On medium size (40-70 mm in diam.) felled branches of Alnus glutinosa lying on the ground
I have found many inmersed, at first hyaline later greenish, perithecia that no
are into a clearly definited stroma. No ventral black lines. The necks are protruding across a well visible greyish disc.

The asci have an apical refringent apparatus and they are abruptly contracted at their base
(Diaporthales). No paraphyses I have seen. The ascospores are hyaline, later greenish, 1-(0) septate, very polimorphic, with some aberrant forms. No appendages. The spores are surrounded by a gelatinous sheath.

Dispersed between the perithecia they are many inmersed greenish conidiomata that could
be the anamorphic state of this fungus.

What do you think?

Thanks again

Björn Wergen, 20-04-2013 13:16

Re : Pyreno with greenish ascospores on Alnus glutinosa

Hi Enrique,

I have tried to find out your finding for several hours yeasterday, but without success. I think it belongs to Melanconidaceae and probably near Massariovalsa, a genus with quite darker spores. According to Barr 1978 (Diaporthales and its segregates), your fungus matches the genera Massariovalsa, Hercospora and Hapalocystis, this because of the small layer of a gray stromatic tissue right under the surface, embedding the perithecia into wood and not into a stroma. I have also checked several original descriptions of species of aforementioned genera but without any matching conclusion. Probably a new species, perhaps Walter will say something about it :)

btw: you can put this one into the dropbox, too. Many thanks.

regards,
björn