Belonidium procopii SVRČEK

Šandová, Markéta, 2015, Type Studies Of Several Species Of Lachnaceae (Ascomycota, Helotiales), Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 71 (3 - 4), pp. 399-412 : 400

Belonidium procopii SVRČEK ,

Česká Mykol. 42(2): 76, 1988.

Plate 1, Figs 1–17.

D e s c r i p t i o n. Dried apothecia 0.18–0.85 mm in diam., sessile, with dilute orange to orange discs and white hairs. Ectal excipulum of hyaline, towards exterior yellowochre t. angularis on flanks, changing to t. porrecta at upper margin. Hairs 74–86(–130) µm long, 3–4.8 µm wide, ca. 6– 7(–9)-septate, hyaline, relatively densely warted in water, sparsely warted in KOH and almost smooth in MLZ. Asci 64–73 × 4.3–5.4 µm, with a characteristic basal protuberance divided by a septum, ascus pore in MLZ: no reaction, KOH/MLZ: blue, IKI: red, KOH/IKI: blue. Ascospores 11.5– 14 × 1.6–2.2 µm, 0(–1)-septate, OCI = 2–4. Paraphyses narrowly lanceolate, smooth, 2.4–4 µm wide, exceeding the asci by 2–11.5 µm.

S p e c i m e n s t u d i e d: the Czech Republic, Central Bohemia, Praha-Hlubočepy, Prokopské valley, grassland vegetation on calcareous soil above Daleje, alt. 280–300 m, on Coronilla varia and Centaurea scabiosa , 21 August 1982, leg. M. Svrček, PRM 919510 (holotype).

D i s c u s s i o n. As already stated by Svrček (1988a), Belonidium procopii has some similar characteristics as Trichopeziza adenostylidis (REHM) RAITVIIR , especially in the hyaline hairs and yellowish discs, but T. adenostylidis differs in its larger apothecia, longer hairs and low oil content in the ascospores. Trichopeziza lizonii (SVRČEK) BARAL et E. WEBER ( Chlebická 2013) differs from B. procopii as its brown hairs show a ionomidothic reaction, and it has larger ascospores. The apothecia of Belonidium procopii appeared to me to have a different construction than those of the genus Trichopeziza . Therefore it was compared with Proliferodiscus inspersus (BERKELEY et M. A. CURTIS) J. H. HAINES et DUMONT ( Haines and Dumont 1983) during the present study. Belonidium procopii , however, was observed to have an ectal excipulum composed of isodiametric cells at the flanks (Pl. 1, Fig. 12), hairs and excipulum without dextrinoid or other reaction in MLZ or MLZ after KOH, no purple or violet reaction of the excipulum or hairs in KOH and larger ascospores contrary to the generic description ( Haines and Dumont 1983) – a species with rather large ascospores, however, was transferred to Proliferodiscus by Baral ( Hofton et al. 2009). Belonidium procopii is also similar to Lachnellula P.A. KARSTEN in some characters (e.g. colour of disc and hairs, densely warted hairs, structure of excipulum). But Lachnellula is restricted to conifers according to Baral (http://invivoveritas.de/ keys/lachnellula-key/) and possesses hair warts that are insoluble in KOH (Baral pers. comm.). Moreover, Belonidium procopii in this study was observed to have narrow, pointed paraphyses but also plainly developed lanceolate paraphyses (Pl. 1, Fig. 9), which are unusual in Lachnellula . Capitotricha (RAITVIIR) BARAL differs in having specific hairs with relatively thick walls and the presence of apical or lateral crystals. The ectal excipulum is composed of isodiametric cells and a hemiamyloid reaction by the ascoapical apparatus was observed during this study, supported by the observation published by Svrček (1988a: no reaction in MLZ) and thus confirm the distinctness of this species from Cistella tenuicula (P. A. KARSTEN) RASCHLE ( Quijada et al. 2015). Cistella tenuicula differs from B. procopii also by its shorter hairs with less septa, and up to 3-septate ascospores ( Quijada et al. 2015). It seems likely that the observed structure of the excipulum and the shape and lipid content of ascospores may partly resemble Erioscyphella KIRSCHSTEIN as redefined by Perić and Baral (2015). Contrary to previous publications (e.g. Haines and Dumont 1984) this genus also includes among others species with shorter ascospores and temperate distribution, according to the redefinition. The typical shape of hairs of Erioscyphella (hairs widened in central/lower part) is also seen in B. procopii , however, only poorly developed. The shape of B. procopii hairs was observed to be rather cylindrical and Trichopeziza - or Proliferodiscus -like.

The taxonomic position of Belonidium procopii has not been resolved in this study. It is considered here as possibly belonging to Proliferodiscus .