Grandigallia
Grandigallia M.E. Barr, Hanlin, Cedeño, Parra & R. Hern., Mycotaxon 29: 196 (1987).
Index Fungorum number: IF 12090; Facesoffungi number: FoF 06204, 9 morphological species (Species Fungorum, 2022), molecular data unavailable.
Parasitic on Polylepis sericea. Causing malformations of branch as dull black, rough galls, firm but sectioning readily, composed of stromatic tissues formed of large thick-walled, blackish pseudoparenchymatous cells (contents bluing in Melzer’s), and incorporating isolated patches of wood cells. Sexual morph: Ascomata peripheral in stroma, bases embedded, upper regions becoming erumpent, obpyriform, tapered to the broadly papilalte apex, cells light reddish brown, ostiolar canal periphysate, peridium externally of large dark red brown, thick-walled pseudoparenchymatous cells, internally of several rows of paler, thinner-walled, somewhat compressed cells. Asci bitunicate, basal, oblong or ellipsoid, endotunica wide, without apical ring, fissitunicate, cytoplasm dextrinoid, octosporous or sometimes four or less maturing. Pseudoparaphyses cellular. Ascospores hyaline for some time, becoming clear reddish brown, fusoid or ellipsoid, often with long taper to base, septa becoming numerous, up to 10 transverse A-septa formed before longitudinal septa, followed by B-septa, finally 15-vv septate with 1-4 longitudinal septa, at maturity septa broken down and contents replaced by numerous, small, hyaline conidia, wall thick, smooth. Asexual morph: Unknown (adapted from Barr 1987).
Type species: Grandigallia dictyospora M.E. Barr, Hanlin, Cedeño, Parra & R. Hern.
Notes: Grandigallia is characterised by erumpent, obpyriform ascomata, oblong or ellipsoid asci and hyaline to clear reddish brown, fusoid or ellipsoid ascospores. Grandigallia resembles Shiraia in having conspicuous stromatic tissue, papillate ostiole and muriform ascospores but differs in having black ascostromata and a Polylepis (Rosaceae) host (Ariyawansa et al. 2013, Hyde et al. 2013). Hyde et al. (2013) accepted Grandigallia in Shiraiaceae. Grandigallia is currently a distinct genus in Shiraiaceae but fresh collections with DNA sequence data are needed to confirm the taxonomic placement of the genus.
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