Fungalpedia – Note 1800, Sarcoscyphaceae
Sarcoscyphaceae LeGal ex Eckblad
Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.
Classification: Pezizales, Pezizomycetidae,, Pezizomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi
Taxa are saprobic on wood or on foliage in early stages of decomposition. In a few genera they are found on soil, although they probably arise from buried wood or roots or rarely on very well-rotted wood, on dung or compost, or on charcoal (Denison 1972). They form tough, leathery to rubbery apothecia. Their hymenial pigments are bright coloured (red, orange, yellow) with carotenoids (Arpin 1968), and the exterior of the apothecium is light coloured. The suboperculate ascus and the subapical pad (a thickened addition to the inner side of the apex of the ascus wall) are important characteristics within this family (Denison 1972). Asexual morphs are hyphomycetous. Conidiophores are produced from the ascospores. Conidia vary in size and are guttulate (Molliard 1904; Paden 1984). Recent studies are Tabare´s et al. (2010), Tibuhwa (2011), Angelini and Medardi (2012), Romero et al. (2012), Ekanayaka et al. (2016a, b), Ekanayaka et al. (2017b).
Type genus: Sarcoscypha (Fr.) Boud., Bull. Soc. Mycol. France 1: 103 (1885).
References
Arpin N 1968 – Les Carote´noides des Discomyce`tes: Essai chimiotaxinomique. The`se de doctorat, Universite´ de Lyon.
Denison WC 1972 – Central American Pezizales. IV. The genera Sarcoscypha, Pithya, and Nanoscypha. Mycologia 64:609–623.
Molliard M 1904 – Condidial form of Sarcoscypha coccinea (Jacq.) Cooke. Bull Trimest Soc Mycol Fr 20:138–141.