Pseudomurilentithecium
Pseudomurilentithecium Mapook & K.D. Hyde, in Hyde et al., Fungal Diversity 100: 69 (2020)
Index Fungorum number: IF 556904; Facesofungi number: FoF 06791
Etymology: Referring to its similarity with Murilentithecium.
Saprobic on dead aerial stem. Sexual morph: Ascomata immersed, solitary or scattered, coriaceous, subglobose to globose, dark brown to black, ostiolar neck protruding. Peridium 2–3 layers, comprising dark brown cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium with cylindrical, septate, branching pseudoparaphyses. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, cylindricclavate, straight or slightly curved, apically rounded, pedicellate. Ascospores overlapping, 1–2-seriate, initially hyaline to pale yellow, 1-septate when immature, becoming golden-brown to brown at maturity, ellipsoid to broadly fusiform, muriform, 3–7-transversely septate, with 1–2-longitudinal septate, slightly constricted at the central septum, straight or slightly curved, surrounded by hyaline gelatinous sheath observed clearly when mounted in Indian ink. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Type species: Pseudomurilentithecium camporesii Mapook & K.D. Hyde
Note: A phylogenetic analysis based on combined dataset of LSU, ITS, SSU, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequence data show that Pseudomurilentithecium clusters with Poaceascoma and Setoseptoria. However, Pseudomurilentithecium differs from Poaceascoma in having ellipsoid to broadly fusiform, muriform ascospores with 3–7 transverse septa, and 1–2 longitudinal septa, while Poaceascoma has hyaline, filiform, multi-septate ascospores with spirally arranged within the ascus (Phookamsak et al. 2015). Therefore, Pseudomurilentithecium is described as a new genus based on phylogeny and morphological comparison.
References:
Hyde KD, Dong Y, Phookamsak R, Jeewon R et al. 2020 – Fungal diversity notes 1151–1276: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa. Fungal Diversity 16, 1–273.
Phookamsak R, Manamgoda DS, Li WJ, Dai DQ et al. 2015 – Poaceascoma helicoides gen et sp. nov., a new genus with scolecospores in Lentitheciaceae. Cryptogamie, Mycologie 36, 225–36.