Alascospora evergladensis
Alascospora evergladensis Raja, Violi & Shearer, Mycologia 102(1): 36 (2010) Fig. 1
Index Fungorum number: IF 514032; Facesoffungi number: FoF 06209
Saprobic on petiole of Nymphaea odorata. Sexual morph: Ascomata 125–232 high × 135–236 µm diam., superficial to partly immersed, scattered, globose, subglobose or hemispherical and flattened at the base, membranaceous, ostiolate, light brown, translucent when young, darkening with age. Peridium 5–10 µm wide, composed of hyaline to brown pseudoparenchymatic cells, with dark brown amorphous material deposited irregularly on the peridial surface, especially dense around the ostiole. Pseudoparaphyses not observed. Asci 38–59 µm × 38–63 µm (x̅ = 54.5 × 63 µm, n = 10), bitunicate, fissitunicate, multiguttulate, thick-walled, globose to subglobose, short, pedicellate, containing eight irregularly arranged ascospores, without an ocular chamber, rounded at the apex. Ascospores 30–35 µm × 12–16 µm (x̅ = 33 × 14.5 µm, n = 10), ellipsoidal, 1-septate, with thin septum, hyaline when immature, becoming dark brown when mature, upper cell longer and wider than lower cell, with apical papillae and appressed sheath outlining the ascospores. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Material examined – USA, Florida, Everglades Water Management District, Water Conservation Area 2A, phosphorus unenriched site U3, 26o17’15.070”N, 80o 24’41.08”W, water temperature 19 oC, pH 7, on submerged petiole of Nymphaea odorata (Nymphaeaceae), 17 November 2008, Huzefa A. Raja and Helen Violi. (ILL40789, micro slide of holotype).
Economic significance – Alascospora evergladensis is a saprobe and plays a role in breakdown and mineralization of organic matter in freshwater habitats (Jones et al. 2000).
Figure 1 – Alascospora evergladensis (ILL40789, holotype). a Herbarium specimen. b Section of ascoma (redrawn from Raja et al. 2010). c Squash amount of ascomata. d Mycelium. e, f Young, globose, thick-walled ascus. g Globose to subglobose ascus with mature ascospores. h Young, multiguttulate, septate, ascospore with wing-shaped gelatinous sheath (arrows indicate wing-shape gelatinous sheath which swells in water when freshly collected). i Mature ascospores showing verruculose sheath (arrows indicate appressed sheath). j–k Spore surface showing appressed sheath that appears verruculose due to condensed sheath (j: arrow indicate apical papillae, k: arrow shows septum). Scale bars: b = 50 μm, c = 100 μm, d–g = 20 μm, i–k = 5 μm.
References
Jones EBG. 2000 – Marine fungi: some factors influencing biodiversity. Fungal Diversity 4: 53–73.
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