Fungalpedia – Note 337, Lithosporocarpia (Fossil fungi)

 

Lithosporocarpia R. Kar, Mand. & R.K. Kar.

Citation when using this data: Saxena RK & Hyde KD. 2024 (in prep) – Fungalpedia, Fossil Fungi. 

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig. 1

Classification: Fungi, Fossil Ascomycota, Incertae sedis.

The monotypic fossil genus, Lithosporocarpia, was described by Kar et al. (2010) from the Bhuban Formation (Miocene, 23–5 mya) of Tlangsam, Mizoram, India. Lithosporocarpia is characterized by subcircular–circular sporocarps with uneven margin due to projection of hyphae. Overall size 22–48 × 20–45 μm. Chlamydospores were present, and one chlamydospore was found in each sporocarp. Chlamydospore subcircular, 10–22 x 8–20 μm, dark brown, laevigate, with a small stalk and globular head. The sporocarp wall was up to 2 μm thick. Hyphae formed regular reticulations on both sides. Meshes mostly square in shape, sometimes rectangular. 

Type species: Lithosporocarpia cephala Kar et al. 2010.

 

 

Figure 1 – Lithosporocarpia cephala. Scale bar = 10 μm. Redrawn from Kar et al. (2010).

 

References

Kar R, Mandaokar BD, Kar RK. 2010 – Fungal taxa from the Miocene sediments of Mizoram, northeast India. Review of Palaeobotany & Palynology 158, 240–249.

 

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 27 August 2024

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