Hi to all

I need your help with these pinkish orange  erumpent ascomata up to 0.5 mm by a longitudinal rupture of the peridermis of the host. There are not lips or valves around them.

The lateral ectal excipulum seems to be a prismatical/subangularis texture but it is very difficult to cut well. Asci with croziers, 8-spored, IKI red or dirty red blue in IKI (at high concentration), IKI b after KOH pret.

The end cells of the paraphyses have a peculiar snake head-like morfology and they have big roundish but incolore Vb's.

I think it belongs to the genus Laetinaevia but I don't see it in Hein's paper on this genus.

The fungus wwas found  growing on indeterminate grasses at 1500 m of altitude

Have you any idea?

Hans-Otto Baral, 10-06-2014 20:54

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

Hi Enrique

is there more of this dark red-brown exudate on the excipulum?

I think a section of the margin and flanks would help to get an idea of the excipulum.

Also, are these globose drops VBs or SCBs? Did you test them with CRB?

Zotto

Enrique Rubio, 10-06-2014 21:01

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

Hi Zotto

Sorry but it's impossible because the material is not well preserved and it is dried. No. I didn't test them  with Crb, but they disappear in KOH. Do you think they are SCBs?

Hans-Otto Baral, 10-06-2014 21:06

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

Both SCBs and VBs disappear in KOH. 

You must only rehydrate the apothecia, though probably the cells are not alive anymore. But a view on the exterior, do you have a photo that shows the brown exudate? It is just cut on your crop photo on the plate.

I see a certain similarity with the genus Pseudonaevia. I have a specimen that I placed with hesitation there.  In my folder (dir. Hysteropezizella-complex) you find also the protologue.

Enrique Rubio, 10-06-2014 21:16

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

Hi Zotto

Now I think you are right: They are not VBs but SCBs. But I cannot to cut well the apothecia.

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Hans-Otto Baral, 10-06-2014 21:24

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

Yes, they are clearly SCBs.

Did you compare this Pseudonaevia genus? And are the spores already septate within the living asci?

Enrique Rubio, 10-06-2014 21:25

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

I have seen your cf. Hysteropezizella but I think is not the same fungus. Yours have not septum at the ascospores and it seems that the paraphyses have not the SCBs. By the other hand I think that your ascomata are more discoid and very superficially disposed.

Enrique Rubio, 11-06-2014 12:55

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

Yes, Zotto. The ascospores of 'my' fungus are allways septate inside the living asci.

Hans-Otto Baral, 11-06-2014 13:40

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

o.k., but the apothecia of my fungus are erumpent though not very obvious. On one pic it clearly splits the epidermis.

Enrique Rubio, 11-06-2014 13:59

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

But, are the ascospores of your fungus septate inside the asci too?

When I saw 'my' fungus in the field my first impresion it was a member of Naevoideae because the erumpent pinkish orange ascomata, very different to yours.

Hans-Otto Baral, 11-06-2014 17:01

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

Yes, clour is different, and spore septation (aseptate in mine).

Pseudonaevia caricina seems also to eject aseptate spores, but is described as pale yellow.

I think we need not different  genera for different colours :-)

How this genus could be defined and whether it is related to Hysteropezizella remains open. But a section of your fungus would have been useful to understand the excipulum.

Enrique Rubio, 11-06-2014 17:35

Re : Laetinaevia (?) on grasses

Yes. Off course! A better section in needed for to unerstand the excipulum! I hope Jesús can found it again!

 

Thanks, Zotto