Freshwater Ascomycetes - Species Monograph

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Genus	Species	Author
Aliquandostipite	crystallinus	Raja, A. Ferrer & Shearer
Class	Order	Family
Dothideomycetes	Jahnulales	Inc. sed.

Genbank ID: 435394 MycoBank ID: 334740

Synonymy:

Description

Habit:

Ascomata superficial to partially immersed in wood, clustered or scattered.

Ascomata:

Ascomata sessile on wood 215–270 x 220–320 µm, hyaline when young, becoming dark brown with age, globose to subglobose, papillate, immersed to partially immersed, or superficial, scattered to clustered, connected by subtending superficial stoloniferous hyphae ca. 144–170 x 10–13 µm. Papilla ca. 30–36 x 60–90 µm.

Peridium:

Peridium 21–25 µm wide, textura angularis-globosa in surface view, in longitudinal section 2–3 cell layers wide, innermost layer of hyaline thin-walled cells compressed laterally, outermost layer of large thin-walled isodiametric cells 17–22 µm wide.

Beak:

Papillae ca. 30–36 x 60–90 µm.

Hamathecium:

Pseudoparaphyses septate, slightly constricted at the septa, sparsely branched above the asci, hyaline, without gel coating, 3–4 µm wide.

Ascus:

Asci basal, fasciculate, fissitunicate, clavate to cymbiform, broad at the center and rounded towards the apex, 8-spored, 132–174 x 30–41 µm (mean = 160 x 35 µm, n = 15) with or without an apical chamber.

Ascospore:

Ascospores 3–4 seriate, fusiform, multiguttulate, upper cell slightly broader than lower cell, 70–86 x 9–15 µm (mean = 76 x 12 µm, n = 50), one septate initially, becoming three-septate with age, slightly constricted at the septa, pale yellow brown, becoming darker brown with age, with short, cellular, hyaline, tapering, apical appendages ca. 2–5 µm long; ascospores surrounded by a large, fusiform, mucilaginous sheath. Refractive acicular crystals formed within the ascospores and hyphae after preservation in lactic acid or glycerin

Sheath:

Sheath at first appressed to the ascospore but elongating to form a sigmoid or C-shape, 200–452 long, 4–7 µm wide on either side of the ascospore at the midseptum, tapering towards the apices, surrounding the entire ascospore, expanding after ascospore is released from the ascus into the water; becoming extremely long and sticky after immersion in water.

Appendage:

Apical appendages ca. 2–5 µm long, cylindrical.

Culture:

Colonies on peptone yeast extract agar (PYG) immersed with a mat of aerial hyphae; hyphae septate brown (7–13 µm wide). Hyphal cells containing acicular crystals after storage in lactic acid or glycerin.

Anamorph:

None observed.

Other info

Type & Location:

USA. Tennessee: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Elkmont Campground, a small stream between Jakes Creek and Little River, 35°39512'N, 83°34881'W, water temperature 23 C, pH 5, on submerged, decorticated wood, 5 July 2002, Huzefa A. Raja & Nate Hamburger, R076-1. (ILL).

Other Specimens:

COSTA RICA. Salto, La Selva Biological Station, 10°25'28N, 84°0'17W, water temperature 25 C, pH 7, on submerged decorticated wood, 18 May 2000, Jennifer L. Anderson & Rebecca Wulffen, A514-1; Arboleda Bridge, freshwater stream, 10°25'48N, 84°0'34W, water temperature 25 C, pH 6, on submerged monocotyledonous debris, 20 May 2000, Jennifer L. Anderson & Rebecca Wulffen, A514-6; Arboleda 30, freshwater stream, 10°25'47N, 84°0'39W, water temperature 26 C, pH 7, on submerged decorticated wood, 17 May 2000, Jennifer L. Anderson & Rebecca Wulffen, A514-2. PANAMA. Colon Province, Soberania National Park, Frijoles River, 9°08'0N, 79°43'0W, on submerged decorticated wood, 12 January 2003, Astrid Ferrer AF-007-1; Juan Grande River, on submerged corticated wood, 12 January 2003 Astrid Ferrer AF-007-2; Limbo River, 9°09'0N, 79°44'0W, on submerged corticated wood, 18 May 2003, Astrid Ferrer AF-007-3. USA, Tennessee. Outskirts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Chilhowee Lake, 35°32'45N, 83°59'32W, water temperature 34 C, pH 5, submerged decorticated wood, 19 July 2000, Jinx Campbell, A514-3, VENEZUELA, Estado Portuguesa, mountain stream 2 miles from La Estacion, water temperature 28 C, pH 6, on submerged monocotyledonous debris, 16 January 1993, J. L. Crane, J. D. Schoknecht & Francisco Ortega, A514-7.

Substratum:

Submerged wood.

Habitat:

Lotic, lentic.

Distribution:

Costa Rica; Panama; USA (TN); Venezuela

Pertinent Literature:

Raja, H., A. Ferrer& C.A. Shearer. 2005. Aliquandostipite crystallinus, a new ascomycete species from wood submerged in freshwater habitats. Mycotaxon 91: 207–215.

Comments:

Additional Pictures

Ascomata on substrate.
Ascus.
Ascospore appendage and sheath.
Extended ascospore sheath.
Extended fissitunicate ascus.
Crystals in ascospores fixed in lactic acid.
Centrum.
Ascus apex.
Ascospore discharge.
Texture of peridium in surface view.
Habit on wood.

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