Ostropella
Ostropella (Sacc.) Höhn., Annls mycol. 16(1/2): 144 (1918).
Index Fungorum number: IF 3651; Facesoffungi number: FoF 11819, 9 morphological species (Species Fungorum 2022), 1 species with molecular data.
Saprobic on host. Sexual morph: Ascocarps globose to subglobose, scattered to clustered, sparse or numerous, erumpent to superficial, papillate; surface roughened, with ridges forming plate-like regions, often with white crustose covering some part of the upper surface or as plate like structures over the entire surface, subiculum present as sparse or abundant brown hyphae. Ascocarp wall in surface view composed of textura globosa-textura prismatica radiating from many loci; in longitudinal section, two-layered, the two layers not of uniform thickness throughout entire wall area, composed of polygonal to elongate, small, pseudoparenchymatic cells, outer cell layers forming large triangular regions of heavily brown-melanized cells with individual cell boundaries obscured (corresponding to the ridges in the wall), inner wall layer composed of groups of hyaline, thin-walled cells laid down perpendicular to each other, forming patterns of elongate, parallel cells alternating with small, polygonal cells in cross section. Papilla low, wide, compressed, wall two-layered, outer layer melanized, inner layer hyaline; ostiole circular to elongated, slit-like, without periphyses. Pseudoparaphyses numerous, trabeculate, with gelatinous coating. Asci elongate clavate, long-stalked, numerous, basal and lateral, completely lining the peripheral wall of the centrum, thin-walled, bitunicate, dehiscence unknown; apex, rounded, apical chamber small, without ring; with eight, 2-seriateascospores. Ascospores fusiform, with acute end cells, straight to slightly curved, light brown, slightly darker pigment at septum and tips, smooth, with sheath entirely surrounding spore, appearing as bipolar appendages, one-septate; septum median, constricted. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Huhndorf 1993).
Type species: Ostropella albocincta (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Höhn.
Notes: Ostropella was introduced by Saccardo (1883) as a subgenus. Höhnel (1918) raised Ostropella to genus rank with O. albocincta as type species. Ostropella is characterised by globose to subglobose, scattered to clustered ascocarps, numerous, trabeculate pseudoparaphyses, elongate clavate, long-stalked asci and fusiform ascospores. Barr (1990) provided a description of O. albocincta with additional ascomatal wall characteristics and expanded its known distribution. Ostropella is unique in having a large ascomata, covered by a white crustose coating. Hundorf (1993) reported variation in ascomatal vestiture among the specimen observed. Isotype material from Cuba had two triangular white collar-like structures on the ascomata and the same was observed in a specimen from Boliva but with grey-colored collar. Hundorf (1993) reported that one collection from French Guiana lacked the white coating on the ascomata hence, ascomatal wall structure varies in this species. Only LSU sequence data is available for O. albocincta and O. striata. The taxonomic placement of Ostropella is uncertain and is currently in Pleosporales, genera incertae sedis. Fresh collections and more taxa with sequence data are needed to confirm the taxonomic placement of the genus.
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