Pyrenomycetes Species Page

Scortechinia chaetomioides

Small clustered ascomata
allantospore
(Penz. & Sacc.) Arx & E. Müll., Beitr. Kryptfl. Schweiz 11: 381 (1954)
Enchnoa chaetomioides Penz. & Sacc.
Hypocreomycetidae
Coronophorales
Figure from GKM1099 (Kenya)
Complete Description
Ascomata turbinate, collapsing deeply collabent when dry, dark brown to black, 250-400 µm diam., 250-300 µm high, superficial, with a smooth surface,occurring loosely or densely scattered, embedded (often deeply) in abundant, brown to black, subicular hyphae. Subiculum extensive, forming large and dense patches, often without ascomata, hyphae brown, wide, dichotomously branched, with blunt or rounded ends. Ascomatal wall of textura globosa in surface view, composed of pale brown, pseudoparenchymatic cells; Munk pores present, few per cell. Ascomatal apex collabent, without an ostiole; apices of the empty ascomata have a large, ragged-edged opening after release of the ascospores. Centrum with an elongate quellkorper up to 140 x 100 µm, paraphyses absent. Asci clavate, long stipitate, spore bearing part 20-30 x 7-8 µm, pedicels 40-45 µm, without a distinct apical ring, with eight biseriately arranged ascospores. Ascospores allantoid to reniform, hyaline, one celled, with two guttules, 7-10 x 2-3 µm.
Occurrence
Found on decaying wood and bark. Our only collection is from Kenya. The type is described from Indonesia and the species is also reported from India, Ghana and Sierra Leone.
Similar Taxa Comments
The only collection we have seen of this is from Kenya but the species is included in the book for use as a reference and comparison. Macroscopically, S. chaetomioides can be easily mistaken for S. acanthostroma. It is distinguished by having subicular hyphae without spiny ends and allantoid spores.