Loratospora aestuarii Kohlm. & Volkm.-Kohlm., Syst. Ascom. 12(1–2): 10 (1993)

Saprobic on Juncus roemerianus Scheele. Sexual state: Ascomata 130–250μm high, 160–310μm diam., scattered to clustered, solitary, immersed to erumpent through host surface, visible as small black spots on host surface, uni to biloculate, globose to subglobose, glabrous, brown to dark brown, ostiole central, with minute papilla, with brown periphyses. Peridium 18–42μm wide, thin-walled, of unequal thickness, thickened at the apex, composed of several layers of brown to dark brown, pseudoparenchymatous cells, arranged in textura angularis to textura globulosa. Hamathecium absent, visible as mucilaginous matrix between asci. Asci (60–)70–85(−110)×(23–) 25– 30(−35) μm (x = 80.9×28.2μm, n=20), 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, ovoid to ampulliform, thick-walled at the apex, sessile to subsessile, apically rounded with indistinct ocular chamber, sparse in mucilaginous matrix. Ascospores 40– 50(−55)×5–7(−8) μm (x = 46.7×6.7μm, n=30), overlapping or parallel, 4–5-seriate, phragmosporous, cylindrical, or narrowly elongate fusiform with rounded ends, initially hyaline to subhyaline, pale yellowish at maturity, 3-septate, slightly curved, not constricted at the septa, rough-walled, surrounded by a thin, distinct sheath. Asexual state: Unknown. Material examined: USA, North Carolina, on dead culms of Juncus roemerianus (Juncaceae), Kohlmeyer_5505 (holotype), 5520, 5523, 5525, 5535 (NY_Slide box: 17, Tray no. 21); ibid. Broad Creek (Atlantic Ocean) 34° 43′ 00″ N, 76° 55′ 07″W (34.717, −76.919), standing dead culms of Juncus roemerianus, J. Kohlmeyer 5520 with B. Kohlmeyer, 13 October 1993 (NY 01276343).

Notes: The monotypic genus Loratospora was established by Kohlmeyer and Volkmann-Kohlmeyer (1993) to accommodate L. aestuarii. The taxon occurs on dead culms of Juncus roemerianus (Jones et al. 2009; Suetrong et al. 2009; Monkai et al. 2013). Kohlmeyer and Volkmann-Kohlmeyer (1993) mentioned that the species often developed on culms which were not regularly submerged in salt water. Loratospora is similar to Leptosphaerulina (Didymellaceae), Monascostroma (Didymellaceae) and Wettsteinina (Dothideomycetes genera incertae sedis), but Leptosphaerulina and Monascostroma have smaller ascomata, lack periphyses, and have a thin-walled peridium. Ascospores in Leptosphaerulina are muriform and didymosporous in Monascostroma (Kohlmeyer and Volkmann-Kohlmeyer 1993; Jones et al. 2009). Loratospora forms large ascomata with brown ostiolar periphyses, a thick-walled peridium at the apex and phragmosporous, cylindrical ascospores (Kohlmeyer and Volkmann-Kohlmeyer 1993; Jones et al. 2009; Suetrong et al. 2009).Wettsteinina differs from Loratospora in lacking ostiolar periphyses, in having a thick-walled peridium of equal width and ellipsoidal to broadly fusiform ascospores (Kohlmeyer and
Volkmann-Kohlmeyer 1993) Loratospora was re-circumscribed by Jones et al. (2009) and Monkai et al. (2013). The genus was accommodated in Planistromellaceae by Barr (1996) due to its periphysate ostiole (Jones et al. 2009; Suetrong et al. 2009;Monkai et al. 2013). Based on multigene phylogenetic analysis, Loratospora was placed in Phaeosphaeriaceae (Schoch et al. 2009; Zhang et al. 2012; Hyde et al. 2013). In the multigene phylogenetic analyses (Fig. 2), Loratospora forms a strongly supported clade with Chaetosphaeronema, Dematiopleospora, EntodesmiumNodulosphaeria and Ophiobolus. However, the genus has a differentiated centrum type as compared with other genera. Loratospora lacks of pseudoparaphyses but has an internal mucilaginous hamathecium, while most genera in Phaeosphaeriaceae have pseudoparaphyses. It seem like the centrum-type is not significant to distinguish genera at the family level. There is only one species listed in Loratospora in Index Fungorum (2014) and no asexual state is known. The sequences data of Loratospora is limited to only one strain.

Fig. 1 Loratospora aestuarii a Herbarium label and specimens (Kohlmeyer_5505). b, c Ascomata on host surface (Kohlmeyer_5505, Kohlmeyer_5520). d Section through ascoma (Kohlmeyer_5505). Section through peridium (Kohlmeyer_5505) f–g Asci (Kohlmeyer_5505). h Asci embedded in a gelatinous matrix (Kohlmeyer_5520). i–j Asci (Kohlmeyer_5520). k Ascospores (Kohlmeyer_5520) l–n Ascospores (Kohlmeyer_5520). o Ascospore (Kohlmeyer_5505). Scale bars: d=100 μm, e=50μm, f, g, h, I, j, k=20μm, l,m, n, o=10μm