Mycosphere Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/3/5/5 New record of genus Peziza (Pezizales, Ascomycetes) in Egypt and Africa Abdel-Azeem AM1* and El-Fallal AA2 1 Laboratory of Systematic Mycology, Botany Department, Faculty of Science, University of Suez Canal, Ismailia 41522, Egypt. 2 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, University of Damietta, New Damietta, Egypt. Abdel-Azeem AM, El-Fallal AA 2012 – New record of genus Peziza (Pezizales, Ascomycetes) in Egypt and Africa. Mycosphere 3(5), 563–565, Doi 10.5943 /mycosphere/3/5/5 The genus Peziza is new for Egypt and Africa where it is represented by Peziza repanda Wahlenb. Location, dates of collections in Egypt, general distribution, detailed macro- and micromorphological descriptions and illustrations are given. Key words – Ascomycetes – Egypt – Peziza – Pezizales Article Information Received 26 August 2012 Accepted 27 August 2012 Published online 13 September 2012 *Corresponding author: Ahmed M. Abdel-Azeem – e-mail – zemo3000@yahoo.com, ahmed_abdelazeem@science.suez.edu.eg Introduction The study of Pezizales in Egypt is limited because members of the group were either overlooked during investigations or were never the sole target of any investigation until AbdelAzeem (2003) conducted a survey focusing mainly on Ascomycetes. Many investigators have reported Pezizales during casual isolations from different sources e.g. Melchers (1931), Mouchacca (1977), Bagy et al. (1986), Moustafa & Ess El-Din (1989), Ibrahim (1995), El-Saadawi & Shabbara (1999) and Krug & Khan (1999). By scanning of available sources of information, it was possible to determine 23 taxa (2 introduced as novel taxa and 21 recorded during routine isolation) that could represent Pezizales from soil and other terricolous substrates in Egypt. microscopic photos were taken with a Canon Power Shot G10 digital camera. Fungal material was mounted on a microscope slide and examined in water using phase contrast at ×20 and ×40 magnification. For statistical calculations, 100 ascospores, asci, and paraphyses were measured for every preparation. Micromorphological characteristics of the specimens were observed using Melzer’s reagent, and lactophenol blue solution. All synonyms were adopted from Index Fungorum online database (http://www.indexfungorum.org). The identification of the specimens was carried out using relevant references (Dennis 1978, Ellis & Ellis 1998, Barseghyan & Wasser 2011). Methods The present study was based on specimens collected between 2005 and 2009. Our specimens were deposited at the fungarium of Suez Canal University (SCUF), Egypt. The microscopic characteristics were observed with a Carl Zeiss-amplival microscope and Peziza repanda Wahlenb., Fl. Upsal.: 466 (1820). Figs. 1–4. = Aleuria repanda (Wahlenb.) Gillet, Champignons de France, Discom. (1879); Discina repanda (Wahlenb.) Sacc., Syll. fung. (Abellini) 8: 100 (1889); Galactinia repanda (Wahlenb.) Le Gal, Bull. trimest. Soc. mycol. Results 563 Mycosphere Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/3/5/5 Figs 1–4 Peziza repanda. 1 Margin of apothecium. 2 Excipulum of textura angularis. 3–4 Eight – spored asci, paraphyses and mature ascospores. Fr. 78: 208 (1962); Plicaria repanda (Wahlenb.) Rehm, in Winter, Rabenh. Krypt.Fl., Edn 2 (Leipzig) 1.3(lief. 43): 1007 (1894) [1896]. Icon. Cooke (1875–1879: 240); Bresadola (1898: pl. 189); Le Gal (1941: 64, fig. 3); Seaver (1942: 230); Smitskaja (1980: 99); Dennis (1981: pl. V); Donadini (1981: 17, pl. 5–6, fig. 2); Phillips (1981: 269); Binyamini (1984: fig. 10); Pantidou (1991: 187). Specimens Examined – Egypt, ElSanania, Damietta, on the ground, 13 December 2005, 27 January 2007, 30 November 2008, 28 December 2009, leg. A.A. El-Fallal, det. A.M. Abdel-Azeem (SCUF-31, 57, 89, 133). Habitat and general distribution – This species is primarily a humus saprotroph. The fruiting bodies can appear after fires and are found on soil. AFRICA: Egypt. ASIA: China, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, South Caucasus. AUSTRALASIA: Australia, New Zealand. EUROPE: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, The 564 Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom. NORTH AMERICA: USA. According to Moser (1963) and Dennis (1978), Peziza repanda is sessile and grows on the ground or in sawdust. Description and discussion of species Apothecia sessile or very short-stipitate, shallow cup-shaped, the margin even or crenate, externally whitish to creamy fawn, expanding and becoming curved, the margin remaining entire or splitting, regular in outline or irregularly revolute, reaching a diameter of 5–10 cm; hymenium concave, becoming plane or convex, pale brown, becoming darker with age, even or convolute (Fig. 1). Asci cylindrical, 325–345 × 15–20 μm. Ascospores ellipsoid, hyaline, smooth, 13.518.75 × 10–11.25 μm, wall 1.25 μm thick; paraphyses slender, slightly enlarged above, yellowish or brownish, textura angularis (Figs. 2–4). Mycosphere Doi 10.5943/mycosphere/3/5/5 Acknowledgements The authors thank Dr. David W. Minter (CABI Bioservices, United Kingdom) for his invaluable help with the microscopic photography and Dr. Gayane S. Barseghyan (Institute of Evolution and Department of Evolutionary & Environmental Biology, University of Haifa) for critical reading the manuscript. References Abdel-Azeem AM. 2003 – Ecological and taxonomical studies on ascosporeproducing fungi in Egypt. PhD thesis, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. Bagy MMK, Moharram AM, Abdel-Mallek A. 1986 – Coprophilous fungi of the camel. Bulletin of the Faculty of Science, Assiut University 15, 1–10. Barseghyan GS, Wasser SP. 2011– The genus Peziza Dill. ex Fr. (Pezizales, Ascomycota) in Israel. Ascomycete.org 2, 39–50. 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