Fungalpedia – Note 140 Savoronala

 

Savoronala Ertz, Eb. Fisch., Killmann, Razafindr. & Sérus

Citation if using this entry: Tarafder et al. in prep – New genera in 2013. Mycosphere

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1

Classification: Malmideaceae, Lecanorales, Lecanoromycetidae, Lecanoromycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota

 

Savoronala was introduced by Ertz et al. (2013) with type species Savoronala madagascariensis based on assessments of morphology and phylogenetic analysis of combined LSU and SSU sequence data. Savoronala belongs to the family Malmideaceae (Lecanorales) and is sister to Malmidea and Lecidea but do not share noticeable morphological similarities (Lucia et al. 2017). Savoronala was reported from Madagascar on the base of a stem of Erica sp. (Ertz et al. 2013). Species of this lichenized hyphomycete genus are characterized by an adnate small pale glaucous placodioid thallus, erect stipes producing sporodochia at the apex, brown, subspherical conidia wrapped around a single chlorococcoid algal cell, and the conidia become larger and brown after maturity. Although the fungal hyphae firmly envelop the algal cells, the vegetative propagules of Savoronala develop at the stipes and are dispersed fully with the fungal conidia. Savoronala clusters in a strongly supported monophyletic group with Lecidea cyrtidia, L. floridensis, L. plebeja, and Malmidea in the family Malmideaceae (Lucia et al. 2017). 

Type species: Savoronala madagascariensis Ertz, Eb. Fisch., Killmann, Razafin. & Sérus.

Other accepted species: This genus is monotypic.

 

 

Figure 1 – Savoronala madagascariensis (redrawn from Ertz et al. 2013). a Thallus and a sporodochium on a stipe. b, c Prominent single thallus and sporodochia on stipes. d Section through a stipe and sporodochium. e Magnified stage of conidiogenesis. f Covering of the algae at the start of conidiogenesis. g Conidia. Scale bars: a = 400 µm, b = 2 mm, c = 10 mm, d = 200 μm, e = 40 μm, f, g = 20 μm.

 

References

Ertz D, Fischer E, Killmann D, Razafindrahaja T, Sérusiaux E. 2013 – Savoronala, a new genus of Malmideaceae (Lecanorales) from Madagascar with stipes producing sporodochia. Mycological Progress 12, 645–656. 

Muggia L, Mancinelli R, Tønsberg T, Jablonska A et al. 2017 – Molecular analyses uncover the phylogenetic placement of the lichenized hyphomycetous genus Cheiromycina. Mycologia 109(4), 588–600.

 

Entry by

Entaj Tarafder, Department of Plant Pathology, Agriculture College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, People’s Republic of China.

 

(Edited by Yong Wang & Kevin D Hyde)

Published online 22 September 2023

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