Plochmopeltis
Plochmopeltis Theiss., Brotéria, sér. bot. 12: 87 (1914).
Index Fungorum number: IF 4257; Facesoffungi number: FoF 01940, 5 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.
Epiphytic on lower surface of leaves of Quercus spp. and some flowering plants. Sexual morph: Ascostromata scattered, solitarily, flattened, brown to dark brown, superficial, dimidiate to scutate, or crustaceous, multi-loculate, without walls, lacking peridia, covering by reddish brown hyphae, septate, roughly coarse, with brown to reddish brown mycelium clumps at the top, or membranous, composed of sub hyaline to light brown, mycelial networks, with each ascus forming in a locule, which is a cell in a network-like structure. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, globose to subglobose, or clavate, short to long pedicellate, apically rounded with obtuse ocular chamber and thick apex. Ascospores overlapping irregular tri- to penta-seriate, hyaline, ellipsoidal to oblong or clavate, septate, slightly constricted at the septum, smooth-walled. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Phookamsak et al. 2016).
Type species: Plochmopeltis intricata (Ellis & G. Martin) Theiss.
Notes: Plochmopeltis was introduced by Theissen (1914) with P. intricata as type species. Plochmopeltis intricata was previously known as Asterina intricata Ellis & G. Martin. Several epiphytic collections found from Florida by Saccardo (1891), were classified in different genera namely Calothyrium Theiss., Microthyriella Höhn., Microthyrium Desm., and Stomiopeltis Theiss by Theissen (1912) based on the flattened, sessile, superficial ascomata. Theissen (1912) and Petrak (1929) reclassified these species as Microthyriella. Later, Theissen (1914) placed these species in the genus Plochmopeltis. According to Theissen (1914) and Petrak (1929), Plochmopeltis form peridia with small plectenchymatous cells. Von Arx (1959b) re-circumscribed the genus Plochmopeltis based on the type specimen of Asterina intricata and pointed out that Plochmopeltis did not form peridia, but rather had confluent mycelium with clumps at the apex, covering the asci. A new species, Plochmopeltis ellisii Arx was consequently added by von Arx (1959b). Since then several species were introduced in Plochmopeltis by several authors (Müller and von Arx 1962; Gómez 1998). Phookamsak et al. (2016) observed the type specimen of P. intricata and transfer Plochmopeltis to Schizothyriaceae. Plochmopeltis is characterised by superficial ascomata on the host, lacks a peridium, but forms confluent mycelium, with brown hyphae clumps at the apex covering the asci and indistinct network-like structure. Plochmopeltis is a tentative genus in Schizothyriaceae and molecular data is needed to confirm this taxonomic placement.
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