Pyrenomycetes Species Page

Nitschkia tetraspora

Small clustered ascomata
didymospore
Nannf., Svensk bot. Tidskr. 69(3): 316 (1975)

Hypocreomycetidae
Coronophorales
Figure from SMH4787 (Ecuador)
Complete Description
Ascomata lenticular to turbinate, collapsing collabent when dry, dark brown to black, 450-550 µm diameter, 250-300 µm high when dry, superficial, with roughened, papulose surface, separate to somewhat clustered in small to large groups, with sparse, brown, subicular hyphae. Ascomatal wall of textura globosa in surface view; composed of pale brown, pseudoparenchymatic cells, with darker, melanized cells in the outer surface; Munk pores present, few per cell. Ascomatal apex flattened, with an indistinct ostiole, periphyses absent. Centrum composed of an apical cushion of thin-walled cells, quellkorper absent, paraphyses absent. Asci clavate, short stipitate, spore bearing part 30-40 x 10-12 µm, pedicel length indistinct, with a distinct apical ring, when young with eight biseriately to triseriately arranged ascospores, only four ascospores maturing. Ascospores fusiform, hyaline, 1-septate, 18-24 x 3-5 µm.
Occurrence
Found on decaying wood. Our collection is from Ecuador. The type is from Kenya with additional collections reported from Ghana and Sierra Leone. We have seen one recent additional collection from Kenya.
Similar Taxa Comments
Nitschkia tetraspora can occur in large groups on the substrate and is easily recognized by its four-spored asci with a clear apical ring. The Ecuador collection does not differ from that seen from Kenya.
Reference
Nannfeldt 1975