Fungalpedia – Note 2205, Lindriella
Lindriella. Dayar., K.L. Pang & E.B.G. Jones.
Citation when using this data: Dayarathne MC et al. 2025 – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1
Classification: Lulworthiaceae, Lulworthiales, Incertae sedis, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Etymology – The generic name Lindra and ella refers to the genus Lindra and small
Perthophytic and saprobic on leaves of the seagrass Thalassia, marine algae, driftwood, sea foam. Sexual morph: Ascomata globose, immersed, ostiolate, papillate, coriaceous, dark brown to black. Asci 8-spored, cylindrical or subclavate, unitunicate, thin-walled, no apical apparatus, early deliquescing. Ascospores multi-septate, hyaline, tips only slightly inflated. Asexual morph: Undetermined.
Notes – Currently three Lindriella-like species are listed in Index Fungorum (January 2022), however there is confusion as to whether they are sufficiently distinct. Kohlmeyer and Volkmann-Kohlmeyer (1991) regarded Lindra thalassiae var. crassa as a synonym of L. crassa. Campbell et al. (2005) proposed that Lindra marinera be reduced as a synonym of L. thalassiae, but this was not formally undertaken. Lindra hawaiiensis differs from the other two species in possessing shorter ascospores, with fewer septa and catenophyses. Therefore, currently we accept Lindriella thalassiae, L. hawaiiensis and L. crassa in the genus until further collections are sequenced. In the phylogenetic tree of Campbell et al. (2005), three Lulworthia isolates grouped in the same clade as the Lindriella taxa, indicating there may be other species awaiting characterization.
The only morphological difference between Lulworthia and Lindra/Lindriella taxa is that the former has apical chambers full of mucilage which is discharged as drop when spores are in seawater (Jones 1994, Yusoff et al.1995), with Campbell et al. (2005) suggesting that the “loss of the apical chambers has not occurred once but twice in the Lulworthiales.”
Figure 1 – Lindriella thalassiae. a Crushed ascoma. b–c Ascospores. Scale bars: a = 250 μm, b = 50 μm, c = 5 μm.
References
Campbell J. 2005 – Neotypification of Lulworthia fucicola. Mycologia 97, 549–551.
Jones EBG. 1994 – Fungal adhesion. Mycol Res 98, 961–981.
Entry by
Monika Dayarathne, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.
Published online 26 March 2026