biturbinata

Type species:
Pontoporeia biturbinata (Durieu & Montagne) Kohlmeyer, Nova Hedwigia 6: 5-6 (1963).

Marine species:
Pontoporeia mangrovei B. Devadatha & V.V. Sarma, Curr Res Environ App Mycol 8(2): 238–246 (2018).

MycoBank: MB554084                                                                                              Facesoffungi: N/A

Saprobic on decaying wood of Saueda monoica and Avicennia marina. Sexual morph: Ascomata 300–700 μm high, 330–670 μm in diameter (x̅ = 400 × 460 μm, n= 10), solitary to gregarious, globose, dark brown to black carbonaceous, semi-immersed to superficial, with poorly developed hypostromata, fused with the host tissue, non-ostiolate, smooth. Peridium 25–85 μm (x̅ =35 μm, n=10) thick, outer layer of small irregular, dark brown, thick-walled cells, inner layer of cells with larger lumina, arranged in a textura angularis. Hamathecium composed of numerous, 1–2 μm wide, filiform, branched, septate pseudoparaphyses, anastomosing above the asci, embedded in a gelatinous matrix. Asci 145–200 × 55–85 μm (x̅ = 175 × 70 μm, n=30), 8-spored, bitunicate, long pedunculate, persistent broadly clavate, ovoid or ellipsoidal, apically rounded and thickened at the apex lacking an ocular chamber. Ascospores 47–58 × 25–31 (x̅ = 54 × 28 μm, n=50), 1–3 seriate, 1-septate, constricted at the septum, thickened in the septum region with a band, initially hyaline turning purple, becoming dark brown to blackish brown at maturity, biturbinate to subellipsoidal, papillate at both ends with germ pores, lacking sheath or appendages. Ascospore walls bilayered, outer hyaline to light brown, thick exospore and an inner dark brown, thin endospore. Asexual morph: Undetermined
The description was based on Devadatha & Sarma (2018).

Key to species in the genus:

1a. Ascospores longer than 65µm; with hyaline apical papillate cells
and germ pores, on seagrass Posidonia oceanica                                       P. biturbinata
1b. Ascospores shorter than 65µm; with hyaline light brownish
apical papillate cells and germ pores, on mangroves
Saueda monoica and Avicennia marina                                                     P. mangrovei

Key references:
Devadatha B, Sarma VV (2018). Pontoporeia mangrovei sp. nov, a new marine fungus from an Indian mangrove along with a new geographical and host record of Falciformispora lignatilis. Curr Res Environ App Mycol 8(2): 238-246.

Kohlmeyer J (1963). Zwei neu Ascomyceten-Gattungen auf Posidonia-Rhizomen. Nova Hedwigia 6:5-13.

Jones EBG, Sakayaroj J, Suetrong S, Somrithipol S, Pang KL (2009). Classification of marine Ascomycota, anamorphic taxa and Basidiomycota. Fungal Divers 35: 1-187.

Jones EBG, Suetrong S, Sakayaroj J, Bahkali AH, Abdel-Wahab MA, Boekhout T, Pang KL (2015). Classification of marine Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Blastocladiomycota and Chytridiomycota. Fungal Divers 73(1): 1–72.

Zhang Y, Fournier J, Phookamsak R, Bahkali AH, Hyde KD (2013). Halotthiaceae fam. nov. (Pleosporales) accommodates the new genus Phaeoseptum and several other aquatic genera. Mycologia 105(3): 603-609.

Image:
Pontoporeia mangrovei (AMH-9913, holotype). a Ascomata semi-immersed on the decaying wood of Suaeda monoica. b Horizontal section of ascoma. c Longitudinal section of ascoma. D Section of peridium. e Filiform, branched, septate pseudoparaphyses. f–i Immature and mature asci. j–m Ascospores. Scale bars: c = 100 μm, f,g = 50 μm, d,e,h-m = 10 μm.
The figure was taken from Devadatha & Sarma (2018).

• 
  Fig 1