Cookeina indica Pfister & R. Kaushal, Mycotaxon 20(1): 117 (1984)

Index Fungorum number: IF 106712

Saprobic on dead wood. Asexual morph: Undetermined. Sexual morph: Ascomata superficial, scattered. Disc cupulate, yellowish, up to 1.5 cm high, 2 cm broad, hymenium yellowish, smooth, receptacle surface yellowish to orange, nearly smooth. Stipe up to 1.0 cm long, 0.2 cm broad, white to yellowish. Medullary excipulum 170－310 µm broad, of hyaline cells of textura intricata, composed of 3－6 µm broad hyphae. Ectal excipulum 50－100 µm broad, hyaline cells of textura angularis to textura globulosa, 17－22 × 12－15 μm, J–. Stipitipellis 70－110 µm, hyaline, comprised of 18－23 × 13－16 μm cells of textura angularis to textura globulosa, J–. Paraphyses filiform, 2－4 µm broad, hyaline, septate, branched, J–. Asci 305－357 × 13－16 µm, 8-spored, operculate, subcylindrical to clavate, a short pedicellate, J–. Ascospores [20/1/1, in H2O] (24.2－)27.7－32.2(－34.5) × (7.4－)8.4－9.9(－10.4) (Q = 2.94－4.09, Q = 3.39 ± 0.35), ellipsoid, uniseriate, inequilateral, inamyloid, 1–3–guttulate, ornamentation with striae arranged longitudinally.

Material examined – Thailand, Ranong, on unidentified dead wood, 5 October 2017, M. Zeng, ST02 (MFLU 20–0548).

GenBank numbers – ITS: MT941004, LSU: MT941005.

Known distribution (based on molecular data) – China, India, Thailnd (Ekanayaka et al. 2016, Kropp 2017, this study)

Known hosts (based on molecular data) – dead wood (Ekanayaka et al. 2016, Kropp 2017, this study)

Notes – This species is characterized by cupulate apothecia, a nearly smooth hymenium and ellipsoid, inequilateral, guttulate ascospores with longitudinal striae. The similar species C. cremeirosea has pinkish apothecia, and smooth-walled ascospores (Ekanayaka et al. 2016, Kropp 2017).

Figure 1. Cookeina indica (MFLU 20–0548, new geographical record). a–f Typic mature specimens. g Stipitipellis. h Receptacle surface of pileus. i Asci and paraphyses. j Paraphyses. k–m Asci (l Asci in Congo Red, m Asci in Melzer’s reagent). n Apex of asci in Congo Red. o–r Ascospores. Scale bars: d = 1000 μm. e,f = 2000 μm. g, h, j = 30 μm. i, k–m = 100 μm. n, o, q, r = 10 μm, p = 40 μm.