Pleosporales - CBS - KNAW

Fungal Diversity
Concluding remarks
The genera Asteromassaria, Pleomassaria and Splanchnonema
of Pleomassariaceae areconsideredtobeclosely
related and difficult to separate (Barr 1982b; Crivelli 1983).
They all have ascomata which are immersed in bark and are
visible as slightly raised pustules with small ostioles, but
may eventually become erumpent (e.g. Asteromassaria
macrospora). Pseudoparaphyses are cellular, asci are bitunicate,
while ascospores vary from 1-septate and pale brown
(e.g. Asteromassaria macrospora) tomuriform(e.g.Pleomassaria
siparia) and may be symmetrical (e.g. Asteromassaria
macrospora) or highly asymmetrical (e.g.
Splanchnonema pustulatum). The peridium ranges from
thick-walled textura angularis (e.g. Asteromassaria macrospora)
to thin-walled compressed cells (e.g. Splanchnonema
pustulatum) and medium textura prismatica (e.g. Pleomassaria
siparia). Anamorphs also vary distinctly, Prosthemium
in Pleomassaria siparia, Scolicosporium in Asteromassaria
macrospora but no anamorphic stage reported for Splanchnonema
pustulatum. Furthermore, Asteromassaria pulchra
clusters in Morosphaeriaceae in this study, thus here we
tentatively assign Asteromassaria in Morosphaeriaceae
(Plate 1). There seems to be considerable confusion in this
family, especially when Pleomassaria siparia forms a robust
phylogenetic clade with Melanomma pulvis-pyrius (Melannomataceae).
Thus in this study, Pleomassariaceae is
restated as a separate family from Melannomataceae.
Therefore, fresh collections of the types of these genera are
needed for molecular analysis and to establish which
characters are important for classification.
Pleophragmia Fuckel, Jb. nassau. Ver. Naturk. 23–24: 243
(1870). (Sporormiaceae)
Generic description
Habitat terrestrial, saprobic (coprophilous). Ascomata smallto
medium-sized, gregarious, immersed to erumpent, globose
to subglobose, black, coriaceous; apex with a short papilla,
or sometimes forming an ostiolar pore. Peridium thin,
composed of several layers of thin-walled cells of textura
angularis. Hamathecium of dense, delicate pseudoparaphyses.
Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, clavate to
cylindro-clavate, with a relatively long pedicel and an ocular
chamber. Ascospores muriform, narrow oblong to cylindrical
with rounded ends, dark brown, constricted at each septum.
Anamorphs reported for genus: none.
Literature: von Arx and Müller 1975; Cain 1934.
Type species
Pleophragmia leporum Fuckel, Jb. nassau. Ver. Naturk.
23–24 (1870) [1869–70]. (Fig. 78)
Ascomata 330–480 μm high×320–430 μm diam.,
gregarious, immersed to slightly erumpent, globose to
subglobose, black; apex with a short papilla, sometimes
forming a ostiolar pore (Fig. 78a). Peridium 25–35 μm
thick at the sides, composed of one cell type of lightly
pigmented thin-walled cells of textura angularis, cells 6–
10 μm diam., cell wall 1.5–2 μm thick (Fig. 78b).
Hamathecium of numerous, long pseudoparaphyses, 1–
2 μm broad, anastomosing not observed. Asci 160–250×
22.5–27.5 μm (x ¼ 203:6 25mm, n=10), 8-spored, bitunicate,
fissitunicate, clavate to cylindro-clavate, with a 20–
50 μm long pedicel and an ocular chamber (to 5 μm wide×
2 μm high) (Fig. 78e and f). Ascospores 42–50×8–10 μm
(x ¼ 46 10mm, n=10), biseriate to uniseriate and partially
overlapping, narrowly oblong to cylindrical with rounded
ends, dark brown, often slightly curved, with 9 transverse
septa with two crossing longitudinal septa in the centre,
constricted at each septum, smooth-walled (Fig. 78c, d, g
and h).
Anamorph: none reported.
Material examined: GERMANY, between Königstein
and Glashütten, on the same dung with Delitschia minuta.
s.d. (G, Fungi rhenani n2272, type).
Notes
Morphology
Pleophragmia was formally established by Fuckel
(1870) and monotypified by Pleophragmia leporum. The
most comparable genus to Pleophragmia is Sporormia, as
ascospores of both have no germ slits and the inner layer of
wall is considerably thinner than the outer layer (Barr
1990a, b). But the muriform ascospores of Pleophragmia
can be readily distinguished from the phragmosporous
ascospores of Sporormia. Currently, only four species are
accommodated under this genus (http://www.mycobank.
org, 28-02-2009).
Phylogenetic study
None.
Concluding remarks
The presence of both transverse and crossing longitudinal
septa is the most striking character of Pleophragmia, although
the phylogenetic significance of this character is unclear.
Pleoseptum A.W. Ramaley & M.E. Barr, Mycotaxon 54: 76
(1995). (Phaeosphaeriaceae)
Generic description
Habitat terrestrial, saprobic? Ascomata medium-sized,
scattered, or in small groups, immersed, globose to conoid,