Freshwater Ascomycetes - Species Monograph

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Genus	Species	Author
Cuspidatispora	xiphiago	Shearer & Bartolata
Class	Order	Family
Sordariomycetes	Sordariales	Inc. sed.

Genbank ID: 371554 MycoBank ID: 334884

Synonymy:

Description

Habit:

Erumpent to superficial on submerged decorticated maple wood test block.

Ascomata:

Ascomata ovoid, papillate, 300–400 µm high, 250–300 µm in diameter, numerous, scattered to gregarious, erumpent to superficial, covered with vilose hairs; hairs flexuous, beige to pale brown, sparse, thin-walled, septate, 1–2.5 µm wide.

Peridium:

Peridium of textura angularis and textura prismatica in surface view, areolate; in longitudinal section 3-layered, 21.5–43 µm thick, inner layer pseudoparenchymatous, 8–11.5 µm thick, composed of 2–4 layers of elongate, flattened, hyaline, thin-walled cells, middle layer scleroplectenchymatous, 5.5–14 µm thick, composed of 2-3 layers of angular, dark brown, thick-walled, darkly pigmented cells; outer layer prosenchymatous, 8–17.5 µm thick, composed of 2–5 layers of loosely interwoven hyphae that comprise the villose hairs.

Beak:

Beak conical at base, flattened at apex, periphysate.

Hamathecium:

Hamathecium hyaline, comprised of filiform paraphyses, 120–250 µm long, 2.5–8 µm wide, longer than asci, hyaline, numerous, septate, unbranched.

Ascus:

Asci cylindro-clavate to clavate, 95–150 x 15.5–21 µm, stipitate, stipe 25.5–38 x 2.5–3 µm, numerous, unitunicate, thin-walled, apex rounded; ring narrow, deep refractive; with 8 biseriate to tetraseriate ascospores.

Ascospore:

Ascospores broadly fusiform, with an apical wall extension, initially one-celled, 25.5–36.5 x 10–12 µm; ascospore becoming septate; upper cell ellipsoid, 23–30.5 x 10–12 µm, conical at apex, truncate at base, becoming brown to dark brown and 1-medially septate; lower cell differentiated by a septum, comi, conical, 2.5–6 x 2.5–5.5 µm, hyaline, commonly collapsing; apical wall extension apiculate, 4.5–8.5 x 0.5–1.5, becoming pale brown to brown, rigid, persistent.

Sheath:

None observed.

Appendage:

None observed.

Culture:

Anamorph:

None observed.

Other info

Type & Location:

USA, Illinois, Vermilion County, Jordan Creek, 40 49 50 N., 87 49 50 W., present on submerged maple wood preinoculated with Pseudohalonectria lignicola and Tricladium angulatum, March 24, 1994, C.A. Shearer, A184-1, ILL (holotype)

Other Specimens:

Substratum:

Maple wood test blocks (decorticated wood).

Habitat:

Lotic (small creek)

Distribution:

Only known from the type locality.

Pertinent Literature:

Miller et al. 2006.

Comments:

Additional Pictures

Ascospore.
Collapsing ascospore.
Immature ascospore.
Ascus.
Ascus apex.
Areolate wall surface.

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