Lophiotrema nucula

Lophiotrema nucula (Fr.) Sacc., Michelia 1(no. 3): 338 (1878).

           Index Fungorum number: IF 151729; Facesoffungi number: FoF 11593, Fig. 1

Description:

Saprobic on host. Sexual morph: Ascomata 200–250 µm high × 200–290 µm diam., solitary or clustered, scattered, immersed to erumpent with basal wall remaining immersed in host tissue, globose, subglobose, black, ostiolate, ostiole with periphysate. Peridium 25–30 µm very thin at the base, composed of heavily pigmented pseudoparenchymatous cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium 1–2 µm of dense, very long pseudoparaphyses, anastomosing and branching between and above asci, embedded in gel matrix. Asci 90–115 × 9–12.5 µm (x̄ = 99.5 × 11.5 µm, n = 10), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, cylindrical, with a short, narrowed, furcate pedicel, with a small ocular chamber. Ascospores 17–25 × 4–5 µm (x̄ = 19.5 × 4.5 µm, n = 10), uniseriate and partially overlapping, broad fusiform, fusiform to narrowly fusiform, with narrowly rounded ends, hyaline, 1–3-septate, deeply constricted at the median septum. Asexual morph: Unknown.

Material examined: Europe, Styria, Austria, Mariatrost District, Graz, on debarked branches of Populus tremula L. (Salicaceae), the lower part of Wenisbucher road in the forest, 14 December 2003, Ch. Scheuer (S, F34501).