Fungalpedia – Note 237, Multicellites (Fossil Fungi)

 

Multicellites Kalgutkar & Janson. 

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

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

Classification: Fossil Ascomycota, Fungi Incertae sedis

Multicellites was proposed by Kalgutkar & Jansonius (2000) to include multicellate, uniserial, and inaperturate fungal spores with three to many cells. Terminal cells are usually rounded, and spore walls are usually smooth and of medium thickness, usually thinner than the septa (or septal bases). Septa generally perforate, or with septal folds. Kalgutkar & Jansonius (2000) designated Multicellites tener (Ke & Shi 1978) Kalgutkar & Janson. 2000 (=Multicellaesporites tener Ke & Shi 1978) as the type species of this genus. They accepted the generic diagnosis of Multicellaesporites, as emended by Kumar (1990), who stated that the genus has a tendency to bear a longitudinal slit or furrow. Kalgutkar & Jansonius (2000) retained only those species under Multicellaesporites which show some kind of longitudinal split (slit or furrow) and transferred all other species to Multicellites. The generic name is derived from the main diagnostic characteristic, that is, the presence of many (Latin multus) cells in each linear spore. There are 46 species listed in Index Fungorum (2024) under this genus.

Synonyms: Multicellaesporites tener Ke & Shi 1978 (orth. corr. pro M. tenerus Ke & Shi 1978 fide Kalgutkar & Jansonius 2000).

Type Species: Multicellites tener (Ke & Shi 1978) Kalgutkar & Janson. 2000.

Figure 1– Multicellites tener. Scale bar = 20 μm. Redrawn from Ke & Shi (1978).

 

References

Kalgutkar RM, Jansonius J. 2000 – Synopsis of fungal spores, mycelia and fructifications. AASP Contribution Series 39, 1–423.

Ke P, Shi ZY. 1978 – Early Tertiary spores and pollen grains from the coastal region of the Bohai (in Chinese); Academy of Petroleum Exploration, Development and Planning Research of the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemical Industries and the Nanjing Institute of Geology, and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kexue Chubanshe, Peking, 177 p.

 

Entry by

Ramesh K. Saxena, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India

 

(Edited by Kevin D. Hyde, Samaneh Chaharmiri-Dokhaharani, & Achala R. Rathnayaka)

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