Freshwater Ascomycetes - Species Monograph

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Genus	Species	Author
Magnisphaera	stevemossago	J. Campb., J.L. Anderson & Shearer
Class	Order	Family
Sordariomycetes	Halosphaeriales

Genbank ID: 232015 MycoBank ID: 373834

Synonymy:

Description

Habit:

On submerged decorticated wood.

Ascomata:

Ascomata large, globose to subglobose, partially immersed, black, coriaceous, 340–520 µm diam, somewhat rough-walled, withor without an ostiole, with a short neck when ostiolate.

Peridium:

Peridium 32–40 µm wide, 7–10 cells thick, two-layered, outer layer of dark walled isodiametric cells with thin or slightly thickened walls, inner layer of hyaline, thin-walled, elongated cells.

Beak:

Neck short, conical to cylindrical, black, periphysate, 71 x 60 µm.

Hamathecium:

Hamathecium of catenophyses.

Ascus:

Asci unitunicate, thin-walled throughout, clavate to ellipsoid, 124–246 x 28-50 µm, lacking an apical pore or apparatus, deliquescent.

Ascospore:

Ascospores ellipsoidal to fusiform, 45–64 x 16–32 µm, 3 sepatate, hyaline to pale golden brown, wall finely warted, with a large guttule in each cell and lipid droplets about the mid-septum and at the apices, with threadlike appendages at both apices.

Sheath:

None seen.

Appendage:

Appendages of long, coiled threads that form a hamate structure and unwind in water to form a long sticky thread.

Culture:

Colonies on CMA spreading, aerial hyphae gray, immersed hyphae dark brown

Anamorph:

No anamorph observed.

Other info

Type & Location:

USA. COLORADO: Deckers at swampy, marshy fork in Platt River, 39° 15Õ 06“N, 105° 14Õ 05“W, elevation ~2100m, water temp 19 C, pH 5.5–6.0.

Other Specimens:

See Campbell et al. 2003

Substratum:

On submerged woody debris.

Habitat:

Lentic, lotic habitats.

Distribution:

USA (AK,CO)

Pertinent Literature:

Campbell et al 2003

Comments:

Named for Steve Moss, in his memory and in recognition of all that he achieved (Latin agere = to achieve)

Additional Pictures

Ascospore stained with aqueous nigrosin.
Unstained ascus in water.
Unstained ascus in water.
Ascospore wall roughening; stained w. aqueous nigrosin.
Unstained apical appendages.
Unstained ascospore in water.
Unstained ascospore sheath.
Ascospore sheath stained in India ink.
Ascospore fixed in lactic acid.

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