Purpurepithecium murisporum Jayasiri & K.D. Hyde, Cryptogamie Mycologie 38 (2): 246 (2017). Fig. 37
MycoBank number: MB 553001; Index Fungorum number: IF 553001; Facesoffungi number: FoF 03110.
Description – see Jayasiri et al. (2017a).
Material examined – Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, on decaying scales of a pine cone, 22 July 2015, Subashini C. Jayasiri C 095-B (MFLU 17-0447, paratype), living culture 17-0319.
Notes – Purpurepithecium murisporum is similar to Glonium stellatum in producing hysterothecia, with persistent narrow cellular pseudoparaphyses in a gel matrix, branched with darkened apices and clavate to cylindric asci (Boehm et al. 2009a). Purpurepithecium murisporum differs from Glonium stellatum in that it has navicular hysterothecia, that are scattered to gregarious, with a prominent longitudinal slit, purple pigmented epithecium and hyaline to dark brown muriform ascospores. In the phylogenetic tree, Purpurepithecium strains separate from Glonium and Cenococcum spp. with high statistical support in a separate subclade (Fig. 36). Therefore, Purpurepithecium murisporum can be accommodated as the type for a new genus and in here we provide descriptions and illustrations from the paratype of this species.
Figure 37 – Purpurepithecium murisporum (MFLU 17-0447, paratype). a A pine cone. b, c View of hysteriothecia on host surface. d Peridium e Section through hysteriothecium. f Epithecium with asci. g–j Asci. k–n Ascospores. Scale bars: d = 1 cm, e = 20 µm, b, c = 500 µm, g–j = 30 µm, k–n = 10 µm, d = 20 µm.