Fungalpedia – Note 719, Limacinula
Limacinula. Höhn.
Citation when using this data: D. S. Marasinghe et al. 2023 (in prep.) – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.
Classification: Coccodiniaceae, Chaetothyriales, Chaetothyriomycetidae, Eurotiomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Epiphytic or biotrophic on the leaves as sooty molds. Subiculum well-developed, superficial, loose, brown, comprising effuse, branched, subhyaline to brown, septate hyphae, reticulate. Sexual morph: Ascomata superficial, sessile on subiculum, scattered to aggregated, globose, cupulate when mature, uniloculate, brown to black, with periphysate ostioles, thick-walled, more or less setose. Peridium multilayered, composed of an outer layer of dark brown, thick-walled cells of textura angularis, with inner layer thinner, composed of irregularly-shaped, flattened, lightly brown to hyaline, thin-walled cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium lacking paraphyses. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, clavate to obpyriform or obovoid at maturity, short pedicellate or apedicellate, distinct ocular chamber lacking. Ascospores overlapping uniseriate to multi-seriate, irregularly arranged, fusoid to oblong, basal cells thinner than upper cells, rounded at both ends, hyaline to light brown or olivaceous, muriform, with transverse septa or longitudinal septa, smooth or thick-walled, lacking a gelatinous sheath or appendages. Asexual morph: Undetermined (Tian et al. 2021).
Notes: Limacinula was introduced by Höhnel with the type species of Limacinula samoensis. It is characterized by a superficial, well-developed, superficial subiculum composed of effuse, branched hyphae, setose, globose, ascomata with periphysate ostioles, aparaphysate, bitunicate, clavate, obpyriform to obovoid asci and fusoid to oblong, hyaline to light brown, muriform ascospores (Tian et al. 2021). von Höhnel (1909, 1910) initially suggested that Limacinula and Phaeosaccardinula were similar in morphology. However, Reynolds (1971) differentiated Limacinula from Phaeosaccardinula with the morphology of ascomata, ascospore and hamathecium. Limacinula is morphologically similar to Coccodinium in having limacinuloid ascomata with an aparaphysate hamathecium and differs by the colour of ascospores (Tian et al. 2021). Tian et al. (2021) accepted Limacinula in Coccodiniaceae until confirmation with sequence data from fresh collections.
Type species: Limacinula samoensis Höhn. [as ‘samoënsis’], Sber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Mathnaturw. Kl., Abt. 1 118: 1200 (1909).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Limacinula.
References
Höhnel F 1910 – Fragmente zur Mykologie 10, Nr. 478. Clypeolella.n.g. (Microthyriaceae) Sitzbungsberichten der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien. Mathematischnaturwissenschaftliche Klasse 199:403–407.
Höhnel FV 1909 – Fragmente zur Mykologie: IX. Mitteilung (Nr. 407 bis 467). Sitzungsberichte.
Reynolds DR 1971 – The sooty mould ascomycete genus Limacinula. Mycologia 63:1173–1209.
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