Sphaerellothecium parmeliae Diederich & Etayo

Data Set Maintenance: Data set compiled. Data set author(s): Cáceres M. (03-05-19). Data set not revised; not to be published after submission.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted. Taxonomic rank: species. Sphaerellothecium. Dacampiaceae Körb. (1855); Dothideales.

Taxonomic Literature: Taxonomic notes: The perithecia are found in large black areas of the host thallus and probably kill the host. Etayo J. & Diederich P., Lichenologist 30(2): 103-120 [117] (1998).

Biogeography: Northern hemispheric. Continent: Europe. Region(s): Northern Europe and Middle Europe. Country or state(s): Finland, France (excl. Corsica), and Spain (incl. Andorra & Monaco).

Ecology: Biotroph; lichenicolous; endosubstratic or episubstratic (vegetative hyphae often forming a supercial net on the host thallus); growing on bark. Host or Phorophyte Taxonomy: Parmelia saxatilis, P. sulcata.

Lichen Photobionts: Primary photobiont absent.

Thallus: Indistinct (vegetative hyphae brown, smooth-walled, branched, 4-5 µm diam.).

Reproduction Strategy: With sexual (and possible asexual) stages. Ascocarps: Perithecioid, globose, forming inside the thallus or mycelium of the host (arising from large black necrotic areas), becoming adnate to soon sessile, 25-40-(60) µm wide, 25-40-(60) µm high, with a black surface. Wall: Not carbonized. Margin: Black, homogenously pigmented; external filaments absent. Disk: Smooth. Exciple: Paraplectenchymatous (textura angularis); hyphae 2-5 µm wide, 4-7 µm long; not carbonized; dark brown. Periphyses: Present (simple, small, less than 10 x 1.5 µm). Hymenium: Iodine reaction: Lugol’s negative, not hemiamyloid. Interascal Hyphae: Absent. Hypothecium: Dark brown.

Asci: Broadly clavate (ellipsoid), not stipitate, 19-23 µm long, 9-12.5 µm wide; ocular chamber present; broad; dehiscence bitunicate; ascoplasm dextrinoid (ascoplasma I+ orange or reddish).

Ascospores: Not uniseriate, c. 8 per ascus, spores 8 per ascus, oval, 8.5-10 µm long, 3-4 µm wide, obtuse; septa present; transversally septate, 1-transversally septate; lumina of equal size; wall thin, laterally constricted where the septum meets the spore wall (slightly constricted at the septum), becoming pigmented (rarely becoming brown at maturity), hyaline, not ornamented.

Conidiomata: Absent resp. not observed.

Secondary Metabolites: Not detected.

(report generated 04.Okt.2007)