Pyrenomycetes Species Page

Cercophora striata

Large clustered ascomata
didymospore 		(Ellis & Everh.) N. Lundq., Symb. Bot. Upsal. 20: 105. (1972)
Sordaria striata Ellis & Everh.
 Sordariomycetidae
Sordariales
Figure from 3431, 4036
Complete Description
Ascomata obpyriform, dark brown, papillate, 315-515 µm diam, 510-785 µm high, numerous, clustered in large groups, superficial; surface upon drying covered with white to grayish granules or crystalline flakes below the neck, granules not apparent when fresh; neck conical, striate with 5-8 striations or glabrous, distinct; subiculum present. - Ascomatal wall areolate in surface view, areoles of textura angularis, cells between areoles of textura prismatica; 25-40 µm thick in longitudinal section, 2-layered, composed of pseudoparenchymatous cells, with an inner, hyaline layer and an outer layer with areoles composed of globose to polygonal, dark brown cells, cells between areoles composed of polygonal to elongate, hyaline to brown cells. - Ascomatal apex with periphyses. - Paraphyses filiform, 3-7 µm wide, abundant, septate, unbranched, persistent. - Asci elongate clavate, 300-400 µm, long-stipitate, stipe 90-170 X 4-9 µm, numerous, unitunicate, thin-walled, apex blunt; ring narrow, shallow; subapical globule absent; with 8, biseriate to triseriate ascospores. - Ascospores cylindrical, ends rounded, slightly sigmoid or lower 1/3 to 1/4 geniculate, hyaline, aseptate; becoming differentiated into a swollen head and pedicel while inside the ascus, transversely uniseptate; 48-62 X 4-6 µm, head ellipsoid, 17-22 X 9-14 µm, conical at the apex, truncate at the base, hyaline to occasionally brown, rarely 1-septate; pedicel 30-43 µm, hyaline to occasionally pale brown, rarely 3-septate; head dark brown and ascospores 1- to 5-septate after liberation from the ascus; bipolar appendages present, 19-71 (-115) µm, gelatinous, lash-like.
Occurrence
Found on decaying wood and large herbaceous stems. Our collections are from Costa Rica and Panama. The type is from Louisiana.