Fungalpedia – Note 253, Helicominites (Fossil Fungi)
Helicominites Barlinge & Paradkar.
Citation when using this data: Saxena RK & Hyde KD. 2024 (in prep) – Fungalpedia, Fossil Fungi.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig. 1
Classification: Fossil Ascomycota, incertae sedis
The monotypic fossil genus, Helicominites, was described by Barlinge & Paradkar (1982) from the Deccan Intertrappean Beds (Late Cretaceous–Maastrichtian, 72–66 mya) of Mohgaon Kalan, Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh, India. This saprobic fungal genus, found inside Salvinia intertrappea megaspores, is characterized by septate and branched mycelium (5-6 μm in breadth) and faint hyphae. Pycnidium and acervulus absent. Conidia coiled in loose spirals (21-32 x 20-30 μm) and narrow at both ends.
Type Species: Helicominites salvinites Barlinge & Paradkar Barlinge & Paradkar 1982
Figure 1 – Helicominites salvinites. Scale bar = 10 μm. Redrawn from Barlinge & Paradkar (1982)
References
Barlinge SG, Paradkar SA. 1982 – Records of new fossil algal and fungal forms from the Deccan Intertrappean of Mohgaon Kalan, M.P., India. Botanique 10, 163–174.
Entry by
Ramesh K. Saxena, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India
(Edited by Kevin D. Hyde, Samaneh Chaharmiri-Dokhaharani, & Achala R. Rathnayaka)
Published online 21 May 2024