This a tiny ascomycete developing just between green leaves of Chamaecyparis spp., which grew in a garden in eastern Spain. Its lifestyle seems to be saprotrophic so no harm symptoms have been observed where it grows. Abundant, but only on specimen per leaf flap.

The black-reddish ascomata are stipitate to pseudostipitate, with an overall slightly clavate shape, often bright, with a basal, hialine bundle of "rhizoids", and diameter ranging from 195 to 340 µm, and the height between 250-430 µm. I believe they are true apothecia, with an irregular disc shape, concave when young and slightly convex in mature individuals; in the later, the surface can be somewhat covered by dark pruina.

Exciple thin, 17-19 µm thick, deep brown to black with a reddish tinge; external layer gelatinized, made up of parallel and radially arranged, septate hyphae, 6-7 µm of diameter. Inner tissue of the stipe arranged as textura intricata.

Hymenium up to 150 µm thick. Hamathecium made up of hyaline, strongly branched-anastomosed ¿pseudoparaphyses?, with abundant granular content, 2-4'5 µm of diameter. They become more compact and gelatinized towards the epithecium and exciple. Asci deeply embedded into the hamathecium, first ellipsoidal and full of VBs, then becoming more fusiform when spores are mature, 8-spored, 75-85 x 16-21 µm. No reaction to I detected.

Spores two-celled, smooth, hyaline, 23-27'3 x 8-9 µm with one cell rather becoming more elongated and narrow.

Any suggestion will be welcomed!!

Regards,

Isaac

Martin Bemmann, 11-03-2014 16:03

Re : Tiny ascomycete on Chamaecyparis leaves

Hi Isaac,

look at this one: http://www.landesmuseum.at/pdf_frei_remote/Sydowia_13_0064-0066.pdf

Does it match with Pseudodiscus?

Regards
Martin

Martin Bemmann, 12-03-2014 12:47

Re : Tiny ascomycete on Chamaecyparis leaves

Dear Isaac,

I am not aware of any more recent paper on Pseudodiscus. If you can prove the identity, your documentation is possibly the first after Arx&Müller.

Regards
Martin