Trichopeltheca
Trichopeltheca Bat., C.A.A. Costa & Cif., Atti Ist. bot. Univ. Lab. crittog. Pavia, Ser. 5 15: 44 (1958).
Index Fungorum number: IF 5565; Facesoffungi number: FoF 07917, 2 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.
Parasitic on leaves. Thalli composed of irregularly radiating strap-shaped branches, setose up to 9 mm across. Hyphae comprising the thallus branch rarely, appear almost parallel. Ends of marginal hyphae closely adpressed to the neighbouring ones, margin always crenate and entire and not fimbriate. Thallus cells pale brown to brown, more or less rectangular. Setae scanty or abundant, 3-16-septate, slightly constricted at the septa, rough-walled, tapering gradually toward a rounded apex. Asexual morph: Phialophores 4-11-septate, tapering gradually toward the apex, brown to dark brown below and brown to pale brown above. A single whorl of 4-5(-6) phialides is borne just below the apex; rarely a second whorl of phialides present round the apex of the penultimate cell, and rarely a 1- or two-celled branch arising from one of the upper cells may also bear a terminal whorl. Phialides subglobose to ellipsoidal, subhyaline to pale brown, with a more or less cylindrical, tapering, or cup-shaped collarette, borne obliquely near the apex; the collarettes are directed upwards and are closely adpressed. Phialospores hyaline, ellipsoidal, produced in a sparse slimy mass round the collarettes. Phragmoconidia scattered, occasionally produced in groups, 9-16-septate, pale brown to dark brown, fusiform, curved, tapering toward a cylindrical base which is subhyaline just above the basal scar, and tapering toward the subhyaline apex which is subulate or attenuated. They do not become detached readily from the thallus. Sexual morph: Perithecia subglobose, setose. Asci more or less obovoid. Ascospores broadly obovoid, strongly mucronate at the base, rounded at the apex, 3-septate, with one or both central cells once longitudinally septate (adapted from Hughes 1965).
Type species: Trichopeltheca asiatica Bat., C.A.A. Costa & Cif.
Notes: Trichopeltheca is characterised by 4−11-septate phialophores, subglobose to ellipsoidal, subhyaline to pale brown phialides, hyaline, ellipsoidal phialospores and scattered, occasionally produced in groups, 9−16-septate, pale brown to dark brown, fusiform phragmoconidia. The sexual morph is characterised by subglobose, setose perithecia, more or less obovoid asci and broadly obovoid, strongly mucronate, 3-septate ascospores. Trichopeltheca resembles Saccardinula in having muriform ascospores but differs in having clavate to sub-cylindrical asci and “root”-like shaped thallus while Saccardinula has globose to ovoid asci and rounded thallus (Spegazzini 1885; Batista et al. 1958). Trichopeltheca is a distinct genus in Trichopeltinaceae but molecular data is needed to confirm this taxonomic placement.
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