Echidnodes liturae (Cooke) Theiss. & Syd.
≡ Aulographum liturae Cooke, Grevillea 12(no. 61): 38 (1883)
≡ Lembosia liturae (Cooke) Sacc., Syll. fung. (Abellini) 9: 1106 (1891)
≡ Lembosina liturae (Cooke) Arx, in Müller & von Arx, Beitr. Kryptfl. Schweiz 11(no. 2): 121 (1962)
MycoBank number: MB 192356; Index Fungorum number: IF 192356; Facesoffungi number: FoF 11881;
Type: K 164031.
Epiphytes on the upper leaf surface, forming blackened areas. Superficial hyphae radiating from the margins of thyriothecia, lacking appressoria, having a subcuticular or intra-epidermal hypostroma. Sexual state: Thyriothecia 750–890μm, solitary or gregarious, superficial, linear, X- or Y-shaped, black, easily removed from the host surface, opening by linear fissures. Upper wall comprising linear dark cells, which are branched at the outer rim, base poorly developed. Hamathecium comprising asci arranged vertically, pseudoparaphyses not observed. Asci 20–38×11–17μm (x = 23×13μm, n=10), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate dehiscence not observed, globose to subglobose, apedicellate, with a thick hyaline apical region, ocular chamber not observed, not staining blue in IKI. Ascospores 10–16×5–7μm (x = 11×5μm, n=10), overlapping multiseriate, ellipsoidalfusiform, hyaline, with narrowly rounded ends, 1-septate, strictly constricted at the septum. Asexual state: Unknown.
Material examined: USA, Texas, on leaves of Quercus aquaticus (Fagaceae), Ravenel 161 (K 164031, holotype).
Notes: The genus presently has 57 names in Index Fungorum (2014), although six have been shown to belong to other genera.
Fig. 1 Echidnodes liturae (holotype). a, b Appearance of thyriothecia on the upper surface of host. c, d Squash mount of thyriothecia. e Vertical section through thyriothecium. f, g Asci stained in lactophenol cotton blue reagent. h, i Ascospores in lactophenol cotton blue. Scale bars: b= 1 mm, c, d=100μm, e=50μm, f–i=10μm
