Lichenopyrenis
Lichenopyrenis Calat., M.J. Sanz & Aptroot, Mycol. Res. 105(5): 634 (2001).
Index Fungorum number: IF 28494; Facesoffungi number: FoF 06433, 1 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), no molecular data available.
Parasitic on the lichen Leptochidium albociliatum. Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecioid, black, globose. Ascomatal wall dark brown, composed of several layers of angular, radially compressed cells with irregularly carbonized walls, turning blackish brown with K. Hamathecium filaments mostly simple, rarely branched, hyaline, very wide (ca 3–5 µm wide), septate. Hymenial gelatine I-, KI-, not inspersed. Asci clavate, sessile or with a short and wide stalk, fissitunicate, without a distinct ocular chamber, 8-spored, not reacting in Lugol’s. Ascospores ellipsoidal, 1-distoseptate, pale brown, thick-walled, with conspicuous internal thickenings at the apices and at the septum, which are even bulging out from the ellipsoidal outline, thickenings swelling with K, without a gelatinous sheath. Asexual morph: Conidiomata pycnidial, globose or subglobose. Pycnidial wall dark brown, composed of several layers of angular or radially compressed cells. Conidiophores present, frequently branched and with the uppermost cells bearing 1 or several conidiogenous cells; cells cylindrical, mostly hyaline. Conidiogenous cells lageniform, tapered towards their apex, with a conspicuous collarette, producing conidia acrogenously; conidial ontogeny holoblastic, 1 locus per conidiogenous cell, conidia solitary, united to the conidiogenous cells by a separating cell which breaks apart following a rhexolytic type of secession, apparently without proliferation of conidiogenous cells. Conidia simple, oblong, upper apex rounded, lower apex truncate and with remnants of the separating cell, hyaline, dry (adapted from Calatayud et al. 2001).
Type species: Lichenopyrenis galligena Calat., M.J. Sanz & Aptroot
Notes: Lichenopyrenis is characterised by perithecioid, black, globose ascomata, clavate, sessile asci and ellipsoidal, 1-distoseptate, pale brown ascospores. The asexual morph is characterised by pycnidial, globose or subglobose conidiomata, lageniform conidiogenous cells and simple, oblong, hyaline conidia. Lichenopyrenis resembles members of Dacampiaceae in having cellular ascomatal wall, wide hamathecial filaments and fissitunicate asci but differs in having pale orange brown ascospores with discernable swollen thickenings, and distinct in conidial characters. Calatayud et al. (2001) placed Lichenopyrenis in Pleomassariaceae based on morphology especially ascomata with a cellular wall, and wide interthecial filaments. Molecular data is lacking for the genus. Fresh collections and DNA sequence data is required to confirm the taxonomic placement of Lichenopyrenis.
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