Meliolaster clavisporus (Pat.) Höhn., Ber. dt. bot. Ges. 35: 701 (1918).
≡ Meliola clavispora Pat., J. Bot., Paris 4: 61 (1890)
≡ Patouillardina clavispora (Pat.) G. Arnaud, C. r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci., Paris 164: 890 (1917)
≡ Meliolinopsis clavispora (Pat.) Beeli, Bull. Jard. Bot. État 7: 119 (1920)
= Meliolaster aporusae Hosag., Harish & Archana, Indian Journal of Science and Technology 2(6): 14 (2009)
Type: FH 258798.
Epiphytes on the lower surface, forming irregular, 4–8 mm diam., blackened colonies, comprising an outer superficial, web-like, blackened hyphae and central thyriothecia. Superficial hyphae abundant on the host surface, superficial, branching, easily removed from the host, with numerous appressoria. Appressoria 10–12×8μm, nearly circular to ovoid, lateral and alternative, sparsely septate. Sexual state: Thyriothecia 250–290μm diam., superficial on the host, flattened, black, with basal peridium poorly developed, opening by stellate-like fissures. Upper wall circular, with irregularly arranged cells. Hamathecium lacking pseudoparaphyses. Asci 70–80×52–58μm (x = 73×55μm, n=10), 8-spored, bitunicate, globose to subglobose, apedicellate, apical region of asci usually with a thick opaque region, ocular chamber not observed, not staining blue in IKI. Ascospores 42–49×11– 16μm (x = 46×14μm, n=10), fasciculate, claviform with apical cell largest, basal cell tapering, reddish-brown, 2–3- septate, constricted at the septum, straight or curved, smooth-walled, with remnants of mucilage. Asexual state: Unknown.
Material examined: VIETAM, Tonkin, Fu-Phap, on living leaf, January 1889 (FH 258798, holotype).
Notes: Meliolaster has three species in Index Fungorum (2014). Hosagoudar et al. (2009) introduced Meliolaster aporusae Hosag. et al. from Aporusa lindleyana (Wight) Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) from India. Hosagoudar et al. (2009) provided no justification when introducing the new species, and furthermore, HCIO or TBGT where the type specimens are deposited will not loan specimens outside India, so that the specimen could not be checked. Since most of the characters overlap with Meliolaster clavispora and the host of M. clavispora is unknown, M. aporusae is synonymised here. Doidge (1942) states that Meliolaster mackenzii Doidge is Amazonia asterinoides (G. Winter) Theiss. New collections of this genus are needed so that molecular data can be obtained in order to clarify the genera relationships.
Fig. 1 Meliolaster clavisporus (FH 258798, holotype). a–c Appearance of thallus on host surface. d Squash mount of thyriothecium. e Star-like opening. f Appressoria. g Arrengement of upper wall cells. h, i Asci. j, k Ascospores. Scale bars: d=100μm, e–i=50μm, j, k=20μm
