Fungalpedia – Note 217, Tetradigita (Fossil Fungi)

 

Tetradigita R. Kar, Mand. & R.K. Kar. 

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

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

Classification: Incertae sedis, Fossil Ascomycota, Fungi 

The monotypic fossil genus Tetradigita was described by Kar et al. (2010) in the Bhuban Formation (Miocene, 23–5 mya) of Tlangsam, Mizoram, India. The genus is characterized by long and tubular fungal conidia and is blastic in development. The conidium bends in the middle to produce two lateral arms, simultaneously giving a stellate appearance. Arms equal to unequal in length (5–30 × 2–4 μm), sometimes with further branching. Spore wall 1 μm thick, laevigate, translucent-light brown, mostly non-septate.

Type species: Tetradigita stellata Kar et al. 2010.


 

Figure 1 – Tetradigita stellata. 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)

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