Inflatispora
Inflatispora Y. Zhang ter, J. Fourn. & K.D. Hyde, in Zhang, Fournier, Bahkali & Hyde, Sydowia 63(2): 290 (2011).
Index Fungorum number: IF 561844; Facesoffungi number: FoF 11812, 2 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), 1 species with molecular data.
Saprobic on host. Sexual morph: Ascomata single or in groups of 2–3, often gregarious and coalescent, erumpent, semi-immersed, globose to subglobose, hard, forming under a black pseudostroma forming a large black crust when ascomata are densely gregarious, opening through a broad rounded pore. Peridium colourless to black, of thin-walled polygonal cells at the inside, becoming thicker towards the outside, eventually being an undifferentiated amorphous black mass combined with the similar structured stroma, apex of small, thick-walled cells, nearly opaque outwardly, base mixed with host cells and often indistinguishable. Hamathecium of dense, long narrowly cellular pseudoparaphyses, embedded in mucilage, diverticulate and sparsely anastomosing between and above the asci. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, cylindro-clavate, with a short pedicel, with a conspicuous ocular chamber, fissitunicate dehiscence not observed. Ascospores biseriate to triseriate near the apex, narrowly fusiform to almost cylindrical with broadly to narrowly rounded ends, straight to slightly curved, hyaline, 3-septate, first septum supra median, strongly constricted, cell above supramedian septum enlarged, smooth, containing some oil guttules, surrounded by a thick mucilaginous sheath, visible in India ink progressively vanishing with age. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Zhang et al. 2011).
Type species: Inflatispora pseudostromatica Y. Zhang ter, J. Fourn. & K.D. Hyde
Notes: Inflatispora is characterised by single or grouped globose to subglobose ascomata, cylindro-clavate asci, narrowly fusiform to almost cylindrical ascospores with broadly to narrowly rounded ends surrounded by thick mucilaginous sheath. Zhang et al. (2011) assigned Inflatispora to Massarineae based on phylogenetic analyses of SSU, LSU and RPB2. Inflatispora resembles Nodulosphaeria in having ascospores with an enlarged supramedian cell (Shoemaker 1984, Zhang et al. 2011). Inflatispora differs from Nodulosphaeria in that the latter has an appendage at each end of the ascospores while Inflatispora is surrounded by an entire sheath (Holm 1957, Shoemaker 1984, Shoemaker & Babcock 1987). Inflatispora also differs from Nodulosphaeria in habitat as it occurs on dead decorticated wood of Rhamnus alpina and is characterised by a thick pseudostroma and a broadly porate ostiole (Zhang et al. 2011), while Nodulosphaeria is mostly found on Asteraceae, Pinaceae and Liliaceae (Shoemaker 1984). Inflatispora is currently placed in Pleosporales, genera incertae sedis and the familial rank is uncertain. More collections with molecular data are needed to confirm the taxonomic placement of the genus. Molecular markers available for Inflatispora include LSU, SSU and RPB2.
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