Phaeosclera
Phaeosclera Sigler, Tsuneda & J.W. Carmich., Mycotaxon 12(2): 461 (1981).
Index Fungorum number: IF 9316; Facesoffungi number: FoF 12379, 1 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), 1 species with molecular data.
Saprobic or pathogenic on blocks of Pinus contorta after 3 weeks, colonies consist of bulbil-like masses with a slimy coating. Sexual morph: Unknown. Asexual morph: Few hyphae are produced. Colonies on all media appear similar. On agar without cellophane, dull black, slow growing, matted, cerebriform, dry or enveloped in slime and glistening. Colonies elevating and after 4–5 weeks may touch the lid of the petri dish. The margin digs into the agar below the colony. Because the colonies are tough and matted or enveloped in slime, they are difficult to tease apart for microscopic preparations and when dried become extremely hard. Hyphae dematiaceous, septate, rapidly converted to thick-walled bulbil-like masses. The conversion occurs randomly as short segments of a hypha enlarge and divide both transversely and longitudinally. Eventually the entire hypha is converted to a bulbil-like mass of sclerotic cells. Older cultures are composed of dark brown, smooth bulbil like masses of variable size which separate from each other reluctantly even when teased apart. They are sometimes covered in a slimy coating. Occasionally a splitting or shredding of the wall of a bulbil could be seen. No other conidia produced on any medium or at different temperatures (adapted from Sigler 1981).
Type species: Phaeosclera dematioides Sigler, Tsuneda & J.W. Carmich.
Notes: Phaeosclera is characterised by dematiaceous, septate hyphae rapidly converted to thick-walled bulbil-like masses. Wijayawardene et al. (2017, 2020) and Kirk et al. (2013) listed Phaeosclera in Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis. Molecular data is available for P. dematioides (ITS, LSU, SSU, TEF-1 and RPB2). Isotype and cultures are available (CBS H-7557; CBS 157.81). More collections with DNA sequence data are needed to confirm the systematic position of Phaeosclera.
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