Orbilia cejpii Velen., Monogr. Discom. Bohem.

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 : 232-234

Orbilia cejpii Velen., Monogr. Discom. Bohem. (Prague): 92 (1934). ( Fig. 1 )

Apothecia 0.3–0.5(0.8) mm in diam., up to 0.2 mm high, scattered, light yellow (86. l. Y) to medium orange yellow (71. m. OY), superficial, disc flat, margin smooth and not or slightly protruding. Asci *(35)38.5–43.5(47.5) × 3.2–4 μm, †(31)34.5–37(40) × 2.5–3.4 μm; cylindric-clavate, apex thin-walled; 8-spored, spores uniseriate with 2–5 lower spores inverted (partially mixed), pars sporifera *13.5–23 μm; with a long thin bifurcate base. Ascospores *(2.2)2.5– 2.7(3) × 1.6–2.1 μm, †1.9–2.5 × 1.5–1.7 μm; subglobose to broadly ellipsoid; SBs *0.4–0.6 μm diam., globose, close to apex. Paraphyses spathulate very slightly to strongly capitate, 2–3-septate; terminal cell *(14.8)17.3–20.5(23.7) × (2)3.2–4.3 μm, cell below *(5.5)6–8.2(10.5) × 1.5–2.3 μm; unbranched or branched below second cell; without exudate over paraphyses; with several light gray (264. l. Gray) (sub)globose SCBs *1.4–2.8 × 1.1–2.7 μm diam filling the apical cell. Ectal excipulum at base and middle flank of textura angularis to t. globosa, *(50)60–77(90) μm thick; at margin and upper flank of t. angularis to t. prismatica, *(8)12–19(30) μm thick; hyaline, not gelatinized, without exudate. Cells of ectal excipulum *(9.3)11–12.5(14.8) × (6.3)7.8–9(10.2) μm at base and lower flank wall thickness *0.4–0.8 μm; *(5.8)7.2–8.8(10) × (4)5–6(8) μm at margin; with light gray (264. l. Gray) globose SCBs *1.6–2.3 μm diam.

μm= 1a–c; 50 μm= 2a; 10 μm= 2b–c, 3a–b, 4a–b, 5a; 5 μm= 3c–g. Mounted in: CR= 3a, 3e, 4a; H 2 O= 2a–c, 3b–c, 3f–g, 4b, 5; MLZ= 3d. All photos from TFC Mic. 23631.

Previously reported specimens corrected:— SPAIN. Canary Islands: Tenerife, Aguamansa, (coordinates and vegetation no data), 1250 m, on bark of unidentified substrate, 11 January 1976, R. P. Korf et al. ( CUP-MM 502 A, as O. alnea , probably O. cejpii based on measures and drawing of Korf 1992).

Specimens examined:— SPAIN. Canary Islands: Tenerife, La Matanza de Acentejo, Montaña la Morra, 28°24’40’’N, 16°24’59’’W, 1521 m, humid Canary pine woodland, on wood Adenocarpus foliolosus , 3 October 2012, L. Quijada & C. Quijada ( TFC Mic. 23631!).

Distribution and ecology:— The species has been reported in the northern hemisphere in Europe ( Czech Republic,

France). Growing on dead wood (unidentified angiosperm, Salix ). Occurring in spring and summer ( ASCOFRANCE 2015, Velenovský 1934). The species has been found in Macaronesia between 1250–1521 m, in the humid pine woodland influenced by tradewinds.

Remarks:— Orbilia cejpii was characterized for its hyaline, translucent minute apothecia (0.2–0.3 mm), asci 25 × 3 μm, with long and thin, flexuous, Y-shaped stalk, capitate paraphyses up to 5–6 μm wide, and subglobose ascospores up to 2 μm (Velenoský 1934). In the reexamination of the holotype by one of us (H.B.), 8-spored disintegrated asci and larger ascospores (†2–3.3 × 1.3–3 μm) were found in the single overmature apothecium (Baral et al. in prep.). A recent collection from western France, with pale orange apothecia of the same size, asci *22–34 × 3–4 μm, ascospores *2.5–3 × 1.7–2 μm, and paraphyses only slightly enlarged above to *2.5–3 μm, was exposed in the Ascofrance forum (19-05-2009, N. Van Vooren pers. comm.) and identified from the drawing by one of us (H.B.). Our sample fits O. cejpii , if we take into consideration Velenovský’s description and the revision of the type, Van Vooren’s measurements, and various further records referred to O. cejpii in the monograph of Orbiliomycetes (Baral et al. in prep.).

Orbilia cejpii could be confused with O. eucalypti (W. Phillips & Harkn.) Sacc. , but differs in smaller ascospores (*2.2–3 μm vs. *3.5–5.7 μm).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Morphological features of Orbilia cejpii. 1. Fresh apothecia. 2. Apothecium with excipular tissues in median section: 2a. Median section, 2b. Cells at margin, 2c. Cells at base. 3. Dead and living asci. 4. Dead and living paraphyses. 5. Living ascospores. 500