Pezizales » Ascobolaceae

Thecotheus

Thecotheus (Figure 4)
Facesoffungi number: FoF 04199
Saprobic on beech cupule and Douglas fir cone. Sexual morph: Apothecia 390–720 x 270–340 µm, arising singly, sessile, erumpent from the substrate, brownish-yellow when fresh and dark brown when dry. Receptacle subspherical. Disc flat or slightly convex, disc and the margins are yellow when fresh. Excipulum 40–80 µm in flanks and stipe, composed of thin-walled, hyaline cells of textura globulosa. Hymenium yellow. Paraphyses 5–9 µm wide, numerous, unbranched, aseptate, not exceeding asci in
length. Asci 100–160 x 12–20 µm, 8-spored, unitunicate, operculate, cylindric–clavate, rounded at the apex, amyloid ring absent at the ascus apex, long stipitate base, not arising from croziers. Ascospores 10–18 x 6.4–8.4 µm, 1–2-seriate, hyaline to ash, smooth, thick-walled, ovoid, aseptate, apiculate. Asexual morph: Undetermined. Specimen examined: UK, New Forest, Hampshire, on beech cupule and Douglas fir cone, 16 May 2015, E.B.G. Jones (GJ 160) MFLU 18-0617.
Notes: According to morphological characteristics and keys provided by Cacialli et al. (1998) and Nagao et al. (2003), this species was identified as belonging to the genus Thecotheus. This species is morphologically similar to T. rivicola but differs by having smaller apothecia and non-amyloid asci (Pfister 1972). This species germinated on PDA. However, germinated spores did not show any further growth to obtain a culture. We also failed to undertake a molecular study as there were only a few fruiting bodies available on the substrate.

Morphology of Thecotheus. a Substrates, b, c apothecia on Douglas fir cone and beech cupule, d cross section of an apothecium, e subglobose excipular cells, f Simple unbranched paraphyses, g–j cylindrical asci, k operculate ascus apex (operculum closed), l operculate ascus apex (operculum open), m–r clavate ascospores, s germinated spore. Scale bars b 100 µm, c 200 µm, d 300 µm  e 70 µm, f 50 µm, g–j 40 µm, k, l 20 µm, m–r 5 µm, s 40 µm

 

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