Ascomycotina

The Sac Fungi

ascos Gk., meaning goat skin/sac

Mycology & Lichenology

SEMESTER I
BOTANY COURSE NO. 221101
Sanjoy Guha Roy, Ph.D.

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY,
WEST BENGAL STATE UNIVERSITY, BARASAT, KOLKATA- 700126
W.B. INDIA

ASCOMYCOTINA
(The Sac Fungi)
Gk. askos = goat skin, sac

Introduction to Ascomycotina
Ascomycetes (Ascomycotina) represent 75% of all fungi including
fungi in lichen symbioses, mycorrhizal fungi, and fungi that have lost
their sexual phase and rely on production of mitospores (conidia).
All Ascomycetes have meiosis inside asci.
Most have Type I life cycle with short dikaryophase in the ascogenous
hyphal system that develops after fertilization in the developing fruit body.
Croziers in the ascogenous hyphae are probably homologous to clamp
connections.

Not all Ascomycetes have ascomata (ascoma = fruitbody with asci).

Those with exposed hymenia have forcible ascospore discharge.
Most Ascomycetes have simple septa with Woronin Bodies.
Many yeasts have perforate septa

Division of Ascomycota

Ascocarps; ascogenous hyphae;

specialized ascus tip; conidia;
Woronin bodies

Filamentous
ascomycetes
(Euascomycetes)

simple septal pores; ascus

Absence of ascogenous
hyphae and ascocarps; most
asci without specialized tips
Sacccharomycetales
(Hemiascomycetes)

Characterized by DNA sequence analysis

Archiascomycetes

Basidiomycetes
Classification from Alexopoulos et al. 1996

Key features of Archiascomycetes and

Hemiascomycetes that distinguish it from
Euascomycetes
Ascogenous hyphae and ascocarp are lacking in the first two
groups.
Asci are formed freely and singly either directly following
karyogamy or more rarely after a prolonged diploid phase.
Cell wall composition: very little chitin, often confined to small
ring around the site where the daughter cell is produced (the
bud scar)
Septal pore :
one or several pores may be present, usually very small and
plugged.
Hence, does not permit passage of organelles including
cytoplasmic communications between adjacent hyphal cells.
Lack woronin bodies.

Archiascomycetes and Hemiascomycetes lack

ascomata (fruitbodies) and have naked asci
Most filamentous ascus-producing fungi (the
Euascomycetes) produce ascocarps
(excepting the unicellular forms) and have a
dikaryon phase in the ascogenous system
found within developing ascomata. Croziers
are part of the orderly mitosis of the two nuclei
in each cell.

Archiascomycetes (1 and 2) with naked asci

Taphrina

www.biomed2.man.ac.uk/stewart/home.html

Hemiascomycetes

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Fission Yeast

Euascomycetes

Features distinguishing Hemiascomycetes

from Archiascomycetes
Hemiascomycetes
Predominant growth form in
culture as well as nature is
the yeast state although a
limited mycelium or
psuedomycelium may be
present.
Asci have evanescent walls
and release their ascospores
passively.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Lastly DNA sequencing can
confirm their identification

Archiascomycetes
May grow as a
mycelium in nature but
as yeasts in the
laboratory.

Asci may (Taphrina,

Protomyces) or may not
(Pneumocystis,
Schizosaccharomyces)
forcibly discharge their
spores

Archiascomycetes show big variations

From Euascomycetes: e.g., Taphrinales

Taphrina deformans
A) The assimilative mycelium is dikaryotic different from
most other ascomycetes.
(B) It produces an exposed layer of asci on the surface of
the host leaf (top right). No ascoma.
(C) The ascospores often bud, even while still inside the
ascus (left and bottom right).
(D) When the asci open to release their spores, they tend
to split across the tip, rather than around it (bottom,
left), so they are not like the rest of the operculate
group like the asci of the Pezizales.

Members of Archiascomycetes
Ascospore budding
(blastoconidium formation)

Colony on PDA

ae: Taphrina spp.

a c Taphrina wiesneri

Witches broom disease of

a Japanese cherry tree

e: T.caerulescens

Quercus leaf curl

Germination of resting spore

d Taphrina deformans

f, g: Protomyces

Peach leaf curl disease

Hymenium

Galls
cell wall ultrastructure

h-top Rhodosporidium
toruloides;
Left: Taphrina wiesneri;
Rt: Saitoella complicata

Colonies on PDA

i, j Saitoella complicata
Enteroblastic budding

Schizosaccaromyces
pomme

Ascus with 4 ascospores

Neolecta
vitellina

l: Pneumocystis
carnii

Mature cyst containing endospor

Fission

Sugiyama et al. 2006. Mycologia 98: 1001

Alexopoulos, Mims & Blackwell

Introductory Mycology

EMS = enveloping membrane system

invaginates and fragments into sheets
That then cleave out the young
ascospores.

Taphrina and Protomyces are in the Taphrinales and are plant parasites.
Schizosaccharomyces and Saitoella are saprophytic yeasts.
Pneumocystis is a pulmonary parasite of animals.
The Saccharomycetales include brewers yeast and Candida albicans.
Filamentous Ascomycetes here pertains to the Euascomycetes only

Phylogeny of basal AscomycotanSSU and nLSU rDNA

Sugiyama et al. 2006. Mycologia 98: 1002

Somatic Structures
Thallus: yeast, mycelial, or dimorphic
Cell walls: chitinous in filamentous forms, mannan and
glucan principal polysaccharide in yeasts, exception
Archiascomycetes
regularly septate hyphae
invagination of plasmalemma
septa includes a small pore
permits flow of cytoplasm and organelles

Ascomycotina usually have

Simple septa with Woronin Bodies (A).
Ascomycetous yeasts often
have perforate septa (B)

Basidiomycotina usually have

dolipore septa (C).
Basidiomycotina with pulley wheels (D)

Alexopoulos, Mims & Blackwell

Introductory Mycology

Woronin bodies
membrane bound structures associated with the septum
frequently plug the septal pores of hyphae
crystalline peroxisome
function in maintaining cellular integrity during hyphal
growth and damage

Momany et. al. (2002) Mycologia, 94, 260-266.

Septal pore organelle

Complex membrane bound structure, often shaped like

pulley wheels that plugs septal pores.
Distributed in parts of mycelium so that it isolates structures
involved in sexual reproduction from other regions of the
mycelium- usually found in ascus base and sterile parts of
the hymenium of the ascocarp and also in somatic hyphae.
Derived either from woronin bodies or from golgi like
membrane system with coalescing vesicles contributing to
the formation of pore plugs.

Concentric bodies

Present in hyphae of most lichen forming ascomycetes,

rarely in ascospores and in several related non-lichen
forming ascomycetes (Venturia inequalis).
They have a translucent center separated from the
dense outer rim with radiating filamentous stuctures by
a membrane like structure.
Usually found in clusters in an area of cytoplasm
devoid of other organelles
Origin and function unknown

Fungal tissues
Plectenchyma - general term for fungal tissue
Prosenchyma - tissue is loosely woven
mycelial strands

Pseudoparenchyma - tightly packed hyphae;

more or less isodiametric

Nuclear condition
Monokaryon

A single type of nucleus in a cell or mycelium

Dikaryon

A pair of closely associated, sexually

compatible nuclei in a cell or mycelium (n + n)

Heterokaryon (heterokaryosis)

a condition in which genetically different

nuclei are associated with the same
protoplast or the same mycelium

Parasexual Cycle
(Pontecorvo, 1956)

Establishment of heterokaryon

Mutation
Hyphal fusion

Fusion of two different nuclei to form

diploid
Haploidization by aneuploidy

From Gary Cole

http://gsbs.utmb.edu/microbook/ch073.htm

INCOMPATIBILITY SYSTEMS
Homogenic incompatibility
inability of genetically similar individuals to fuse
promotes outcrossing in sexual reproduction
controlled by mating type genes (MAT)
unifactorial (bipolar)
outcrossing individuals are heterothallic
operates in gamatangia and trichogynes

Heterogenic incompatibility
inability of somatic or vegetative hyphae to fuse
somatic or vegetative incompatibility
vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs)
het genes

Mating type genes

Single genetic locus - MAT with two alleles not
true alleles
Idiomorphs

not homologous
encode for two distinct set of genes but at identical
chromosome location

Specifies one of two possible mating types

MAT1-1 & MAT1-2 (recent universal standard)
MAT A & MAT a (Neurospora)
MAT a & MAT (Saccharomyces)

MAT 1-1 secretes pheromone factor (a or 1)

recognized by receptor in 1-2
MAT 1-2 secretes pheromone factor ( or 2)
recognized by receptor in 1-1
Reception of pheromones results in:

Arrest of the cell cycle

Production of cell wall carbohydrates and other
factors
Gametangial development and interaction

Vegetative or somatic incompatibility

Heterogenic incompatibility
Prevents the fusion of genetically different mycelia
Multigenic and multiallelic genetic system
het loci

Antagonism between two VCGs

(vegetative compatibility groups)
Barrage reactions - a clear zone between the two mycelia due
to the lysis of the interacting hyphae
Unstable heterokaryons
Enhanced pigment production
Enhanced mitotic spore (conidium) production

How do haploid, monokaryotic, heterothallic

ascomycetes in different vc groups undergo
sexual reproduction?

Separate individuals are maintained in vegetative

hyphae controlled by het genes
Detection of mating compatible pheromones
results in the development of ascogonia and
antheridia
Gametangia are not under the control of the het
genes

Primary morphological characters

of the Ascomycota
Sexual spores (meiospores=ascospores)
formed in sac-like structure called ascus
(pl. asci)
Site of meiosis
Three main types of asci in Ascomycota:

Prototunicate ascus
Unitunicate ascus
Bitunicate ascus

Ascus

round to clavate to cylindrical

persistent or evanescent
+/- iodine reaction of ascus walls
operculate
inoperculate
unitunicate
bitunicate
prototunicate

Bitunicate asci
www.mycolog.com/CHAP4a.htm

www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/Bot201/Ascomycota/

www.mycolog.com/CHAP4a.htm
www.bsu.edu/classes/ruch/msa/geiser.html

www.bsu.edu/classes/ruch/msa/geiser.html

Iodine reaction of ascus walls

Application of Iodine as useful taxonomic aid to
differentiate unitunicate inoperculate type from the
bitunicate type when observed under light microscope.
Except in the lichenised ascomycetes, the bitunicate asci
do not turn blue.
Depending on upon the species the asci of some species
will turn entirely blue or turn blue at apex only.
The structures that become blue include the plug within
the pore and the rings that occur within the thickened
ascus apex.
Basically these are electron dense granules arranged as a
ring or plate, delimiting the pore, that lie within the ground
material derived from the outer ascus wall

Ascospores
+/- pigmentation
aseptate, uniseptate or multiseptate
+/- appendages
+/- sheaths
variety size, shapes, arrangement in ascus
usually 8 per ascus

www.arches.uga.edu/~newell/pspc.htm
www.bsu.edu/classes/ruch/msa/geiser.html

www.bsu.edu/classes/ruch/msa/geiser.html

www.bsu.edu/classes/ruch/msa/geiser.html

www.bsu.edu/classes/ruch/msa/geiser.html

Ascus types: Prototunicate

Thin-walled ascus
Ascospores released by breakdown of wall e.g
Saccharomycetales, Eurotiales, Onygenales.
Eurotium and Gymnoascus

Ascus types: Unitunicate

Inner (endotunica or endoascus) and outer ascus walls
(exotunica or exoascus) do not separate during
ascospore release
Ascospores released through specialized adaptation at
ascus tip in the form of pore, slit or lid

Unitunicate Asci

Ascus tip
Operculate

Ascus opens by forming a lid like

operculum
Cap that detaches along preformed line

Operculum may be

lifted completely e.g Pezzizales, Sarcoscypha

coccinea or
may hinge to one side e.g Pezzizales,
Ascobolus and Pyronema

Ascus tip
Inoperculate
No operculum
Opens by pore e.g Heliotales like Sclerotinia or
May burst by one or two longitudinal slits at the apex
(bilabiate ascus)-e.g Pertusaria, Ascozonus.
Specialised structures found in ascus tips are generally
referred to as the apical apparatus.
Apical ring or annulus are specially
thickened inward extension of the
apical wall of the ascus arranged in
the form of cylindrical flanges. Upon
discharge of ascospore the annulus
is everted inside out like a sleeve.

Ascus apex may be slightly thickened with single

ring Fig (a), cylindrical apex with four rings some of
which project downwards into the ascus and stains
faintly with iodine (b), pulvinus with two rings that
stains blue with iodine (c).
Annulus amyloid: when stains blue with iodine,
Xylaria
Dextrinoid: when stains red with Melzers iodine
Refractive: when it does not stain with iodine.
Neurospora, Sordaria
Apices capped by a swollen plug of wall material
pierced by a narrow pore. Claviceps purpurea,
Cordyceps.
Function related to mechanism of discharge of
ascospores
(a) Thickened apex with single ring; (b) cylindrical with
four rings, some pointing downwards; (c) pulvinus with
two rings

Refractive ring, Neurospora

Amyloid ring, Xylaria

Unitunicate-Inoperculate Asci

Series Unitunicatae-Inoperculate
Although none have lids (opercula), the asci of this group
are not as uniform in appearance or structure as we might
like (below). Most have thicker walls at their tips, pierced
by a fine pore. Inside the apices, many have diagnostic
sphincter-like rings, which control the expulsion of the
spores. Some of those rings are amyloid (they stain blue
in iodine), others don't react with iodine, and are called
chitinoid. Some asci don't have rings at all, and in the
lichenized Lecanorales (G) (now placed in the
Class Lecanoromycetes), the ascal apex is extremely thick
and pierced by a narrow canal.
The true relationships among these orders have yet to be
fully worked out.

Ascus types: Bitunicate

Also called Jack-in-the Box ascus (Ingold, 1933)
or the fissitunicate ascus (Henssen and Jahns,
1974)
Inner and outer wall layers separate during
ascospore discharge:

Inner (endotunica)thin and extensible

Outer (exotunica)thick, inextensible

Inner wall balloons out beyond outer wall

Jack-in-the Box ascus showing

ascospore discharge

Bitunicate ascus

Endotunica

Exotunica
Protoventuria barriae

Bitunicate (fissitunicate) Ascus

Bitunicate (fissitunicate) ascus

Apical chamber

Four types of Asci

Ascostome

operculum

Unitunicate,
Inoperculate ascus

Unitunicate,
Operculate ascus

Prototunicate ascus

Bitunicate, Jack-in-the-box ascus

Sexual reproduction in Ascomycota

1. Gametangial contact
gametangia - sexual reproductive organs. Pyronema
domesticum
2. spermatization
fertilization of female gametangium by male gamete
(spermatium). Neurospora crassa

3. somatogamy
fusion of undifferentiated hyphae; rare in Ascomycota.e.g
Coprobia granulata
Mating behaviour: Heterothallic (Neurospora crassa) and
Homothallic (Emericella nidulans, Pyronema
domesticum, Sordaria fimicola)

Gametangial contact
Isogametangia
- morphologically identical gametangia
- gametangia fuse
- fusion cell becomes ascus
- common in yeasts
Heterogametangia
- morphologically distinct gametangia
- antheridium (male; donates nuclei)
- ascogonium (female; receives nuclei)
- trichogyne: receptive hypha on some ascogonia
- Pyronema domesticum
- male nuclei pass from the antheridium into the ascogonium
- no formation of a "fusion cell
- ascogonium is initially multinucleate; nuclei occurring in
pairs(?)
- hyphae from fertilized ascogonium develop into asci

Development of Ascus
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.

ascogonium and antheridium (n)

fertilization of ascogonium by antheridium (multinucleate)
dikaryotic hyphae developing from fertilized ascogonium
crozier development
conjugate nuclear division (mitosis)
ascus mother cell (n+n)
zygote (2n)
young ascus post meiosis (n)
young ascus after mitosis (n)
mature ascus with ascospores (n)

www.apsnet.org/education/IllustratedGlossary/PhotosA-D/ascogonium.htm

Ascosporogenesis
Formation of ascospores within the ascus occurs by the
Process of free cell formation
Enveloping membrane system (EMS)
(1) envelopment of a nucleus and cytoplasm by two closely
associated membranes (EMS)
(2) Ascospore wall deposition between the two membranes
ascus cell wall

Ascus

ascus plasmalemma

EMS

The EMS
Double membrane (dm) system. Separates from its
close association with the ascus. Plasmalemma
fragments into pieces or sheets. These dm sheets
cleave out the young ascospore

ascus cell wall

Ascus

ascus plasmalemma

EMS

Epiplasm

Cytoplasm that is not incorporated into developing

ascospore
Functions:
Nourishment of developing spores (?)
Deposition of spore ornamentation
ascus cell wall

Ascus

n
epiplasm
ascus plasmalemma

After ascospore initials delimitation by EMS

inner membrane of the EMS becomes the ascospore
plasmalemma
outer membrane becomes the "ascospore investing
membrane (aim)
investing membrane is displaced progressively by ascospore
wall deposition
much of the ascospore wall is deposited by the young
ascospore
at least part of the ascospore wall and spore ornamentation
are deposited by the epiplasm
ascus cell wall

Ascus

n
ascus plasmalemma

aim
ascospore plasmalemma
ascospore cell wall

In Ascomycetes meiosis occurs in the ascus similar to in basidia.

BUT two differences from Basidiomycetes:
(1) meiospores are borne inside asci and shot out;
(2) the dikaryon is a short period of the Type 1 lifecycle found
only in the ascogenous hyphal system after fertilization.

From TEXT

Ascoma or Ascocarp types

Whats inside?
Asci-scattered or in Hymenium
Centrum:- (Hamathecium + asci) excluding ascoma
wall
Hamathecium (Gr. Hama = together + theke = case):
sterile inter-ascal tissue or elements. Lacking in
Eurotiales,clavicipitales,Mycosphaerella.

Paraphyses : hyphae growing amongst the asci

Apical paraphyses: short hyphae that originate above the
level of developing asci and grow down in palisade layer
among the asci
Epithecium (Gr. epi = upon + theke = case)- when
paraphyses tips fuse above the asci to form a solid layer

Periphyses : hyphae in the ostiolar canal of an ascocarp

Pseudoparaphyses : originate above the asci of an
ascostroma; grow down among the developing asci to reach the
base of the ascocarp where they fuse with the base of the
cavity. May be septate, branched and anastomosing.
Trabaeculate pseudoparaphyses: Nonseptate, usually thinner
than pseudoparaphysis

Naked asci without any fruit bodies

Asci formed directly from zygote, terminal

clamydospores or ascogenous cells following
karyogamy, no ascogenous hyphae hence
complete absence of ascocarp
Hemiascomycetes and Archiascomycetesincludes both yeast and yeast like members.
Byssochalmys forms clusters of naked asci.

Cleistothecium

Completely enclosed by wall (peridium), no

preformed opening.e.g Plectomycetes
(Aspergillus, Penicillium)

www.bsu.edu/classes/ruch/msa/geiser.html
www.bsu.edu/classes/ruch/msa/geiser.html

Chasmothesium

modified cleistothesium capable of cracking

open along a line of weakness. e.g Erysiphales
Erysiphae

Gymnothesium

Not completely enclosed, There is loose open

network of peridial hyphae referred to as
reticuloperidium.e.g Gymnoascus, Myxotricum

Ctenomyces

Auxarthron

Apothecium

Ascocarp with asci exposed at maturity.

Cup or saucer shaped e.g Discomycetes (Pezzizales and
Helotiales). Asci unitunicate.
Sessile or without stipe, Ascobolus, Pyronema, Pezziza
With stipe, Cookenia;
Non cupulate and compound ascoma Morchella esculenta,
Helvella infula, Wynnea americana.
Epigeous: species which form their apothecia above ground.
Majority of Pezzizales.
Hypogeous: ascomata occur beneath the soil. The Truffles
Variedly coloured, fleshy and moist.

The anatomical zones

Hymenium-palisade layer of asci and paraphyses
Subhymenium-thin zone of tissue giving rise to
hymenium
Exipulum-the sterile tissue
Ectal exipulum-outermost sterile layer of apothecium
Medullary excipulum-central enclosed mass of sterile
tissue of apothecium

Perithecium

Apical pore (ostiole) through with ascospores are released,

globose to flask shaped.e.g Pyrenomycetes (Sphaeriales
and Hypocreales). Asci unitunicate.
Perithecia single (Sordaria, Neurospora) or embedded in
or seated on a mass of tissue forming perithecial stroma.
Stroma brightly coloured or subued.

Ascolocular types

Loculoascomycetes = Dothideomycetes

From Blackwell et al. 2006. Mycologia 98: 834

Pezizomycotina
Laboulbeniomycetes - inoperculate, perithecia
lichen

Arthoniomycetes - bitunicate, apothecia*

Dothideomycetes - bitunicate, pseudothecia*
Leotiomycetes - inoperculate, apothecia*
Sordariomycetes - inoperculate, perithecia
prototunicate, cleistothecia*

lichen

Lichinomycetes - inoperculate, apothecia

lichen

Lecanoromycetes - inoperculate, apothecia*

Eurotiomycetes - prototunicate, cleistothecia
bitunicate, pseudothecia*
Pezizomycetes - operculate, apothecia*
Orbiliomycetes - inoperculate, apothecia*

From Blackwell et al. 2006. Mycologia 98: 834

A selection of Dothideomycete morphological forms.

Teleomorphs, ascostromata
Pseudothecia

Tubeufia cerea(Tubeufiaceae) on wood

Hysteropatella prostii(Hysteriales)

Stylodothis puccinioides (Dothideales)

Pseudothecia
Pyrenophora brizae(Pleosporales)

Hysterothecia

Cochliobolus heterostrophus (Pleosporales)

Bitunicate asci,

Asci with ascospores

Bitunicate

Davidiella tassiana (Capnodiales)

Guignardia magniferae (Botryosphaeriales)

Multiascus locules
Myriangium duriaei (Myriangiales)

Monascus locules
Bipolaris sp. (Pleosporales)

Trimmatostroma abietis

Broken
Helicoon and Helicoma spp. (Tubeufiaceae).
ectotunica

Stroma

Dothiorella sp. (Botryosphaeriales)

Trimmatostroma abietis

Conidia borne in pycnidium

Helical conidia

Conidia and
conidiophore

Chlamydospores

Pseudothecium

Ascocarp with bitunicate asci formed in cavity

(locule) within psuedoparenchymatous
stromatic tissue also called ascostroma.
Resembles perithecium in appearance.
Venturia inaequalis

Comparision between Perithecium and

Pseudothecium
Perithecium are flask shaped
structure with distinct wall, the
peridium.

Pseudothecium superficially
resembles a perithecium with no
distinct wall.

Characteristic of Pyrenomycetes
excepting Erysiphales

Characteristic of loculoascomycetes
.

Ostiole schizogenous.

Ostiole lysigenous.

Ascoma formed following sexual

stimulus. Asci arise from a
hymenium.

Ascoma an aggregation of
vegetative hyphae. Asci develop in
pre-formed locules, the ascolocule.

Presence of Paraphyses and

Apical paraphyses

Presence of Psuedoparaphyses.

Hysterothecium

Some consider this type between perithecium and

apothecium characterised by multilocular, carbonaceous,
leathery, boat shaped (Hysterium) or branched ascoma
with a long slit like opening parallel to long axis and
extending through the entire length of the ascoma or with
radiate fissures (Rhytissima) that opens up above the
ascocarp for the ascospores to escape. Asci bitunicate
with hyaline, multiseptate ascospores.
e.g Hysteriales of Loculoascomycetes

Hysterium pulicare

Ascomata opening by a longitudinal split, and sometimes called hysterothecia.

Thyrothecium

Inverted flattened scutellate ascoma lacking basal plate

is termed as thyrothecium e.g. Morenoina epilobii,
Schizothyrium
Ascoma ostiolate or closed. When closed the scutellum
opens either with a longitudinal fissure, a star-shaped
fissures or with irregular fissures.
Asci globose, bitunicate with fissitunicate dehiscence,
may or may not be stalked.
Ascospores usually septate with or without mucous
sheaths or cilia.

Schizothyrium rufulum

Without ostiole

Figs. 14-16. Schizothyrium rufulum on Encyclia sp. (Orchidaceae; Mangelsdorff 2247). 14. Longitudinal section through a
thyriothecium. Bar = 25 m. 15. Young and mature asci embedded in ascogenous tissue. Bar = 25 m. 16. Mature ascospores. Bar
= 10 m.

Schizothyrium pomi
Flyspeck, on apple

Without ostiole

Thyriothecium cracks in
the light colored circular
area seen here

Immature thyriothecia of S. pomi on apple

Fig. (A) Schizothyrium pomi,
associated with flyspeck, on
apple. (B, C) Immature
thyriothecia of S. pomi on
apple. When mature, the
thyriothecium cracks in the
light colored circular area seen
in (C). Bar = 2 mm in (B) and
100 m in (C). (D, E)
Ascospores and asci released
from a crushed thyriothecium
obtained from blackberry stem.
Bar = 30 m in (D) and 15 m in
(E).

Morenoina epilobii

Ostiole

Figs. 7-10. Morenoina epilobii on an unknown host (Hofmann 127). 7. Surface mycelium
with young thyriothecia. Bar = 20 m. 8. Longitudinal section through a thyriothecium with
a basal hymenium. Bar = 10 m. 9. Young and mature asci on ascogenous tissue. Bar =
10 m. 10. Young and mature ascospores. Bar = 5 m.

Ascocarp Types
(a recapitulation)

From Moore-Landecker, Fundamentals of the Fungi.

T.S through compound fructification of Xylaria showing many perithecial ascomata

Pictorial Representation of different Ascocarps

Ascocarp
Ascocarptypes
types
Cleistothecium

Gymnothecium

Chasmothecium
Stipitate
Apothecium
Apothecium

Compound
ascoma

Compound ascomata
Order Cyttariales Class Leotiomycetes:

On Southern Beech tree (Nothofagus)

Claviceps

close-up of the head

Hypocrea

slice of the head

reveals their
orientation.

Cordyceps sp

Ascocarp types

Perithecium

Pseudothecium

Ascostromatal types

Hysteriothecium

Pseudothecium
Thyrothecium