Pleosporales - CBS - KNAW

Fungal Diversity
Notes
Morphology
Herpotrichia was established by Fuckel (1868) comprising
two species H. rhenana Fuckel and H. rubi Fuckel, but
no generic type was assigned. Bose (1961) designatedH.
rhenana as the lectotype species with H. rubi as a synonym.
This proposal was followed by Müller and von Arx (1962)
and Sivanesan (1971). Herpotrichia rubi was later assigned
as the generic type (Holm 1979) as it was found to be validly
published 2 years earlier than H. rhenana, thus having
priority (Cannon 1982). However, Cannon (1982) reported
that Sphaeria herpotrichoides Fuckel (1864, cited as a
synonym of H. rhenana) was the earliest name. Thus he
made a new combination as H. herpotrichoides (Fuckel) P.F.
Cannon and cited H. rubi as the synonym. Herpotrichia rubi
is maintained as the type of the genus (Holm 1979; Cannon
1982), but the current name is H. herpotrichoides.
Herpotrichia is a morphologically well studied genus
(Barr 1984; Bose 1961; Müller and von Arx 1962;
Pirozynski 1972; Samuels and Müller 1978; Sivanesan
1971, 1984), and Herpotrichia sensu lato is characterized
by having subglobose, pyriform to obpyriform ascomata
and a peridium of textura angularis or comprising thickwalled
polygonal cells with thin-walled hyaline cells
towards the centre. Asci are clavate to cylindrical, 4–8-
spored and ascospores are hyaline at first, becoming pale to
dark brown, one to many septate, constricted or not at the
septa and often surrounded by a mucilaginous sheath.
Several morphologically distinct genera were synonymized
under Herpotrichia using the above broad circumscription
(Barr 1984; Müller and von Arx 1962; Sivanesan 1984). In
particular, Barr kept Lojkania as a separate genus after
studying its type material (Barr 1984, 1990a). Sivanesan
(1984) was also of the opinion that Lojkania and Neopeckia
were distinct genera as several of their characters differed.
Byssosphaeria and Pseudotrichia have subsequently been
assigned to Melanommataceae, Lojkania to Fenestellaceae
and Neopeckia to Coccoideaceae (Barr 1984). Herpotrichia
sensu stricto is represented by H. rubi and has erumpent to
superficial ascomata or immersed in a subiculum, clavate to
cylindrical, 4–8-spored, stalked asci with a conspicuous
apical “nasse”, hyaline, 1-septate ascospores, usually becoming
pale brown and several septate, constricted or not
constricted at septa, usually surrounded by sheath (Sivanesan
1984). Currently, about 90 species are included in this genus
(http://www.indexfungorum.org/, 12/01/2009).
Phylogenetic study
Herpotrichia diffusa (Schwein.) Ellis & Everh., H.
juniperi (Duby) Petr., H. herpotrichoides and H. macrotricha
have been shown to have phylogenetic affinity with
the generic types of Byssosphaeria schiedermayeriana,
Melanomma pulvis-pyrius and Pleomassaria siparia, which
had been assigned under Melanommataceae (Kruys et al.
2006; Mugambi and Huhndorf 2009b; Schoch et al. 2006,
2009; Zhang et al. 2009a). In this study, Pleomassaria
siparia together with its closely related species of Prosthemium
is kept in a separate family, viz Pleomassariaceae.
Concluding remarks
Even species under Herpotrichia sensu stricto (according
to Sivanesan 1984) have diverse hosts (such as
gymnosperms (H. coulteri (Peck) S.K. Bose and H. parasitica
(R. Hartig) Rostr.) and angiosperms (H. diffusa and
H. villosa Samuels & E. Müll.)) or substrates (like dead or
living leaves, bark or decorticated wood) (Sivanesan 1984).
Species of Herpotrichia sensu stricto are also reported from
various locations such as Europe, Asia or America, and
they have various life styles, e.g. parasitic, hyperparasitic or
saprobic (Sivanesan 1984). Additional factors (like hosts or
locations) may need to be considered in order to get a
natural concept for Herpotrichia.
Immotthia M.E. Barr, Mycotaxon 29: 504 (1987).
(Teichosporaceae)
Generic description
Habitat terrestrial, hyperparasitic. Ascomata gregarious,
globose, superficial, ostiolate, periphysate. Hamathecium
of cellular pseudoparaphyses. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate,
cylindrical, with a short pedicel. Ascospores 1-seriate,
ellipsoidal, brown to reddish brown, 1-septate, constricted
at the septum, smooth.
Anamorphs reported for genus: none.
Literature: Barr 1987a, 2002; Wang et al. 2004.
Type species
Immotthia hypoxylon (Ellis & Everh.) M.E. Barr, Mycotaxon
29: 504 (1987). (Fig. 37)
≡ Amphisphaeria hypoxylon Ellis & Everh., J. Mycol. 2:
41 (1886).
Ascomata gregarious, globose, superficial, ostiolate,
periphysate, papillate (Fig. 37a). Hamathecium of cellular
pseudoparaphyses, 2–2.5 μm broad, septate. Asci 60–82×
7–9 μm, 8-spored, bitunicate, cylindrical, with a short
pedicel (Fig. 37b, c and d). Ascospores 10–13×4.4–5.4 μm,
1-seriate, ellipsoidal, brown to reddish brown, 1-septate,
constricted at the septum, smooth (Fig. 37f, g and h)
(adapted from Wang et al. 2004).
Anamorph: none reported.
Material examined: USA, Louisiana, Pointe a la
Hache, on decaying wood, a branch of Carya oliviformis
(Juglandaceae) lying on the ground in grass (parasitic on