Ascorhombispora
Ascorhombispora L. Cai & K.D. Hyde, Cryptog. Mycol. 28(4): 294 (2007).
Index Fungorum number: IF 29178; Facesoffungi number: FoF 11780, 1 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), 1 species with molecular data.
Saprobic on host. Sexual morph: Ascomata perithecioid, superficial, globose to subglobose, coriaceous, dark brown to black, ostiolate, solitary or gregarious, short papillate. Peridium relatively thin, textura angularis in longitudinal section, composed of 2 layers of angular cells. Asci 8-spored, obpyriform, broadly clavate to saccate, pedicellate, bitunicate, apex rounded, persistent. Ascospores overlapping 2-3-seriate, broadly fusiform to rhombic, thick-walled, surrounded by gelatinous mucilaginous sheath, 3-euseptate, not constricted at septa, median septum wide, forming a darker band, central cells large, trapezoid, dark brown to black, verruculose, polar end cells small, hemispherical, subhyaline to light brown, smooth. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Cai and Hyde 2007).
Type species: Ascorhombispora aquatica L. Cai & K.D. Hyde
Notes: Ascorhombispora is characterised by perithecioid, superficial, globose to subglobose ascomata, broadly clavate to saccate, pedicellate asci and broadly fusiform to rhombic, thick-walled ascospores surrounded by a gelatinous mucilaginous sheath. Ascorhombispora resembles Caryospora in having superficial ascomata and large brown ascospores. Ascorhombispora differs from Caryospora in having saccate asci and rhombic ascospores with paler end cells while Caryospora has broadly cylindrical to clavate asci and relatively large, broad-fusiform, ovoid or ellipsoidal ascospores often with polar germ pores at each end, with or without a mucilaginous sheath (Ariyawansa et al. 2015). Ascorhombispora also differs from Caryospora in having globose to subglobose ascomata while Caryospora has erumpent, superficial, hemispherical ascomata. Ascorhombispora also resembles Zopfia in producing brown ascospores (Hawksworth & Booth 1974) but differs in that the ascospores in Zopfia areuniseptate with the septum slightly or moderately constricted while Ascorhombispora has 3-euseptate ascospores. The taxonomic placement of Ascorhombispora is doubtful and is currently in Pleosporales genera incertae sedis. Molecular markers available for Ascorhombispora are LSU and SSU.
Recent News
Recent paper to be publishedRecent Genus
NothocladosporiumPhillipsiella
Ampelomyces
Recent Species
Nothocladosporium syzygiiPhillipsiella atra
Curreya conorum
