The Genus Morenoina in Britain
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• Br. mycol. Soc. 74 (2) 297-307 (1980) Printed in Great Britain THE GENUS MORENOINA IN BRITAIN BY J. PAMELA ELLIS 31 Marlborough Road, Southwold, Suffolk The type species of Morenoina Theiss. is illustrated; nine new British species and two from Europe, not yet found in Britain, are described. Aulographum hederae is figured for com parison. Morenoina Theiss. is in the family Asterinaceae, Ascospores 1-septate, at first hyaline and guttulate, order Hemisphaeriales of the Loculoascomycetes. but at maturity often becoming faintly brown, lose The genus has the following characters: their guttules and their walls may become minutely Colonies grow on decaying plant debris and are rough; in all cases their ends are rounded and the composed of elongated, black, often branched upper cell is a little wider than the lower one. ascomata usually less than 1 mm in length and must Conidial states have been observed in three species. be sought with a hand-lens. Mycelium superficial, Conidia produced in circular, radiately scutellate usually fine, and sometimes very sparse and easily pycnothyria which: have been seen to be connected rubbed off in older colonies, but may be more directly by hyphae to the thyriothecia. robust and quite abundant in a few species. Fig. 1 illustrates Morenoina antarctica (Speg.) Thyriothecia start as small circular radiate shields Theiss., the type species of the genus. This figure and develop in two opposite directions to become is taken from a collection in Herb.K examined and elongated; sometimes they branch to become confirmed by Prof. E. Muller and compared by him Y-shaped, X-shaped or irregularly lobed. There is with the type collection. Muller & von Arx (1962) no hypostroma. Scutellum brown, darker towards described this species fully. A genus sometimes the centre and composed of radiately-arranged confused with Morenoina is Aulographum Lib. This more-or-Iess rectangular cells. The cells at the is characterized by having an elongated scutellum margin vary considerably in different species and composed of inordinately arranged cells. Muller & this character is best seen by reference to the von Arx (1962) showed that the type species, illustrations. The scutellum splits longitudinally at A. hederae Lib. (Fig. 2), has a hypostroma con maturity to expose the abundant asci. Asci sisting of an extensive plate of subcuticular hyphae arranged vertically beneath the scutellum with their beneath the thyriothecium. Luttrell (1973) puts bases attached to a very thin basal plate which is Aulographum into a separate family of the Hemi composed of hyaline or pale brown radially sphaeriales, the Aulographaceae. The photographs arranged cells mirroring the upper wall. The illustrating the structure of the thyriothecium of bitunicate asci are variable in shape, spherical, ovoid A. hederae are taken from part of the type collection or clavate, this often depending on their stage of in Herb.K .This species name was validly published development, and contain eight variously arranged by Libert (1834). A later name for this fungus is ascospores. The asci are embedded in a slimy mass A. vagum Desmazieres (1843). and no pseudoparaphyses have been observed. KEY TO THE SPECIES OF MORENOINA Ascospores up to 18 fim long 1 Ascospores not more than 15 fim long . 2 1. Ascospores smooth, on Rubus ........... clarkii Ascospores closely echinulate, on Arundinaria ........ arundinariae 2. Ascospores 9-15 fim long . 3 Ascospores never more than 10 fim long . 5 3- Conidia 5-7 x 1-5-2 fim present in pycnothyria, on Carex, Cladium and Juncus . • paludosa Conidia absent 4 4. Branches of thyriothecia 150-200 fim wide, ascospores 10-14 x 4-5 fim, on Arundinaria • • websteri Branches of thyriothecia 80-120 fim wide, ascospores 12-15 x 4-5-5 fim, on Carex and Juncus . fimbriata 5. Ascospores not more than 7 fim long .......... epilobii* Ascospores more than 7 fim and less than to fim long . g 6. Conidia present in pycnothyria J Conidia absent . g 7. Ascospores 8-iO x 3-4 fim, conidia 3-4 x 0-5-1 fim, on Phalaris and Phragmites • • phragmitidis Ascospores 8-10 x 2-5-3-5 fim, conidia 2-3 x 0-5-1 fim, on Rhododendron and Vaccinium . rhododendri 8. Thyriothecia not more than 250 fim long, on Carex, Cladium and Juncus .... minuta Thyriothecia mostly more than 250 fim long <j 9. Branches of thyriothecia 40-60 fim wide, on Festuca ........ festucae* Branches of thyriothecia 80-100 fim wide, on Chamaecyparis ..... chamaecyparidii * European species not yet found in Britain. Fig. 1. Morenoina antarctica. (A) Thyriothecia ( x 100); (B) edge of scutellum; (C) ascospores. Fig. 2. Aulographum hederae. (A) Thyriothecium ( x 250); (B) part of thyriothecium ( x 400). Morenoina arundinariae sp.nov. (Fig. 3) Morenoina chamaecyparidis sp.nov. (Fig. 4) Mycelium abundans, ex hyphis brunneis 2-2-5 Pm latis Mycelium sparsim, ex hyphis pallide brunneis, 1-2 fim compositum. Thyriothecia simplicia vel ramosa, recta latis compositum. Thyriothecia simplicia, dispersa, vel flexa, dispersa vel aggregata, 400-noo x 60-100/im. 120-450 x 80-100 fim. Scutellum ex cellulis atro- Scutellum ad centrum opacum, marginem versus rufo- brunneis, oblongis compositum; cellulae marginales brunneum, cellulae marginales protrudentes. Asci fumoso-brunneae non protrudentes. Asci 14-20 x 25-40 x 13-18 /an. Ascosporae l-septatae, 15-18 x 8-9 fim. Ascosporae l-septatae, 8-10 x 3-4 fim, hya 4-6 /im, hyalinae vel stramineae, breviter echinulatae. linae vel pallide brunneae, minute et dispersim verru- Pycnothyria non visa. culosae. Pycnothyria non visa. In caulibus putrescentibus Arundinariae, Plas-Tan- In foliis emortuis Chamaecyparidis lawsonianae, y-Bwlch, Gwynedd, 15 May 1976, J. P. Ellis, Holo Hartland Forest, N. Devon, 22 May 1972, J. P. Ellis, typus IMI 204120. Holotypus IMI 168863. Mycelium abundant, hyphae brown, 2-2-5 /<m Mycelium scanty; hyphae pale brown, rather wide. Thyriothecia simple or branched, straight or torulose, 1-2 fim wide. Thyriothecia simple, bent, scattered or crowded, 400-1100 x 60-100 fim. scattered, 120-450 x 80-100 fim. Scutellum com Scutellum opaque at the centre, dark red brown at posed of dark brown oblong cells, mid smoky the edge, many cells protruding. Asci 25-40 x brown at the margin, not protruding. Asci 14-20 x 13-18 fim. Ascospores l-septate, 15-18 x 4-6 fim, 8-9 fim. Ascospores l-septate, 8-10 x 3-4 fim, hya hyaline to straw-coloured, finely echinulate. line to very pale brown, minutely and distantly On rotting stems of Arundinaria sp. Only one verruculose. collection seen. On dead leaves of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana. Only one collection seen. Fig. 3. Morenoina arundinariae. (A) Habit; (B) parts of edge of scutellum; (C) asci and ascospores. On dead stems of Epilobium angustifoliutn. This Morenoina clarkii sp.nov. (Fig. 5) description is based on Libert's material in Herb.K, Mycelium abundans, ex hyphis brunneis, sinuatis, Plant, crypt. Arduennae: 273 (1834), an isotype 2-4 fim latis compositum, ad hyphas subcuticulars, collection and is included as it may well occur in septatas, torulosas passim affixum. Thyriothecia Britain. simplicia vel ramosa, flexuosa, 250-1500 x 80-120 fim, interdum confluentia. Scutellum ad centrum opacum; cellulae marginales brunneae, saepe in mycelium Morenoina festucae (Lib.) J. P. Ellis comb.nov. crescentes. Asci 25-35x 12-17 f-m. Ascosporae 1- (Fig. 7) septatae, 14-19 x 4-5-6-5 /im, hyalinae vel stramineae Aulographumfestucae Lib., Plant, crypt. Arduennae: ut videtur semper glabrae. Pycnothyria non visa. 373 (1837)- In caulibus emortuis Rubi fruticosi agg., Chesterton Wood, Warwicks., 15 Oct. 1970. M. C. Clark 748, Echidnodes festucae (Lib.) Ryan, III. Biol. Monogr. Holotypus IMI 151898. 17 (2): 97 (1939)- Mycelium plentiful; hyphae brown, 1^5-2-5/*¾ Mycelium abundant; hyphae brown, contorted, wide, often branching at right angles. Thyriotliecia nodulose, 2-4 fim wide, at intervals connected to scattered, simple, bent and variously branched, subcuticular mycelium composed of hyaline, 125-400(800) x 40-80 fim. Scutellum dark red- septate, swollen hyphae. Thyriothecia mostly bent, brown in the centre, paler at the fimbriate margin, lobed and branched, 250-1500 x 80-120 fim, up to with many cells running out into the mycelium. 250 fim wide where lobed, and sometimes con Asci 18-22 x 8-ii fim. Ascospores l-septate, 8-9 x fluent. Scutellum almost opaque except at the edge 2-5-3 /*mj hyaline to straw-coloured, minutely where the brown cells frequently run out into the x verruculose. Pycnothyria not seen. mycelium. Asci 25-35 12-17 /*rn. Ascospores l-septate, 14-19 x 4-5-6-5 fim, hyaline to pale On dead sheaths of Festuca sylvatica Vill. (F. straw-coloured, remaining smooth. altissima AIL). This description is based on part of the type collection of Libert in Herb.K. Specimens On dead stems of Rubus fruticosus agg. Five referred to this species as Aulographum festucae collections examined from Devon and Warwicks. have been recorded from this country but none that This fungus is named after Mr and Mrs M. C. I have seen can be placed here. Festuca altissima is a Clark, who have made all the collections. locally rather rare grass of rocky slopes and wooded MORENOINA EPILOBII (Lib.) von Arx, Beitr. stream sides scattered over Europe, and in Britain Kryptogamenfl. Schweiz 11: 129 (1962). mainly in the west and north. (Fig. 6). Morenoina fimbriata sp.nov. (Fig. 8) Mycelium sparse; hyphae straw-coloured to pale brown, somewhat torulose, 1-5-2-5 fim wide. Mycelium moderate abundans, ex hyphis pallide Thyriothecia simple, branched or bent, 150-450 x brunneis 1-5-2 fim latis compositum. Thyriothecia 40-60 fim. Scutellum brown, slightly darker in the simplicia, interdum ramosa, saepe flexa, 300-1100 x 80-120 fim, utrinque angustata.