Aurantiascoma Thambugala & K.D. Hyde, Fungal Divers. 74: 249 (2015).

MycoBank number: MB 551262; Index Fungorum number: IF 551262; Facesoffungi number: FoF 00834; 1 morphological species (Index Fungorum 2020), 1 species with molecular data.

Type species – Aurantiascoma minimum (Mugambi, A.N. Mill. & Huhndorf) Thambug. & K.D. Hyde, Fungal Divers. 74: 249 (2015).

≡ Misturatosphaeria minima Mugambi, A.N. Mill. & Huhndorf, in Mugambi & Huhndorf, Stud. Mycol. 64: 114 (2009).

Notes – Aurantiascoma minimum was previously known as Misturatosphaeria minima, which was collected from decorticated woody branches and is based on smaller ascomata (Mugambi & Huhndorf 2009a). Jaklitsch et al. (2016b) synonymized Aurantiascoma under Teichospora and erected Misturatosphaeria minima as Teichospora parva. However, the morphological characters of Teichospora parva are distinctly different from the type species of Teichospora (T. trabicola), which has hyaline, fusiform, 1-(–3)-septate ascospores with one of the central cells broader than others, constricted at the central septum and thin mucilaginous sheath that extends at the apex of the spores, whereas T. trabicola has brown, rarely hyaline, muriform ascospores which are not or slightly constricted at the septa (Jaklitsch et al. 2016b). According to the multi-gene phylogeny herein, Aurantiascoma species nested separately from Teichospora species (Fig. 152). However, T. nephelii and T. quercus show a close phylogeny affinity with Aurantiascoma species (Fig. 152). Teichospora quercus has some morphological similarities with Aurantiascoma species in having dark brown, erumpent, globose to subglobose ascomata, cylindrical-clavate, short pedicellate asci, rounded at apex and fusiform or ellipsoid-fusoid, 1–3-septate ascospores (Mugambi & Huhndorf 2009a, Crous et al. 2018b). The connectivity between Teichospora nephelii and Aurantiascoma species is not yet proven, as asexual morph is unknown for Aurantiascoma species. Further taxonomic work is needed to resolve identification, phylogenetic position and relationships between the above two species and Aurantiascoma. Based on morphology and phylogeny support, we accept Aurantiascoma as a separate genus as mentioned by Thambugala et al. (2015b).

Species

  • Aurantiascoma minimum