Pyrenomycetes Species Page

Porosphaerellopsis sporoschismophora

Small separate ascomata
phragmospore 		(Samuels & E. Müll.) E. Müll. & Samuels, Beih. Sydowia 35: 143 (1982)
Porosphaeria sporoschismophora Samuels & E. Müll.
 Hypocreomycetidae
Hypocreomycetidae
Figure from SMH2216 (Costa Rica)
Complete Description
Ascomata ovate to obpyriform, collapsing laterally when dry, black, appearing shiny almost blueish-gray, 225-300 µm diameter, 275-350 µm high, separate, solitary or sparse, superficial, papillate; surface roughened. Ascomatal wall of textura angularis in surface view; in longitudinal section uniformly 40-50 µm thick, 2-layered, composed of small, polygonal, pseudoparenchymatic cells, outer wall layer pale brown, inner layer dark brown. Ascomatal apex papillate; ostiole circular, with periphyses. Paraphyses branched, anastomosing, hyaline, ca.3 µm wide, numerous. Asci cylindrical, short-stalked, 85-120 x 8-10 µm, unitunicate, with 4-8 ascospores arranged mostly uniseriately; apex blunt, with a thin ring. Ascospores fusiform with rounded ends, 16-24 x 4-6 µm, 3-septate, brown with darker septa, terminal pore at each end. Anamorph: Sporoschismopsis. Conidiophores XXX. Conidiogenous cell a phialide, XXX. Conidia XXX.
Occurrence
Found on decaying wood. We found this only once from Costa Rica. The type is from Brazil.
Similar Taxa Comments
This species has a distinctive combination of characteristics that together make it recognizable. The highly branched network of paraphyses is unusual in the Sordariomycetes. This character, seen together with the three septate, brown, ascospores with terminal germ pores and the Sporoschismopsis anamorph should help to identify this species. It is however, not common having appeared only once among our collections and care must be taken to locate all the characteristics when examining specimens with small, separate ascomata occurring on decaying wood.
Reference
Samuels, G.J. and Müller, E. 1978. Life-history studies of Brazilian Ascomycetes 1. Two new genera of the Sphaeriaceae having, respectively Sporoschisma-like and Codinaea anamorphs. Sydowia 31: 126-136.