Mycopepon
Mycopepon Boise, Syst. Ascom. 6(1): 168 (1987).
Index Fungorum number: IF 25196; Facesoffungi number: FoF 04631, 4 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), 3 species with molecular data.
Saprobic on decorticated wood. Sexual morph: Ascostromata solitary to gregarious, superficial, visible as black, carbonaceous, pumpkin-like in shape on the host surface, 3–5 locules, short stalked, an eccentric papillate with central ostiole. Locules globose to subglobose, sharing one ostiole. Peridium thick-walled, brittle, compose of several heavily pigmented, carbonaceous, scleroparenchymatous cells, arranged in a textura angularis to textura globulosa. Hamathecium comprising numerous, anastomosing, narrow trabeculate pseudoparaphyses, embedded in mucilaginous matrix. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, clavate to cylindric-clavate, short-pedicellate, apically rounded, with ocular chamber. Ascospores overlapping, 1–3-seriate, brown to dark brown or reddish brown, paler at the end cells, fusiform, initially aseptate, becoming 3-septate at maturity. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Doilom et al. 2018).
Type species: Mycopepon guianensis Boise
Notes: Mycopepon is characterised by solitary to gregarious, superficial ascostromata, globose to subglobose locules, clavate to cylindric-clavate asci and 1–3-seriate, brown to dark brown or reddish brown ascospores. Boise (1994) re-examined a specimen of Pseudovalsa smithii Ellis & Everh. (Smith 1893) and proposed a new combination of Mycopepon smithii and synonymized M. guianensis under M. smithii. The taxonomic placement of Mycopepon underwent many changes in recent years. Boise (1987) accommodated Mycopepon in Pleosporales and this was followed by San Martín (1996). Kirk et al. (2008) listed Mycopepon in Melanommataceae. Bhattacharya et al. (2000), Pinnoi et al. (2007), Wang et al. (2007) placed Mycopepon in Pleosporales genera incertae sedis based on morphology and phylogeny. Lumbsch and Huhndorf (2007, 2010) and Wijayawardene et al. (2014, 2017) listed Mycopepon in Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis. Liu et al. (2018) reported that Mycopepon belongs to Astrosphaeriellaceae based on phylogenetic analyses. Doilom et al. (2018) also reported that Mycopepon clustered in Astrosphaeriellaceae and morphologically resembles similar genera in the family in having superficial carbonaceous ascostromata, trabeculate pseudoparaphyses and fusoid ascospores with septa. Mycopepon is unique from other genera in Astrosphaeriellaceae in having 2–8 pseudothecial ascostroma. Based on current evidence, Mycopepon is a distinct and well-defined genus in Astrosphaeriellaceae. Molecular markers available for Mycopepon are SSU and LSU.
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