Pleosporales - CBS - KNAW

Fungal Diversity
at the septa, dark brown, the apical cells paler with no
longitudinal septa, verruculose (Fig. 14e and f).
Anamorph: none reported.
Material examined: NEW ZEALAND, North Island,
Wairarapa District, Nutty Farm, isolated from soil, 3 Mar.
1978, Chea Chark Yen & J.E. Sheridan (CBS 107.79,
isotype).
Notes
Morphology
Bimuria novae-zelandiae was first isolated from soil of a
barley field in New Zealand (Hawksworth et al. 1979). Based
on B. novae-zelandiae, the genus is characterized by a very
thin peridium, mostly 2-spored and fissitunicate asci as well as
the muriform, dark brown, verrucose ascospores (Hawksworth
et al. 1979). Because of its unique morphological characters,
the familial placement of this genus has been debatable and it
has been placed in Pleosporaceae (Hawksworth et al. 1979),
in Phaeosphaeriaceae (Barr 1987b)andinMelanommataceae
(Lumbsch and Huhndorf 2007).
Morphologically, Bimuria is most comparable with
some superficially similar or allied genera, in particular
Montagnula (Hawksworth et al. 1979). However, the thick
carbonaceous peridium distinguishes Montagnula from
that of Bimuria (Hawksworth et al. 1979). In addition, the
ascospores of Montagnula are discharged forcibly through
the ostiole instead of forming a mass outside of the ostiole
as in Bimuria (Hawksworth et al. 1979). Ascomauritiana
lignicola V.M. Ranghoo & K.D. Hyde has somewhat
similar ascospores in 4-spored asci, but this taxon has
unitunicate asci (Ranghoo and Hyde 1999). The morphological
characters of Bimuria, such as ascospore release
and large, thick-walled ascospores may be an adaptation to
its soil-borne habitat (Hawksworth et al. 1979).
Phylogenetic study
Bimuria novae-zelandiae was found to be closely related
to Phaeodothis winteri (Niessl) Aptroot (syn. Didymosphaerella
opulenta (De Not.) Checa & M.E. Barr) and
Montagnula opulenta (De Not.) Aptroot in analysis of
combined sequences, i.e. SSU rDNA, LSU rDNA, RPB2
and TEF1 sequences (Schoch et al. 2006, 2009). These two
species had been included by Barr (2001) in her new family
Montagnulaceae.
Concluding remarks
We agree with Barr (2001) and include the genus in
Montagnulaceae based on both morphological and phylogenetic
characters.
Bricookea M.E. Barr, Mycotaxon 15: 346 (1982).
(?Phaeosphaeriaceae)
Generic description
Habitat terrestrial, saprobic (or parasitic?). Ascomata small- to
medium-sized, solitary, scattered, or in small groups, immersed,
erumpent to superficial, depressed globose, papillate,
ostiolate. Peridium thin. Hamathecium filliform, cellular
pseudoparaphyses, embedded in mucilage, anastomosing,
septate. Asci bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical, cylindroclavate
or slightly obclavate, with a short knob-like pedicel,
with an ocular chamber. Ascospores hyaline, ellipsoid to
narrowly obovoid, 3-septate, constricted at each septum.
Anamorphs reported for genus: none.
Literature:Barr1982a;Berlese1896;Holm1957; Shoemaker
and Babcock 1989a.
Type species
Bricookea sepalorum (Vleugel) M.E. Barr, Mycotaxon 15:
346 (1982). (Fig. 15).
≡ Metasphaeria sepalorum Vleugel, Svensk bot. Tidskr.
2: 369 (1908).
Ascomata 120–250 μm high×170–440 μm diam., solitary,
scattered, or in small groups, or forming locules in massive
stromatic tissues, initially immersed, becoming erumpent, to
nearly superficial, depressed globose, black, membraneous,
roughened; apex rounded, sometimes very short and almost
inconspicuous, with a somewhat slit-like or Y-shaped ostiole
(Fig. 15a). Peridium 16–30 μm wide, comprising two types of
cells, outer cells heavily pigmented thick-walled textura
angularis, cells 4.5–8 μm diam., cell wall 1–1.5 μm thick,
inner cells of subhyaline thin-walled textura angularis, cells
larger than outer cells (Fig. 15b). Hamathecium of long
cellular pseudoparaphyses, 1.5–2 μm broad, embedded in
mucilage, anastomosing, septate. Asci 63–83×9.5–11 μm
(x ¼ 73:8 10:8mm, n=10), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate,
oblong, cylindro-clavate or slightly obclavate, with a short
knob-like pedicel which is 5–13 μm long, with an ocular
chamber (Fig. 15c, d and e). Ascospores (14-)15.5–19×5–
7 μm (x ¼ 16:9 5:9mm, n=10), obliquely uniseriate and
partially overlapping to biseriate, ellipsoid to narrowly
obovoid, hyaline, 3-septate, constricted at each septum, the
cells above central septum often broader than the lower ones,
smooth (Fig. 15f, g, h, i and j).
Anamorph: none reported.
Material examined: SWEDEN, on Juncus filliformis,
Stockholm, J. Vleugel. Jul. 1907 (S, type as Metasphaeria
sepalorum Vleugel).
Notes
Morphology
Bricookea was formally established by Barr (1982a) asa
monotypic genus represented by B. sepalorum basedonits