Patellariales » Patellariaceae

Poetschia

Poetschia Körb., Parerga lichenol. (Breslau) 3: 280 (1861) [1865].

 Index Fungorum number: IF 4289; Facesoffungi number: FoF 00359, 4 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.

Saprobic on bark in terrestrial habitats. Sexual morph: Ascomata apothecial, scattered, superficial, mostly sessile, closed when young and becoming open when mature, globose, black, with the rim slightly elevated than the center, becoming convex when rehydrated. Exciple pseudoparenchymatous, 2-layered, cells of outer layer thick and black, inner layer comprising thin cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium composed of unbranched, hyaline, septate, pseudoparaphyses, with slightly swollen cells forming a dark epithecium above the asci. Asci bitunicate, 8-spored, thin-layered when mature, obovoid, clavate, broad, short pedicellate, with a thick ocular chamber. Ascospores irregularly arranged, ellipsoidal to obovoid, with wide upper cell and narrow lower cell, uniseptate, constricted at the septa, gray brown to brown, smooth-walled. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Yacharoen et al. 2015).

 Type species: Poetschia buellioides Körb.

Notes: Poetschia is characterised by apothecial, scattered, superficial ascomata, pseudoparenchymatous, 2-layered exciple, obovoid, clavate asci and ellipsoidal to obovoiduniseptate ascospores. Köerber (1861) referred Poetschia to the family Calycieae and subfamily Lahmiea. Saccardo (1889) synonymized Poetschia under Karschia. Hafellner (1979) expanded the generic concept of Poetschia and transferred it to Dothideales without a familial rank. Hafellner (1979) accepted four species and two varieties. Kutorga and Hawksworth (1997) transferred Poetschia to Patellariaceae and accepted four species, Poetschia andicola, P. buellioides, P. caerulescens and P. cratincola based on apothecial ascomata, a receptacle with pseudoparenchyma and bitunicate asci. Yacharoen et al. (2015) studied the isotype specimen of P. buellioides (L4192, N910.204-614) and accepted Poetschia in Patellariaceae based on similar morphological characters as reported by Kutorga and Hawksworth (1997). Poetschia is a distinct genus in Patellariaceae. Molecular data is lacking. Fresh collections with DNA sequence data are needed to confirm the taxonomic placement of the genus.

 

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