Pseudopyrenula Müll. Arg., Flora 66: 247 (1883).
MycoBank number: MB 4481; Index Fungorum number: IF 4481; Facesoffungi number: FoF 08823; Approximately 20 morphologically defined species (Aptroot and Lücking 2016: Aptroot et al. 2019); molecular data available for four species (Lücking et al. 2016).
Lichenized on bark in terrestrial, chiefly lowland to lower montane tropical habitats, often in drier situations. Thallus ecorticate, whitish. Photobiont Trentepohlia. Ascomata solitary, erumpent to prominent, black, hemisphaerical to wart-shaped or conical, carbonaceous, ostiolate, ostiole apical, rarely lateral. Involucrellum carbonized. Excipulum prosoplectenchymatous, brownish to carbonized. Hamathecium comprising 0.5–0.7 µm wide paraphysoids, hyaline, straight, branched and anastomosing, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, clavate, short pedicellate, with a non-amyloid ocular chamber. Ascospores irregularly arranged to biseriate, fusiform ellipsoid, hyaline, 3(–5)-septate, astrothelioid with distinct distosepta and diamond-shaped lumina, smooth-walled, not constricted at the septa, often with a gelatinous sheath. Pycnidia rare, immersed to erumpent, visible as black dots. Conidia aseptate, bacillar, hyaline.
Chemistry: lichexanthone sometimes produced on thallus surface; hamathecium and/or ascospores sometimes with yellow anthraquinones.
Type species: Pseudopyrenula diluta (Fée) Müll. Arg., Flora 66: 249 (1883)
Notes: For key and discussion see Aptroot and Lücking (2016).
Species