Pithya villosa M. Zeng, Q. Zhao & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov.

MycoBank number:MB; Index Fungorum number: IF ; Facesoffungi number: FoF 10411;

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to villose receptacle surface.

Saprobic on twigs of Juniperus sp. Sexual morph: Apothecia 2−3 mm high, 3−6 mm broad, scattered to gregarious, fleshy, shallowly cupulate to discoid, or convex, sessile to substipitate. Receptacle shallowly cupulate, receptacle surface yellowish, with villose, margin entire, or lobate when fresh, or curled when dry. Disc discoid to slightly convex, yellow to orange. Ectal excipulum 60−100 µm broad, yellow, composed of textura epidermoidea to textura porrecta, 5−8 µm broad outermost and innermost cells, middle part cells mainly compose of textura angularis, 13−17 × 9−12 μm, mixed with textura epidermoidea; with long hypha-like hairs, 5−7 μm, yellowish, septate, J-. Medullary excipulum 60−210 µm broad, of textura intricata, hyaline, composed of 4−6 µm broad hyphae. Hymenium 180−290 µm broad, yellow, paraphyses exceeding the asci sightly. Paraphyses 2−3 µm broad in the middle, filiform, apex enlarged, 4−6 µm broad, branched, septate, subhyaline to yellowish, J-. Asci 227−275 × 11−14 µm, 8-spored, terminally operculate, subcylindrical, obtuse apexes, becoming narrow towards the base, J-. Ascospores [20/1/1, in H2O] (11.4−) 11.7−13.7 (−14.4) × (11.3−) 11.7−13.8 (−14.0) µm (Q = 0.93−1.14 µm, Q = 1.00 ± 0.05 µm), spherical, uniseriate, subhyaline, with granular contents, smooth-walled, sheath-like structure appears in 5% KOH. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Figure 18 Pithya villosa a−c Fresh specimens. d, e Dry specimens. f Hypha-like hairs. e, h Excipulum. i Excipulum on flank. j Hymenium. k Paraphyses. l−n Asci (n Ascus in Cotton Blue) o−r Ascospores. (q Ascospore in Cotton Blue. r Ascospore in 5% KOH). Scale bars: d = 1000 μm. e = 500 μm. f−j, l−n = 50 μm. k = 20 μm. o−r = 5 μm.