Genus

Magnisphaera

Species

spartinae

Author

(E.B.G. Jones) J. Campb., J.L. Anderson & Shearer, Mycologia 95 (3): 547 (2003)

Class

Sordariomycetes, Subclass Hypocreomycetidae

Order

Microascales

Family

Halosphaeriaceae

Synonymy: ≡Haligena spartinae E.B.G. Jones, Transactions of the British Mycological Society 45: 245 (1962) ≡Halosarpheia spartinae (E.B.G. Jones) Shearer & J.L. Crane, Botanica Marina 23: 608 (1981) ≡Matsusphaeria spartinae (E.B.G. Jones) K.L. Pang & E.B.G. Jones, Nova Hedwigia 77 (1-2): 15 (2003)

Magnisphaera J. Campbell, J.L. Anderson & Shearer, Mycologia 95 (3): 546 (2003)

Type and marine species:

Magnisphaera spartinae (E.B.G. Jones) J. Campb., J.L. Anderson & Shearer, Mycologia 95 (3): 547 (2003)

Haligena spartinae E.B.G. Jones, Transactions of the British Mycological Society 45: 245 (1962)

Halosarpheia spartinae (E.B.G. Jones) Shearer & J.L. Crane, Botanica Marina 23: 608 (1981)

Matsusphaeria spartinae (E.B.G. Jones) K.L. Pang & E.B.G. Jones, Nova Hedwigia 77 (1-2): 15 (2003)

Index Fungorum Number: 373835                         Faceoffungi Number: N/A

Saprobic Spartina and wood in marine habitats, Sexual morph: Ascomata: 190-310 µm high, 310-350 µm diam., globose, dark brown to black, coriaceous, immersed, solitary. Necks: periphysate. Asci: 124-214 x 32-60 m, unitunicate, 8-spored, clavate, deliquescing at maturity, pedicellate. Ascospores: 60-76(-90) x 15-22 µm, hyaline, ellipsoidal, 2-7 (-8-9) septate, predominantly 5-septate, constricted at the septum, appendaged. Appendages: bipolar, 7-18 x 1-2 µm, unfurling into fine thread in water. Asexual morph: Undermined.

Description based on Jones (1962)

 

Key references:

Campbell J, Anderson JL, Shearer CA (2003). Systematics of Halosarpheia based on morphological and molecular data. Mycologia. 95(3): 530–552.

Jones EBG (1962). Haligena spartinae sp. nov., a pyrenomycete on Spartina townsendii. Transactions of the British Mycological Society. 45: 245–248.

Jones EBG (1994). Fungal adhesion. Presidential address (1992). Mycol Res 98: 961–981.

Jones EBG, Ju WT, Lu CL, Guo SY, Pang KL (2017). The Halosphaeriaceae revisited. Botanica Marina (60(4): 453–468.

Pang KL, Vrijmoed LLP, Kong RYC, Jones EBG (2003). Polyphyly of Halosarpheia (Halosphaeriales, Ascomycota): implications on the use of unfurling ascospore appendage as a systematic character. Nova Hedwigia. 77(1–2): 1–18.

Sakayaroj J, Pang KL, Jones EBG (2011). Multi–gene phylogeny of the Halosphaeriaceae: its ordinal status, relationships between genera and morphological character evolution. Fungal Diversity 46: 87–109.

Shearer C, Crane JL (1980). Fungi of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries VIII. Ascomycetes with unfurling appendages. Botanica Marina. 23: 607–615.

Type & Location:
Other Specimens:
Substratum:
Spartina patens, Spartina alterniflora, intertidal wood, balsa wood, Agropyron junceiforme, Agropyron pungens, Spartina townsendii, Typha sp., driftwood, test panels (balsa, Betula pubescens), Spartina spp.
Habitat:
Distribution:
Rhode Island, Chile, USA (Maryland), Denmark, England, Wales, Germany.
Pertinent Literature:
Description based on Jones (1962)
Comments:
NOTES: Two Magnisphaera species have been described, M. spartinae from marine habitats and M. stevemossago from freshwater sites (Campbell; et al 2003). Magnisphaera spartinae was first described as Haligena spartinae from the Dovey estuary (Wales) on drift Spartina townsendii stems (Jones 1962), and subsequently referred to other genera based on morphological observations or on of sequencing data: Halosarpheia spartinae (Shearer & Crane 1980) and Magnisphaera spartinae (Campbell et al. 2003). Matsusphaeria spartinae was described by Pang et al. (2003) as they were unaware that Campbell et al. (2003) had transferred the species to Magnisphaera and that generic name has priority. The species groups in the Halosphaeriaceae in a sister clade to Havispora and Nereiospora (Sakayaroj et al. 2011). A similar result was recorded in a further study of the Halosphaeriaceae by Jones et al. (2017). Magnisphaera spartinae groups with ascomcyetes with ascospores possessing polar hamate appendages that unfurl to form thread–like appendages (Jones 1994).

Address

Mushroom Research Foundation 
Chiang Rai 
Thailand

torperadgj@gmail.com

Contact

Sueggestions for improvement of the webiste, corrections or additions should be send to:

Gareth Jones: Email: torperadgj@gmail.com

Mark Calabon: Email: mscalabon@up.edu.ph