounded ends, brown, muriform with 5–8 transverse septa
and 1–2 vertical septa in some cells, smooth to verrucose,
constricted at the septa, surrounded by a mucilaginous
sheath (Fig. 77e, f and g).
Anamorph: Prosthemium betulinum Kunze (Sivanesan
1984).
Conidia to 120 μm diam., with 3–5 arms, each arm 3–5-
septate, 40–55×13–16 μm, connected to a central cell
(Fig. 77h, i and j).
Material examined: UK, Wiltshire, Spye Park, on
branch of Betulina with Hendersonia polycystis Berk., et
Br. leg. C.E. Broome, 1850? (BR, type).
Notes
Morphology
Pleomassaria as characterized by Barr (1982b) has
medium- to large-sized, immersed ascomata, cellular
pseudoparaphyses, clavate to oblong asci and large,
muriform ascospores (Barr 1982b; Sivanesan 1984). The
muriform and somewhat asymmetrical ascospores with a
submedian primary septum distinguish Pleomassaria from
Asteromassaria in the family Pleomassariaceae, while in
Splanchnonema ascospores have distinct bipolar asymmetry.
Barr (1982b) included five North American species in
the genus, while Kirk et al. (2008) listedfourspecies.