Lophiostoma lunisporum
Lophiostoma lunisporum (K.D. Hyde & Goh) Aptroot & K.D. Hyde
Basionym: Massarina lunispora K.D. Hyde & Goh, Mycol. Res. 102(6): 741 (1998)
Index Fungorum number: IF 375308
Holotype: HKU (M) 2840
Etymology: From the Latin luna and spora, meaning ‘moon’ and ‘spore’, in reference to the moon-like appearance of the sheathed ascospores.
Sexual morph: Ascomata immersed under raised conical regions on the host surface; in section 200–300 µm diam., 200 µm high, conical or hemispherical, with a flattened base, upper part erumpent, solitary or gregarious. Papilla central, erumpent, raised and slit-like. Peridium up to 60 µm thick at the sides, comprising several layers of thin, brown-walled, angular cells, fusing at the sides with the host cells, and clypeus above. Base poorly developed. Clypeus comprising host cells and black vertically orientated fungal cells. Paraphyses up to 2.5 µm wide, hypha-like, cellular, anastomosing above the asci, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 100–125 × 12–15 µm, 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, pedicellate, apically rounded with an ocular chamber and a faint ring. Ascospores 22–26 × 5–7 µm, 2-seriate, fusiform, upper cell slightly wider and shorter than lower cell, 1-septate, constricted at the septum, hyaline, guttulate, surrounded by moon-shaped or C-shaped mucilaginous sheath with a definite margin, and an inner spine-like region (to 2 µm long). Asexual morph: Undetermined. (Descriptions from Hyde and Goh 1998)
Material examined: AUSTRALIA, north Queensland, Atherton Tablelands, Lake Barrine, on submerged decaying wood , April 1996, K. D. Hyde & C. A. Pearce (HKU(M) 2840 holotype; isotype at BRIP)
Notes: Massarina lunispora is unique as the ascospores are provided with a distinct lunar or C-shaped mucilaginous sheath. The internal apical spine within the sheath is also found in M. bipolaris K. D. Hyde and M. fronsisubmersa K. D. Hyde and indicates that these species may belong in a separate genus. They were later reassigned to Lophiostoma. (Notes from Hyde and Goh 1998)
Freshwater distribution: Australia (Hyde and Goh 1998)
Fig. 1 Lophiostoma lunisporum (from holotype). 1 Conical ascomata on bark (arrowed). 2 Ascus. 3–8 Ascospores. Note the moon or C-shaped mucilaginous sheath and inner apical spine-like structure (arrowed in 7). Scale bars: 1 = 100 μm, 2–8 = 10 μm. (Hyde and Goh 1998)
Refernces
Hyde KD, Goh TK (1998) Fungi on submerged wood in Lake Barrine, north Queensland, Australia. Mycol Res 102(6):739–749.
Recent Genus
1Neochlamydotubeufia
Neohelicomyces
Recent Species
Neohelicomyces submersusNeohelicomyces hyalosporus
Neohelicomyces grandisporus