Fungalpedia – Note 2966, Truncatascus

 

Truncatascus Jin F. Zhang & Jian K. Liu.

Citation when using this data: Zhang JF et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia. 

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

Classification: Plectosphaerellaceae, Glomerellales, Hypocreomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.

Saprobic on dead branch of unidentified woody plant. Sexual morph: Ascomata superficial, aggregated, globose to subglobose, scattered, black, short papillate, ostiolate, coriaceous. Ostiole central, periphysate. Peridium composed of several layers of pseudoparenchymatous cells of textura angularis. Hamathecium comprising abundant, hypha-like paraphyses, intermixed with and above the asci. Asci 8-spored, unitunicate, cylindrical, short pedicellate, apically truncate, without apical apparatus. Ascospores oval, one-celled, overlapping uni-seriate, guttulate. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Notes: In the multi-gene phylogenetic analysis Truncatascus was placed within Plectosphaerellaceae, and it formed a separate clade close to the genus Fuscohypha (Zhang JF et al. 2023). However, the sexual morph of Fuscohypha has obclavate to obpyriform asci and two-celled, ellipsoidal to subfusoid ascospores with numerous guttules (Phookamsak et al. 2019; Phukhamsakda et al. 2020), while Truncatascus has cylindrical asci and one-celled, ovoid ascospores with two guttules near each end. Morphologically this new collection, does not fit any known genera within Plectosphaerellaceae. Hence, we introduce it as a new genus to accommodate the type species Truncatascus microsporus.

Type species: Truncatascus microsporus J.F. Zhang & Jian K. Liu.

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Truncatascus.

Figure 1 – Truncatascus microsporus (GZAAS 19-1744, holotype): a Appearance of ascomata on the substrate. b Vertical section through ascoma. c Section of peridium. d Paraphyses. e Ostiole with periphyses. f, g Asci. h–l Ascospores. ­­­Scale bars: b = 30 µm, c, h–l = 5 µm, d–g = 10 µm

 

References

Phookamsak R, Hyde KD, Jeewon R, Bhat DJ et al. 2019 – Fungal Diversity notes 929–1035: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungi. Fungal Divers 95:1–273.

Phukhamsakda C, McKenzie EHC, Phillips AJL, Jones EBG et al. 2020 – Microfungi associated with Clematis (Ranunculaceae) with an integrated approach to delimiting species boundaries. Fungal Divers 102:1–203.

Zhang JF, Liu JK, Hyde KD et al. 2023 – Ascomycetes from karst landscapes of Guizhou Province, China. Fungal Diversity 122, 1–160.

 

Entry by

Jinfeng Zhang, Guizhou Provincial Institute of Tea, Guiyang 550006, People’s Republic of China, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, People’s Republic of China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.

 

Published online 18 August 2026

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