Dermatodothis javanica

Dermatodothis javanica Racib., in Theissen & Sydow, Annls mycol. 12(3): 280 (1914)                      Figs 43, 44

Index Fungorum number: IF 153862; Facesoffungi number: FoF 06231

Saprobic or parasitic on leaves of Symplocos sp. Sexual morph: Pseudothecia 304–980 µm high × 283–969 µm diam., epiphyllous, scattered, solitary, or in small groups, gregarious, carbonaceous, subcuticular, hemispheric, postulate, more or less lenticular or conical, single or multiple to a flat, forming leaf spot, dark brown to black sometimes confluent, with superficial mycelial surrounding the pseudothecia. Peridium coriaceous, pseudoparanchymatous, thick-walled, dark-brown, thick in the upper part, becoming thicker towards the basal part of the lateral wall. Hypostroma subcuticular, composed of 1–2 layers of hyaline, palisadely arranged cells. Asci not observed. Ascospores 20–26 µm × 3–5 µm (x̅ = 23.6 × 4.2 µm, n = 10), fusiform to elliptical, 3-septate, constricted at the septa, hyaline to pale brown. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Material examined – CHINA, Hainan, Ling-shui, on leaves of Symplocos sp (Symplocaceae), 25 May 1934, SQ Deng (CUP-CH-001276).

Notes – The asci of Dermatodothis javanica could not be observed from the herbarium specimen. We illustrate a drawing of the asci of Dermatodothis javanica as reported by Hsieh & Chen (1993) and a section of the stroma as reported by Müller (1975). The ascospores as described by Hsieh and Chen (1993) are 2-septate, but the specimen we observed has 3-septate ascospores which are same as reported by Raciborsky (1914) and Müller (1975).

Economic significance – The genus Dermatodothis has been reported to be associated with hosts in the wet tropics of northern Queensland and causes dark-brown to black spots on hosts (Shivas & Alcorn 1996).

Figure 43 – A section through a stromal part of Dermatodothis javanica with two fruiting body cavities (redrawn from Müller (1975). b–d Asci and ascospores of Dermatodothis javanica (redrawn from Hsieh & Chen 1993). Scale bar : a = 50 µm, b–d = 10 µm.