Nigrovothelium Lücking, M.P. Nelsen & Aptroot in Lücking et al., Lichenologist 48: 757 (2016).
MycoBank number: MB 816875; Index Fungorum number: IF 816875; Facesoffungi number: FoF 08804; three morphologically and partly phylogenetically defined species (Aptroot and Lücking 2016); molecular data available for two species (Lücking et al. 2016).
Lichenized on bark in terrestrial, chiefly lowland to lower montane tropical habitats, often in drier situations. Thallus distinctly corticate, olive-green to yellowish brown. Photobiont Trentepohlia. Ascomata solitary, prominent to sessile, black, subglobose to egg-shaped, carbonaceous, ostiolate, ostiole apical. Involucrellum carbonized. Excipulum prosoplectenchymatous, brownish to carbonized. Hamathecium comprising 0.5–0.7 µm wide paraphysoids, hyaline, straight, branched and anastomosing, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 8-spored, bitunicate, fissitunicate, clavate, short pedicellate, with a non-amyloid ocular chamber. Ascospores irregularly arranged to biseriate, fusiform-ellipsoid, hyaline, 3-septate, astrothelioid with distinct distosepta and diamond-shaped lumina, smooth-walled, not constricted at the septa, often with a gelatinous sheath. Pycnidia rare, immersed to erumpent, visible as black dots. Conidia aseptate, bacillar, hyaline.
Chemistry: no substances detected by TLC.
Type species: Nigrovothelium tropicum (Ach.) Lücking, M.P. Nelsen & Aptroot in Lücking et al., Lichenologist 48: 757 (2016).
Notes: For key and discussion see Aptroot and Lücking (2016).
Species
Nigrovothelium tropicum