Lophionema
Lophionema Sacc., Syll. fung. (Abellini) 2: 717 (1883).
Index Fungorum number: IF 2930; Facesoffungi number: FoF 12268, 9 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.
Saprobic on host. Sexual morph: Ascomata solitary, scattered or in small groups, immersed to erumpent, globose to subglobose, with a flattened base, wall black, papillate, ostiolate. Peridium comprising two types of cells which merge in the middle. Hamathecium of trabeculate pseudoparaphyses, septate, rarely anastomosing and branching. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate unknown, clavate to cylindro-clavate, with a short and furcate pedicel and a small inconspicuous ocular chamber. Ascospores filiform, hyaline to pale yellow, multi-septate, slightly constricted at each septum. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Zhang et al. 2012).
Type species: Lophionema vermisporum (Ellis) Sacc.
Notes: Lophionema is characterised by solitary, scattered ascomata, clavate to cylindro-clavate asci and filiform, hyaline to pale yellow, multiseptateascospores. Berlese (1890) treated Lophionema in Lophiostomataceae. Berlese (1890) also reported that Lophionema morphologically resembles Ophiobolus in having variable apex. Shoemaker (1976) transferred L. vermisporum to Ophiobolus sensu lato. Chesters and Bell (1970) considered Lophionema as related to Lophiostoma even though the two genera had distinct ascospore morphology. Barr (1992b) transferred L. vermisporum to Entodesmium based on the ascomatal morphology, papilla, peridium structure, pseudoparaphyses and hyaline or somewhat yellowish ascospores with a terminal appendage. Entodesmium occurs on legumes while Lophionema is saprobic on dead stems of Oenothera biennis (Onagraceae). Zhang et al. (2012) examined the holotype and isotype of L. vermisporum (NY 643 and NY 885) and reported filiform ascospores, bitunicate asci, pseudoparaphyses and a peridium similar to members of Tubeufiaceae. Zhang et al. (2012) mentioned that Lophionema might belong to Lophiostomataceae based on the immersed to erumpent ascomata, trabeculate pseudoparaphyses and laterally flattened papilla and periphysate ostioles. Zhang et al. (2012) maintained Lophionema as a distinct genus with filiform ascospores in Lophiostomataceae. Wijayawardene et al. (2017, 2020) listed Lophionema in Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis. Molecular data is lacking. Fresh collections with DNA sequence data are needed to confirm the taxonomic placement of Lophionema.
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