Fungalpedia – Note 608, Pycnocarpon

 

Pycnocarpon Theiss.

Citation when using this data: D. S. Marasinghe et al. 2023 (in prep.) – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.

Classification: Incertae sedis, Incertae sedis, Incertae sedis, Dothideomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi 

Epiphytic on the surface of leaves appearing as blackened circular or irregular colonies on host surface. Superficial hyphae dark brown to black, branched, septate. Sexual morph: Thyriothecia superficial, flattened, solitary or gregarious, dark brown to black, circular sometimes irregular, easily detached from the leaf surface. Upperwall comprising of neatly radially arranged cells of textura prismatica. Asci 2–8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, globose to subglobose, apedicellate. Ascospores overlapping, initially hyaline with sheath becoming brown when mature, 2-celled, upper cell wider than lower cell, strongly constricted at the septum, rough-walled. Asexual morph: Undetermined (Doilom et al. 2018).

Notes: Theissen (1913a) established Pycnocarpon with the type species of P. magnificum which was previously named A. magnificum and formally placed in Trichopeltinaceae. Later, Lumbsch and Huhndorf (2010) and Wijayawardene et al. (2022) placed Pycnocarpon in Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis, while Hongsanan et al. (2014a, 2020a) and Doilom et al. (2018) included this genus in Asterinaceae. Species of Pycnocarpon are characterized by superficial, flattened, circular to irregular thyriothecial web-like hypha, opening by radiating star-like or longitudinal splits, saccate asci and 1-septum, conglobose, hyaline when young and becoming brown at maturity, which resemble members of Asterinaceae (Doilom et al. 2018). However, the cell arrangement of upper wall in Pycnocarpon is different and appressoria are not apparent as in Asterina. Doilom et al. (2018) re-examined the holotype of P. magnificum (S-F46351) and included it in Asterinaceae. Herein, we follow Doilom et al. (2018) and accept this genus in Asterinaceae considering its major morphological characters.

Type species: Pycnocarpon magnificum (Syd., P. Syd. & E.J. Butler) Theiss., Abh. K.K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 7(3): 31 (1913).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Pycnocarpon.

 

References

Doilom M, Hyde KD, Phookamsak R et al 2018 – Mycosphere Notes 225–274: types and other specimens of some genera of Ascomycota. Mycosphere 9:647–754.

Hongsanan S, Li YM, Liu JK et al 2014a – Revision of genera in Asterinales. Fungal Divers 68:1–68.

Hongsanan S, Hyde KD, Phookamsak R et al 2020a – Refined families of Dothideomycetes: orders and families incertae sedis in Dothideomycetes. Fungal Divers 105:17–318.

Lumbsch HT, Huhndorf SM 2010 – Outline of Ascomycota 2009. Myconet 14:1–64.

Theissen F 1913a – Die Gattung Asterina. Abhandlungen Der Kaiserlich-Koniglichen Zoologisch-Botanisch Gesellschaft in Wien 7:1–130.

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Dai DQ et al 2022 – Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa—2021. Mycosphere 13:53–453.

 

Entry by 

Diana Sandamali Marasinghe, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand, Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai, 50150, Thailand

 

Published online 29 August 2023

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