Stray Studies in the Coronophorales (Pyrenomycetes) 4-8 - ASCOfrance

Studies in the Coronophorales 4-8 291Through the courtesy of Dr. Sivanesan I have had access to a fragment of IMI 46511 (a)(unfortunately devoid of asci) and slides of IMI 165 094. The ascocarps resemble in shape thoseof Thaxteria and lack certainly a functioning ostiolum, although the apical part of theascocarpic locule possesses thick conspicuous periphyses. The rest of the locule is lined by acontinuous palisade of asci at very different stages. No apical apparatus has so far beenobserved, but richer material is needed. The peridium shows tendencies to being slightlyareolate in the same manner as in sundry Lasiosphaeriae and Cercophorae. The cell wallsshow a kind of "Munk pores", but these are smaller than usual and the surrounding thickenedring less prominent.It should also be observed that the inclusion amongst the Coronophoralesspecies of Bertia (B. moriformis)of the typedoes not mean that other species placed in thatgenus necessarily are of the same affinity. Only three have been examined, viz. B.puttemansiiP. Henn. (=Thaxteria archeri, see above), B. italica Sacc. & Speg. andB. (Bertiella) macrospora Sacc. and they were all found to be alien elements, thethird even bitunicate. The second was synonymized by Mtiller & Arx (1962: 818)with Calyculosphaeria macrospora Fitzp., but this is a true Nitschkia (N.gigantospora).We shall now compare various significant features in the species studied by me. Itwill then gradually emerge that Fitzpatrick's Nitschkieaeafter some remodellingstands out as a group of inter se closely related species, whose "pattern of variation"suggests a multidimensional letticework of crossing lines (comp. Munk 1962),whereas other Coronophoralestake more isolated positions.Mode of growth and ecology. All Coronophoralesgrow on bark and/or wood, butthe principal habitat of one (N. parasitons) is stromata of Nectria cinnabarina and/orits conidial state Tubercularia vulgaris (see e.g. Schweinitz 1832; Tulasne1865=1931; Petrak 1927:362; Chesters 1939; Mason 1940; Muller & Arx 1955:366;Môller 1958). Stromata may at the same time bear well-grown ascocarps of both theNectria and the Nitschkia. Sometimes, when the Nitschkia is unusually vigourous, itmay also form patches of closely crowded ascocarps—like those of the otherNitschkiae—onthe surrounding bark. This species seems thus to be ± parasitic.Desmazières' statement (1860 n. 780) that his specimens (on Robinia pseudacacia) "sontquelquefois mélés avec le Nectria coccinea, et même, mais plus rarement avec le N. Cinnabarina"rests on a clear misunderstanding of the former species, for he continues "cesespèces reposent sur le Tubercularia confluens, Pers. var. Acaciae, Fr. qui leur sert destroma". His "N. coccinea" must thus have been N. cinnabarina too.The remaining species seem to be saprophytic, but it may be doubted if any is a"saprophyte of the first incidence" (sensu Munk), and indications of hypersaprophytismare numerous. Such are e.g. the frequent association of N. confertulaold stromata of Hypoxylon rubiginosum observed in Britain (Chesters I.e.; MasonI.e.), U.S.A. and South Africa (Miller 1942:259) as well as in Ghana (IMI).with20-753873 Svensk Bot. Tidskr. 69 (1975)