Trematosphaeria confusa (Garov.) Boise & D. Hawksw., Mycologia 77(2): 232 (1985).   Fig. 160

Verrucaria confusa Garov., Tentam. Dispos. Lich. Langob.: 77 (1865).

MycoBank number: MB 105837; Index Fungorum number: IF 105837; Facesoffungi number: FoF 08380.

Saprobic on decaying wood of Rhizophora sp. Sexual morph: Ascostromata 600–760 µm wide, 540–570 µm high, solitary, erumpent to superficial, immersed only at the base, carbonaceous, conical, with a flattened base, apex papillate. Hamathecium comprising up to 2.6 µm wide. septate, hyaline, pseudoparaphyses. Asci (130-)170–190(-200) × (15-)16–18(-20) µm, bitunicate, narrowly clavate, short-stalked, rounded at the apex. Ascospores 1–2-seriate, overlapping, (30-)35–37(-39) × (7.5-)8–11(-12) µm, fusiform, hyaline to brown, 3-septate, constricted at the middle septum, slightly pointed at the ends, the second cell slightly swollen, surrounded by a thin mucilaginous sheath. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Material examined – Thailand, Ranong Province, Amphoe Maung, Mu 4 Tombol Ngao, Ranong Mangrove Research Center (GPS: 9°43′ to 9°57’N; 98°29′ to 98°39’E) on decaying wood of Rhizophora sp. (Rhizophoraceae), 7 December 2016, M.C. Dayarathne, MCD 045 (MFLU 18- 0532).

Notes – The conical ascostromata and reddish ascospores of this species are characteristic features of Trematosphaeria (Tanaka et al. 2005a). Trematosphaeria confusa was established to include a Trematosphaeria species which comprises three septate ascospores surrounded by a thin mucilaginous sheath. Most species of the genus are saprotrophs or hemibiotrophs of terrestrial woody plants (Boise 1985a), while T. confusa is reported from freshwater and terrestrial habitats (Shearer 1993).

Figure 160 Trematosphaeria confusa (MFLU 18-0532). a, b Ascomata on decaying wood. c Section of ascoma. d Pseudoparaphyses. e–g Asci. h–j Ascospores. k Germinating ascospore. Scale bars: a = 500 μm, b, c = 200 μm, f = 100 μm, e, g = 50 μm, h–k = 20.