Pleosporales - CBS - KNAW

Fungal Diversity
Literature: Berkeley and Broome 1866; Keissler 1922;Massee
1887; Saccardo 1878a; Sivanesan 1983.
Type species
Anomalemma epochnii (Berk. & Broome) Sivan., Trans.
Br. Mycol. Soc. 81: 328 (1983). (Fig. 4)
≡ Sphaeria epochnii Berk. & Broome, Ann. Mag. nat.
Hist., Ser. 3 18: 128 (1866).
Ascomata 340–500 μm high×170–286 μm diam., gregarious
on the intertwined hyphae, superficial, papillate, wall
black, coriaceous, roughened (Fig. 4a). Peridium composed of
two types of cells, outer layer 17–22 μm wide, composed of
heavily pigmented thick-walled cells of textura angularis,
cells up to 8×13 μm diam., cell wall 1–1.5 μm thick, inner
layer 30–34 μm thick, composed of hyaline thin-walled cells
(Fig. 4d). Hamathecium of dense, long cellular pseudoparaphyses,
2–4 μm broad, septate. Asci 75–108×9.5–12.5 μm
(x ¼ 92:8 11:1mm, n=10), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate,
dehiscence not observed, cylindro-clavate to clavate, with
a furcate pedicel up to 6–25 μm long, with a small ocular
chamber best seen in immature asci (ca. 2μm wide×1 μm
high) (Fig. 4b and c). Ascospores 20–25(−30)×5–7.5 μm
(x ¼ 23:1 6:3mm, n=10), obliquely uniseriate and partially
overlapping to biseriate, fusoid to narrowly fusoid with narrowly
rounded ends, brown, 1-septate, rarely 2- to 3-septate, deeply
constricted at the median septum, smooth (Fig. 4e, f, g and h).
Anamorph: Exosporiella fungorum (Fr.) P. Karst.
(Sivanesan 1983).
= Epochnium fungorum Fr., Syst. mycol. 3: 449 (1832).
Mycelium composed of branched, septate, pale brown
hyphae. Stroma none. Conidiophores macronematous or
semi-macronematous, mononematous, hyaline, smooth,
branched towards the apex. Conidiogenous cells monoblastic,
cylindrical or doliform. Conidia cylindrical or
ellipsoidal, dry, 3-4-septate, smooth, hyaline or pale brown.
Material examined: UK, England, Warleigh near Bath,
on fungus on bark (Epochnium sp.), Mar. 1866, leg.
Warbright? (K(M):143936, syntype, ex herb. C.E.
Broome).
Notes
Morphology
Sphaeria epochnii was first described and illustrated by
Berkeley and Broome (1866) from Britain and the anamorphic
stage is the hyphomycetous Epochniella fungorum. Sphaeria
epochnii has subsequently been transferred to Melanomma (as
M. epochnii (Berk. & Broome) Sacc.; Saccardo 1878a),
Byssosphaeria (as B. epochnii (Berk. & Broome) Cooke;
Massee 1887) andChaetosphaeria (as C. epochnii (Berk. &
Broome) Keissl.; Keissler 1922). The deposition of Sphaeria
epochnii in Chaetosphaeria is obviously unacceptable, as
Chaetosphaeria has unitunicate asci. Melanomma has been
reported having Aposphaeria or Pseudospiropes anamorphs,
which differs from Exosporiella (Sivanesan 1983). In addition,
the presence of well developed prosenchymatous stroma
in Sphaeria epochnii can also readily distinguish it from
Melanomma (Sivanesan 1983).
The gregarious ascomata and formation of prosenchymatous
stroma of Anomalemma resembles those of Cucurbitaria,
but the pleosporaceous dictyosporous ascospores of Cucurbitaria
readily distinguish it from Anomalemma epochnii. In
addition, the pseudoparenchymatous peridium, fungicolous
habitat and brown 1-septate ascospores, which later becoming
3-septate differ from any other pleosporalean genus. Thus a
new genus, Anomalemma, was introduced to accommodate it
(Sivanesan 1983). Anomalemma is presently monotypic.
Phylogenetic study
None.
Concluding remarks
Anomalemma epochnii certainly resembles Byssosphaeria
in its ascomata clustering together in groups on closely
intertwined hyphae and brown ascospores, and may well be
included in this genus. Its fungicolous habitat, however,
distinguishes it from Byssosphaeria.
Appendispora K.D. Hyde, Sydowia 46: 29 (1994a).
(?Didymellaceae)
Generic description
Habitat terrestrial, saprobic. Ascomata small, clustered,
immersed, subglobose or irregularly pyriform. Peridium
thin. Hamathecium of dense, long trabeculate pseudoparaphyses.
Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical,
apical rounded with ocular chamber and faint ring, with
short pedicels. Ascospores uniseriate to partially overlapping,
fusoid, brown, 1-septate, slightly constricted at the septum.
Anamorphs reported for genus: none.
Literature: Hyde 1994a.
Type species
Appendispora frondicola K.D. Hyde, Sydowia 46: 30
(1994a). (Fig. 5)
Ascomata 120–280 μm high×180–280 μm diam., clustered,
immersed with minute ostioles visible through cracks
or blackened dots on the host surface, subglobose or
irregularly pyriform (Fig. 5a and b). Peridium 40 μm thick,
comprising two types of cells; outer cells, small heavily
pigmented thick-walled cells of textura angularis, innercells
compressed, hyaline. Hamathecium of dense, very long
trabeculate pseudoparaphyses, ca. 1μm broad, embedded in
mucilage, hyaline, anastomosing (Fig. 5e). Asci 130–144×11–