Orbilia scolecospora (G.W. Beaton) Baral

Quijada, Luis, Baral, Hans-Otto & Beltrán-Tejera, Esperanza, 2016, A revision of the genus Orbilia in the Canary Islands, Phytotaxa 284 (4), pp. 231-262 : 240-242

Orbilia scolecospora (G.W. Beaton) Baral , in Liu, Liu, Zhuang & Baral, Fungal Diversity 22: 117 (2006) ( Fig. 6 )

Apothecia 0.4–0.7(1.4) mm in diam., 0.2–0.3 mm high, scattered to gregarious, hyaline to pale yellowish pink (31. p. y Pink) when young, in mature medium yellowish pink (29. m. y Pink) to light orange yellow (70. l. OY), disc convex when young, at mature slightly concave to flat, not erumpent, margin with 5–8(10) triangular teeth of * 0.05–0.15 mm lengh, 0.05–0.2 mm mm width at base, 0.02–0.1 mm width at apex. Asci *(40.5)45.2–50(56.6) × 3.3–4.4 μm, †(33)40–45(53) × 2.7–3.5 μm; thin apex; cylindric-clavate, 8-spored, spores 2–4-uniseriate, 4 lower spores inverted, pars sporifera *13–18 μm; with a long thin bifurcate base. Ascospores *(8)8.8–10.5(11.3) × 0.8–1.2 μm, †(6.5)7.7– 8.3(9.5) × 0.5–1 μm; narrowly fusoid to fusiform-clavate, medium helicoid, with a acute apex and strongly curved tapered tail; SBs *(2.6)3–3.7 × 0.4–0.5 μm, subulate, straight to slightly flexuose. Paraphyses uninflated, cylindrical to slightly clavate, 1–2-septate; terminal cell *(11)14–16.5(18.5) × (1.8)2.2–2.7 μm, cell below *(4)5–6.5(9) × 1.7–2.5 μm; not branched, with cloddy and continuous grayish yellow (90. gy. Y) exudate, 0.5–2 μm long; with several light gray (264. l. Gray) eyelash or globose to cylindric SCBs *2.2–8 × 1.3–2 μm. Ectal excipulum at base and middle flanks of textura angularis to t. globosa, *(52)76–130(181) μm thick; at margin and upper flank of t. angularis, *(13)20– 33(52) μm; hyaline, not gelatinized, with refractive medium yellow (87. m. Y) glassy processes *(16)37–134(223) μm. Cells of ectal excipulum *(11)13.7–17(20.7) × (7.8)11–13(16.3) μm at base and lower flank, wall thickness *0.4–1 μm; *(4.7)6–8(10) × (3.7)4.3–5.4(7) μm at margin; cortical cells at margin cylindric and protruding, *(9.5)11–13.5(15.3) × 2.2–3.5(5.5) μm; with yellow gray (93. y Gray) ring to lasso-shaped SCBs *4–5 × 3–4 μm at lower flank, globose SCBs *2–5 μm diam. at margin.

Specimens examined:— SPAIN. Canary Islands: Tenerife, Buenavista del Norte, Teno Rural Park, El Draguillo, 28°21’15’’N, 16°54’12’’W, 130 m, Euphorbia canariensis scrub, on wood of Euphorbia canariensis , 5 June 2009, L. Quijada & C. Quijada, E. Rodríguez (TFC Mic. 22235!). Idem, 16 June 2009, L. Quijada, C. Quijada & E. Rodríguez (TFC Mic. 22289!, 22290!, 22297!, 22305!, 22307!). Idem, 28 February 2010, L. Quijada, R. Castro & E. Rodríguez (TFC Mic. 22872!, 22873!). Idem, La Morra los Cardones, 28°14’47’’N, 16°25’47’’W, 346 m, Euphorbia atropurpurea scrub, on wood of Euphorbia canariensis , 18 December 2013, L. Quijada & C. Quijada (TFC Mic. 24423!). La Laguna, Anaga Rural Park, Andén de la Cruz, 28°34’03’’N, 16°18’03’’W, 337 m, Euphorbia canariensis scrub, on wood of Euphorbia canariensis , 29 December 2013, L. Quijada & E. Rodríguez (TFC Mic. 24450!).

Distribution and ecology:— The species has been reported from the northern hemisphere ( China), and the southern hemisphere ( Australia). Growing on different angiosperms ( Eucalyptus, Quercu s). Occurring in summer ( Beaton & Weste 1978, Spooner 1987, Liu et al. 2006). The ecology of the species is curiously very different in Macaronesia, where it was found in Euphorbia scrubs between 130 and 337 m. The phenology is broader (winter to summer), and it has only been found on the succulent Euphorbia canariensis , never on non-succulent woody substrates.

Remarks:— This species has been described and illustrated as ‘ Hyalinia scolecospora’ from the holotype ( Beaton & Weste 1978), revised by Spooner (1987), and from a Chinese collection, when it was combined by one of us (H.B.) in the genus Orbilia ( Liu et al. 2006) . The length of ascospores in the holotype ( Beaton & Weste 1978) is larger compared to the other collections (15 μm vs. 7.8–10.4 μm), but when comparing the drawing in the original diagnosis, the length is ~10 μm, being possible 15 μm only if we take into account the curvature of ascospore. Our measurements and general morphology fit well the collections mentioned ( Beaton & Weste 1978, Spooner 1987, Liu et al. 2006), with slight differences: (1) the spore bodies in our sample are larger in respect to Liu et al. (2006) (*2.6–3.7 μm vs. *1–1.8 μm), and (2) the dead asci are longer in respect to the other diagnoses (†33–53 μm vs. †24–33 μm).

Orbilia scolecospora could be confused with O. crenatomarginata (Höhn.) Sacc. & Trotter , but asci and ascospores of the latter are shorter (†33–53 μm vs. 25 μm, †6.5–9.5 μm vs. 6–8 μm, respectively) ( Saccardo & Trotter 1913). Orbilia vermiformis Baral, Z.F. Yu & K.Q. Zhang is also similar, but differs in its wider asci (*3.8–5 μm) and ascospores (*1–1.5 μm), and it does not have glassy processes forming teeth ( Yu et al. 2007).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Morphological features of Orbilia scolecospora. 1. Fresh apothecia. 2. Excipular tissues in median section: 2a. glassy processes at margin, 2b. cells with SCBs at upper flank. 3. Living and dead asci. 4. Living paraphyses. 5. Dead and living ascospores. 500 μm= 1a, 1d, 1f; 100 μm= 1b–c, 1e 1e; 50 μm= 2a; 10 μm= 2b, 3a–d, 4a–b, 5b; 5 μm= 5a. Mounted in: CR= 3b, 3d, 4b, 5a; H 2 O= 2a–b, 3a, 3c, 4a, 5b. Photos: TFC Mic. 22307= 1f; TFC Mic. 24423= 1a–e, 2b, 3a–d, 4a–b, 5a–b; TFC Mic. 24450= 2a.