Weddellomyces
Weddellomyces D. Hawksw., Notes R. Bot. Gdn Edinb. 43(3): 511 (1986).
Index Fungorum number: IF 25083; Facesoffungi number: FoF 08201, 12 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.
Mycelium immersed in host thallus, pale yellow-brown, but hyphae emerging from ascomata red-brown. Lichenicolous on host. Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecioid, arising singly or in small groups from the thallus and the thalli margin of the apothecia of the host, at first immersed, afterwards splitting through the cortical layer forming black stars-shaped, subglobose, ostiolate. Ascomatal wall formed of blocks of cephalothecioid plates. Peridium in vertical section dark red-brown, composed of 5–8 layers of compressed pseudoparenchymatous cells with lumina. Pigment of the cells finely granulose when observed in KOH solution. Hamathecium of two different types of interascal anastomosed and ramificated filaments, I+ yellow. Periphyses lacking. Only these thick and short-celled filaments were seen to occur in primordia of ascomata without asci. Asci subcylindrical to elongate-clavate, (4–) 6–8-spored, with truncate base, I+ orange. Ascospores irregularly to distichously arranged in the asci, ellipsoid, tending to taper towards the base, with the upper end rounded and lower end attenuated, with developed outer perispore as distinct gelatinous sheath (l–) 3-septate, slightly constricted at the septa, central pore in the septa almost invisible, gold brown, verruculose, guttulate, inner perispore 1+ and B Cr+ blue. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Kocourková 1999).
Type species: Weddellomyces epicallopisma (Wedd.) D. Hawksw.
Notes: Weddellomyces is characterised by perithecioid ascomata, ascomatal wall forming blocks of cephalothecioid plates, subcylindrical to elongate-clavate asci and gold brown, verruculose, guttulate (l−)3-septate ascospores. Hawksworth et al. (1986) treated Weddellomyces in Dothideales. Kirk et al. (2001), Lumbsch and Hundorf (2007) and Hyde et al. (2013) placed Weddellomyces in Dacampiaceae based on morphology. Diederich et al. (2018) placed Weddellomyces in Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis. Calatayud and Navarro-Rosinés (1998) provided an account of Weddellomyces and accepted eight species. Weddellomyces is currently a distinct genus in Dacampiaceae but molecular data is lacking. Fresh collections with DNA sequence data are needed to confirm the taxonomic placement of Weddellomyces.
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