Karstenia 32:61-64. 1992 Finnish records of discomycetes: Cudoniella viridula and a new species of Orbiliaster SEPPO HUHTINEN HUHTINEN, S. 1992: Finnish records of discomycetes: Cudoniella viridula and a new species of Orbiliaster. - Karstenia 32:61--64. Cudoniella viridula Grelet, formerly known only from the type collection from France, has been re-collected and an emended description is given. Study of the holotype showed that the type contains no mature apothecia. A potential earlier name, Helotium proximellum P. Karst. is best treated as a nomen dubium. A new species, Orbiliaster paradoxa, is described. The type of the genus Orbiliaster Dennis, 0. pilosa , is re-examined and the description emended. Key words: Ascomycetes, Cudoniella viridula, Finland, Orbi/iaster, taxonomy Seppo Huhtinen, Department of Biology, University ofTurku, SF-20500 Turku, Finland The two rarities (Ascomycetes: Leotiales) treated in this paper were collected in SW Finland. Neither the substrates nor the sites were in any way special, but the inconspicuousness of these fungi may explain the minimal amount of collections. The descriptions given below are based on dead herbarium specimens and unfortunately do not meet the recommendation that observations be made on living material (Huhtinen 1990, Baral 1992). The character combinations, however, are remarkable enough to allow recognition based on dead herbarium material alone. The colours are given according to the code of Cailleux (1981). The reagents and colour reactions are abbreviated according to Huhtinen (1990). Cudoniella viridula Grelet -Fig. 1 Material studied: Finland. Satakunta: Punkalaidun, Vanttila, grid 27' E 6790:282, on cortex of Pinus, 12.Xl.l983 Huhtinen 831415 (TUR). - France. Loir-et-Cher: Mesland, La Touche, I. 1933 Buisson (PC, holotype). Apothecia stipitate-turbinate with a long stalk, hymenium strongly convex, up to 300 1JII1 in diam; margin deflexed, sharply delimited but not incurved, even to minutely uneven, rarely lobate. Stipe 200- 500 IJIIllong, 30- 50 1JII1 wide when dry, equal, smooth, irregularly bent when dry, slightly widened at the extreme base. In fresh material colour first whitish, turning clearly green with age; when dry even juvenile apothecia faintly greenish in all parts, mature apothecia olivaceous throughout (T87, N87), more rarely di sc Buff (N80). Ectal excipulum of textura prismatica, cells on middle flanks elongated, 13-28 x 4-6 IJIIl, x = 17.4 x 4.8 1JII1 (n = 20), Q = 3.6, prismatic towards margin. Inner excipulum of similar to slightly narrower textura prismatica. Walls in ectal parts 0.41JII1 thick, CB- , MLZ-, fragmentarily with deep amyloid inclusions; these concentrated to stipe base, becoming sparser upwards. Margin composed of cylindrical hypha! ends, 11- 16 X 2.5- 3.0 IJIIl. In 10% KOH excipular cells characterized by dull, roundish vacuoles, in MLZ these mostly disappear, a few being left as golden inclusions. Asci 16-23 X 3.2-4.0 IJIIl, x = 20.2 X 3.6 1JII1 (n = 20), Q = 5.7 in CB, eight-spored, cylindrical-clavate, with a conical apex. Apical pore moderately MLZ+. Asci arising from croziers. Some ascal bases rarely with strongly amyloid inclusions, similar to those in the excipulum, fragments of amyloid matter present in subhymenium also. Se_ores 4.0--6.2 x 1.2- 1. 81JII1, x= 4.8 x 1.3 IJII1 (n = 20), Q= 3.6 in CB, cuneiform, aseptate, with two minute guttulae in CB, these highly refractive in 10% KOH, spores appearing aguttulate in MLZ. 62 KAR~b'Jj:NI HUHTINEN: FINN1SH RECORDS OF DISCOMYCElES KOH " mu~c 32 (1992) ~ ~o ~ - ~ ~ ~ b 1 c Oc:?h'~a rJ!}o ~ ="""" CB d Fig. 1. Cudoniella viridula. a) dry apothecia, b) asci and paraphyses, c) spores, d) ectal excipulum from middle flanks, e) margin. Scale 50 llffi, for apothecia 100 llffi. SpecimenS. Huhtinen 83/415. Paraphyses cylindrical to apically slightly widenwide, containing dull vacuoles in ed, 1.8-2.6 ~ KOH similar to those in the excipulum, in :MLZ ca. 1/ 3 of the paraphyses with distorted, golden yellow contents, strongly cyanophilous and distorted in CB, the contents once strongly amyloid in :MLZ. The original description of Cudoniella viridula (Grelet 1947) matches the present material almost perfectly. The only notable differences are the somewhat stouter apothecia in Grelet's material and the budding of ascopores specifically mentioned and depicted by him. Study of the holotype specimen showed that the type consists of only one, very juvenile apothecium. This was left unmounted. As the type is not empty, C. viridula is not neotypified. The new, abundant collection thus allows only an emended description of the species. The original description of Helotium proximellum P. Karst. matches the present material rather well. A convex hymenium, short stipe and white to greenisholivaceous colours were among the macroscopic characters given by Karsten. A major difference is seen in the ecology: Karsten ( 1871) gave pine needles as substrate. No original material exists under that name in Karsten's herbarium (in H). There are, however, two collections which possibly belong to those cited by Karsten (1871). The collection data and ecology fit the original diagnosis well. Karsten labelled both specimens Peziza tenerrima Fr., a name which he listed under the synonymy of Helotium acuum (Alb. & Schw.: Fr.) Fr. One convolute is empty, but Karsten has depicted a Cudoniella-like fungus on the front cover. The stipe is shown as fairly long, which is in contrast to the original diagnosis of Helotium proximellum. The other convolute (Herb. Karsten 2808) bears a sketch of a cup-shaped, subsessile discomycete accompanied by the words "albida vel hyalino alba". Dr. W.-R. Arendholz has determined the collection as Dasyscyphus acuum (Alb. & Schw. : Fr.) Sacc., and this is apparently the species depicted and observed by Karsten. Thus, neither collection can with certainty be linked to H. proximellum, which is best considered a dubious name. Basing his opinion on the description, Carpenter (1981) suggested that the species belongs to Hymenoscyphus S. F. Gray. Peziza tenerrima sensu Karsten embraced two clearly different taxa. Clements and Shear (1931) lectotypified Cudoniella with C. acicularis (Bull. : Fr.) Schroet., but, as pointed out by Dennis (1963), this had been done by Boudier (1907). Cannon et al. (1985) write of the genus "type not designated". The present day concept of the type species embraces a fungus resembling Grelet's species in the apothecia, excipular structure, marginal structure and spore shape. The differences are found in the volume of the hymenial characters and in the presence of vacuolar pigment in C. viridula. This substance, which in CB and MLZ mounts is seen as totally distorted globules, looks similar to the yellow pigment of P hialina, becoming golden yellow in :MLZ. In 10% KOH these vacuoles were seen as HUIITINEN: FINNISH RECORDS OF DISCOMYCETES KARSTENIA 32 (1992) CB I ~- c 63 ~ e CB 2 CB 3 b CB CB Figs. 2-3. Holotypes of Orbiliaster, scale 50 J.Un, for apothecia 100 J.Un. - 2: 0. paradoxa. a) marginal hairs, b) asci and paraphyses, c) spores, d) ectal excipulum from middle flanks, e) margin, f) dry apothecium.- 3: 0. pilosa. a) marginal hairs, b) spores, c) asci and paraphyses, d) ectal excipulum from middle flanks, e) dry apothecium. faintly refringent but more regular in shape. Such vacuoles were termed refractive vacuoles by Baral (1989), who emphasized that, although constant and frequent in living material, they are partly lost in herbarium material. Consequently, fresh material of C. viridula is likely to differ markedly in the contents of the paraphyses and marginal hypha! ends. The spores are regularly guttulate in CB mounts, whereas in MLZ they appear totally aguttulate. In 10% KOH they mostly contain two clearly refringent bodies. These are much more easily observed in this mountant than the larger vacuoles in the paraphyses and at the margin. The Finnish collection was made from an erect, partly dried conifer trunk fairly late in the season. In spite of repeated frosts the apothecia were growing undamaged under the loose cortex. Orbiliaster paradoxa sp. nov. -Fig. 2 Apothecia cupulata, sessilia, in statu vivo usque ad 1 mm indiametro, minute pilosa, rosea; specimina exsiccata usque ad 0.7 mm in diametro, ochracea vel armeniaca, margine albopilosa. Excipulum extemum textura angulari vel textura globulosa, instructum cellulis circa 6-11 x 4-7 J.Un, aliquantum crassotunicatis, hyalinis, non amyloideis. Pili 40-85 x 3.5-7.0 J.Un, cylindracei vel irregulariter constricti, crassotunicati, multiseptati, hyalini, in iodo non colorati, !eves vel minuter granulosi; granulis cyanophilis. Asci 30-50 x 2.5-4.0 J.Un, octospori, non amyloidei, in basi valde elongati, saepe bifurcati. Sporae 7-9 x 1 J.Un, tenuiter aciculares vel subfusoideae, aseptatae. Paraphyses cylindraceae vel subclavatae, 2 J.Un latae, cellulis terminalibus 11-25 J.Un longis, in apice epithecio hyaline, fragmentato, cyanophile tectae. Holotype: Finland. Varsinais-Suomi: Parainen, SkrabbOle, grid 27'E 66955:2394, on inner side of cortex of Populus Iremula or Salix, 19.X.l985 Huhtinen 851157 (fUR 99719). 64 HUHTINEN: FINNISH RECORDS OF DISCOMYCETES Apothecia cupulate, sessile, up to 1 mm in diam, pink, margin minutely hairy. Ectal excipulum composed of textura angularis-textura globulosa, lacking clear intracellular spaces, walls slightly thickened, hyaline. Hairs 40--85 x cells ca. 6-11 x 4-7 ~. 3.5-7.0 ~.cylindra, typically slightly constricted at the septa, multiseptate, often glued together; wall hyaline, :MLZ-, CB- but covered with a fragmentary cyanophilous layer forming irregular, low warts. Asci apex :MLZ-, base 30--50 x 2.5--4.0 ~.eight-spord, very long, filiform, often bifurcate. Spores 7-9 x 1 ~.cuneiform, aseptate. Paraphyses cylindrical to subclavate, 2 ~ wide, terminal long, often apically covered with cells 11-25 ~ amorphous, CB+ material. The genus Orbiliaster was erected by Dennis (1954) to accommodate one tropical species with a resemblance to Orbilia Fr. but with cylindrical paraphyses and clear hairs at the cup margin. Since the type was collected, little has happened in the genus: no new taxa have been described or transfers to the genus proposed. Recently Spooner (1987) discussed Orbiliaster and suggested, without being able to study the type, that Patinella tenebricosa Svrcek could belong to the genus (Svrcek 1977). Unfortunately the type was still unavailable for study, but judging from the description, P . tenebricosa may indeed belong to Orbiliaster. The hairs were, however, illustrated as thin-walled, clavate and one-celled. Other differences are found in the apothecial colours, which in P . tenebricosa are dark violaceous, whereas the two known species of Orbiliaster have much lighter pigmentation. Seen under the microscope, the excipular cells and hairs were stated to be hyaline to pale brown, whereas in 0 . pilosa and 0. paradoxa they are hyaline. Study of the type of the genus (Orbiliaster pilosa Dennis; Trinidad, River Estate, Diego Martin, 22.IX.1949 Dennis 30; K, holotype) resulted in some emendations to Dennis' description (Fig. 3). The paraphyses were found to be clearly wider than those depicted by Dennis. The asci measure 18-26 X and are :MLZ-. They often arise from a 3.0--3.6 ~ clearly bifurcate base. Although occurring far apart geographically, 0. pilosa and 0. paradoxa are similar and clearly congeneric. The cyanophilous hair wall coating is also seen in the former species, but only in juvenile hairs. KARSTENIA 32 (1992) It apparently disintegrates fairly soon and finally disappears. However, mature hairs were studied only on an old mount attached to the type specimen. No epithecium was observed in 0. pilosa. Acknowledgements. Dr. Ain Raitviir is wannly thanked for pointing out an affinity to Orbi/iaster in one of my drawings of critical specimens. My study was supported financially by the Academy of Finland. Ms. Anna Damstrom, M.A., is thanked for revising the English text and Prof. Teuvo Ahti for revising the Latin diagnosis. References Baral, H.O. 1989: Beitrage zurTaxonomie der Discomyceten 2. Die Calycellina-Arten mit 4sporigem Asci.- Beitr. Kenntnis Pilze Mitteleuropas 5:209- 236. Baral, H.O. 1992: Vital versus herbarium taxonomy: morphological differences between living and dead cells of Ascomycotes, and their taxonomic implications. - Mycotaxon, in press. Boudier, E. 1907: Histoire et classification des Discomycetes d'Europe. - 221 pp. Paris. Cailleux, A. 1981: Code des couleurs des sols. Boubee. Cannon, P.F., Hawksworth, D.L. & Sherwood-Pike, M.A. 1985: The British Ascomycotina. An annotated checklist.302 pp. Huddersfield. Carpenter, S.E. 1981: Monograph ofCrocicreas (Ascomycetes, Helotiales, Leotiaceae). - Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 33 :1-290. Clements, F.E. & Shear, C.L. 1931 : The genera of fungi . 496 pp., 58 tab. New York. Dennis, R.W.G. 1954: Some inoperculate discomycetes of tropical America. - Kew Bull. 2:289-348. Dennis, R.W.G. 1963: Remarks on the genus Hymenoscyphus S. F. Gray, with observations on sundry species referred by Saccardo and others to the genera Helotium, Pezizella or Phialea. - Persoonia 3:29-80. Grelet, L.-J. 1947: Les Discomycetes de France d'apres Ia classification de Boudier.- Rev. Mycol. 12:24- 36. Huhtinen, S. 1989(1990): A monograph of Hyaloscypha and allied genera. - Karstenia 29:45- 252. Karsten, P.A. 1871 : Mycologia Fennica 1. Discomycetes. Bidr. Kanned. Finlands Natur Folk 19:1-263. Spooner, B.M. 1987: Helotiales of Australasia: Geoglossaceae, Orbiliaceae, Sc1erotiniaceae, Hyaloscyphaceae. - Bib!. Mycol. 116:1-711. Svr~k, M. 1977: New or less known Discomycetes. 5. Nove nebo mene zname diskomycety. 5. - Ceska Mykol. 31 :132-138. Received on 6 February 1992