Transactions British Mycological Society SMITH, C. G. (1969). Cross-inoculation experiments with conidia and ascospores of Erysiphe polygoni on pea and other hosts. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 53 (I), 69-76. SMITH, C. G. & WHEELER, B. E.]. (1969). The overwintering ofcleistocarps of Erysiphe polygoni on different hosts. Transactions ifthe British Mycological Society 55 (3), 355-365. SMITH, C. G. (1970). Production of powdery mildew cleistocarps in a controlled environ- ment. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 55 (3), 355-365. WEINHOLD, A. R. & ENGLISH, H. (1964). Significance of morphological barriers and osmotic pressure in resistance to mature peach leaves to powdery mildew. Phyto- pathology 54, 1409-1414. WENZIL, H. (1939). Die Untersuchung epiphytischer Pilze nach dem Abdruckverfahren (Zelloidinhautchen-Methode). Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektion- skrankheiten und Hygiene Abt, 2, IOO, 327. YARWOOD, C. E. (1935)' Heterothallism of sunflower powdery mildew. Science N.S. 72, 417-418 ⢠THE GENUS AMYLASCVS (TUBERALES) J. M. TRAPPE V.S.D.A., Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 Amylascus was described as a monotypic genus based on Hydnobolites herbertianus Cribb, which has echinulate spores, amyloid asci, and verrucose- tomentose peridia in contrast to the reticulate spores, nonamyloid asci, and smooth peridia of Hydnobolites sensu stricto. Type studies of other Australian species have revealed a second species of Amylascus, originally described as Terferia tasmanica Rodway. Amylascus is more closely related to the Geneaceae in form and anatomy than to members of the polyphyletic family Terfeziaceae (I formerly regarded it as 'clearly related to Hydnobolites' (Trappe, 1971) but now regard these two genera as examples of parallel evolution along separate phylogenetic lines). The two species of Amylascus combine the basal hyphal tuft and peridial tomentum analogous to those of Genea spp. with spores similar to those of Genabea spp. The three genera all have verrucose peridia of inflated cells. Amylascus differs from both these genera of Geneaceae in having asci randomly dispersed in glebal tissue rather than nonamyloid asci borne in hymenia. The genus probably represents an advanced evolutionary stage derived from Genea-like fungi, as do the genera of Terfeziaceae for other parallel but distinct phylogenetic lines (Trappe, 1971). Amyloid asci are otherwise unknown in the Geneaceae. However, this character ofitself has not been accorded strong phylogenetic significance in the ancestors of the Tuberales, the Discomycetes (Eckblad, 1968; Kimbrough, 1970). The same can be said for the Tuberales, at least for now. Microscopic features of taxa described below were determined from sections revived in 5 % KOH unless otherwise specified. Herbaria cited include the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K), the University of Tasmania (HO), and Oregon State University (OSC). Trans. Br. mycol, Soc. 65 (3), (1975). Printed in Great Britain Notes and Brief Articles 497 AMYLASCUS Trappe, Trans. Br. mycol. Soc. 57: 89 (1971) . Etym. Latin, amyl- (contraction of amyloideus, 'bluing in iodine') and ascus. Ascocarps subglobose to turbinate, plicate or irregularly lobed Peridium (ectal excipulum) red to blackish brown, finely verru cose, tomentose, with an outer layer of inflated (up to r oo jzm) cells. Gleba penetrated by meandering veins or narrow, labyrinthiform chambers lined with peridium-like epithecia. Spores globose, hyaline to pale yellowish brown, ornamented with spines, rods, or cones. Asci (3-) 5-8 spored, ellipsoid to subglobose, sessile or short stipitate, the walls 1-2,um thick and diffusely amyloid, embedded throughout tramal tissue. Hymenium lacking. Type species: Amylascus herbertianus (Cribb) Trappe. KEY TO SPECIES Spores ornamented with spines 2-3 x 0'3-I,um; mucilagenous epispore lacking - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -A. herbertianus Spores ornamented with rods and blunted con es 1-2 x o·5- I'5 ,urn, embedded in a mucilagenous epispore - - - - - - - - A. tasmanicus AMYLASCUS HERBERTIANUS (Cribb) Trappe, Trans. Br. mycol. Soc. 57: 89 (1971) . (PI. 56, fig. I). HYDNOBOLITES HERBERTIANUS Cribb, Pap. Dept. Bot. Univ. Qd 3: 151 (1957)· Etym. In honour of Prof. D. A. Herbert, Univ. of Queensland. Ascocarps hypogeous, subglobose, up to 12 X 10-20 mm, plicate, with a bas al tuft of hyphae. Peridium (ectal excipulum) verrucose, tomentose, red to blackish brown. Gleba firm, penetrated with meandering, red veins and, in dried specimens, labyrinthine chambers up to 2 mm broad, veins opening through the peridium on sides and tops of ascocarps. Spores globose, 2I-27 (-28),um with ornamentation, (15-)17-22(-23) ,um without, randomly grouped in asci, subhyalinc to pale yellowish brown, mostly containing a single guttule; the walls ± I,um thick. Ornamentation of subhyaline, straight to curve-tipped spines 2-3 x 0'3-1 ,urn and spaced at intervals of 1-2 usu, weakly cyanophilic in cotton blue-lactic acid, pale yellow in Melzer's reagent. Asci ellipsoid to obovoid or subglobose, 65-100 x 50-75,urn including a stern 3-12 x 5-9 ,urn, (4-)8 spored; walls hyaline to pale yellow, thin in youth but I-2,um thick by maturity, evenly amyloid. Peridium (ectal excipulurn) 300-400,urn thick; outer layer of globose to pyriform or ellipsoid cells (IO-)15-60(-80),urn diam with yellow walls ± I ,urn thick, giving rise to the surface tomentum of smooth to surface- granulated, much branched, hyaline hyphae 4-61"m diam; inner layer Trans. Br . mycol. Soc. 65 (3) , (1975) ' Printed in Great Britain 32-2 498 Transactions Brit£sh Mycological Society abruptly differentiated as interwoven to fascicled, thin-walled, hyaline hyphae 5-8 pm diam at septa but with cells occasionally infl ated up to 10 pm, confluent with the gleba. Glebal tissue similar to inner peridium, except that veins and chambers are lined with an epithecium oflarge cells similar to those of the peridium. Known only from southeast Queensland, Feb. through May. The description of fresh ascocarp characters is derived from Cribb (1957), who does not mention that glebal veins sometimes broaden to labyrinthine chambers. This feature is plain to sec on at least some dried specimens , but it could be an artifact of drying. Specimens examined: Mt. Glorious, 25 Apr. 1955,]. W . Cribb type K ; undated, K; 9 Feb. 1955,]. W. Cribb, Trappe 2095, osc, 19 Feb. 1955,]. W. Cribb, Gilkey 859, asc. AIDylascus tasznanlcus (Rodway) Trappe comb.nov. (PI. 56, fig. 2). Terfezia tasmanica Rodway, Roy. Soc. Tasmania Pap & Proc. 1925: 167 (1926). Etym. 'Tasmanian'. Ascocarp subhypogeous, irregular, 10-30 mm diam, with a basal attachment. Peridium (ectal excipulum) obscurely and minutely verrucose, tomentosc, chestnut brown. Gleba tough-fleshy, of convoluted folds of tissue penetrated with meandering veins and hypha-containing laby- rinthine chambers up to 1-2 mm broad; veins and chambers opening through the peridium on sides and tops of ascocarps. Spores globose, 20-26 pm with ornamentation, 18-24 pm without, randomly grouped in asci, hyaline to light yellow, containing one to several guttules; the walls ± 1 pm thick. Ornamentation of hyaline rods and blunted cones 1(-2) x o·5-I'5 pm, embedded in a mucilaginous epispore, spaced at intervals of 1-2 pm, weakly cyanophilic in cotton blue-lactic acid, pale yellowish brown in Melzer's reagent. Asci ellipsoid to obovoid or subglobose, 70-roo x 50-65 pm including an obscurely croziered stem 10-12 x 6-12 pm, (3-)8 spored ; walls hyaline, thin when young but 1-2 pm thick at maturity, weakly but evenly amyloid. Peridium (ectal excipulum) poorly reviving, ±400 pm thick; outer layer of globose to ellipsoid cells 3o-go pm diam with thin to slightly thickened, light yellowish brown walls, giving rise to the surface tomentum ofsmooth, thin-walled, hyaline hyphae 5-18 pm diam; inner layer a mix of inflated cells and broad hyphae. Glebal tissue of interwoven, hyaline hyphae 8-20 pm diam; veins and chambers lined with an epithecium of large cells similar to those of the pcridium and giving rise to hyphae that loosely and partially stuff the chambers. The description of fresh ascocarps is derived from Rodway (lg26). Something slipped in his description of asci and spores, since at least part of his apparent description of asci clearly refers to spores. McLennan (lg61) disputed Redway's description of the spores as echinulate. Instead, Trans. Br. mvcol. Soc. 65 (3), (1975). Printed in Great Britain Trans. Br. mycol. Soc. Vol. 65. Plate 56 2 (Facingp. 499) Notes and Brief Articles 499 she interpreted them as pitted. Her photomicrographs, however, show the mucilage-embedded rods and cones that are readily detectable by critical microscopy with KOH, Melzer's reagent, or cotton blue-Iactophenol mounts. A. tasmanicus differs from A. herbertianus by the spore ornamentation as indicated in the species key. Other distinctions doubtless exist, but new collections with more complete descriptions of fresh material and better preservation of specimens are needed to define them adequately. Specimen examined: Tasmania, Cascades, May 1925, R. R. 375, RO. These studies were supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant GB-27378, American Philosophical Society Penrose Grant 4439, and the Society of the Sigma Xi. The Directors and staffs of the herbaria cited are gratefully acknowledged for providing the collections examined. REFERENCES CRIBB,]. W. (1957). Two species of Tuberales from Queensland. Papers of the Department of Botany, University of Queensland 3, 151-152. ECKBLAD, F.~E. (1968). The genera of operculate discomycetes. Nytt Magasin for Botanik :15, 1-19I. KIMBROUGH,]. W. (1970). Current trends in the classification of Discomycetes. Botanical Review 36, 91-161. McLENNAN, E. 1. (196 I). Australian Tuberales. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 74, II I-II 7. RODWAY, L. (1926). Notes on some rare and interesting cryptogams, Royal Society of Tasmania: Papers and Proceedings 1925, 167-170. TRAPPE,J. M. (197 I). A synopsis of the Carbomycetaceae and Terfeziaceae (Tuberales), Transactions of the British Mycological Society 57, 85-92. EXPLANATION OF PLATE 56 Spores of Amylascus spp. in cotton blue-lactic, x 1000. Fig. I. A. herbertianus. Fig. 2. A. tasmanieus. A NEW SPECIES OF MONOCHAETIA WITH ARTHROCONIDIA TATSUO YOKOYAMA Institute for Fermentation, 17-85, Jusohonmachi-2, Todogauia, Osaka, 532, Japan During a study on Actinopelte (Tubakia Sutton), fresh leaves of Castanea pubinervis Schneider infected with A. japonica Sacco (T. japonica (Sacc.) Sutton) were sent to me through the courtesy of Dr K. Uchida, Ibaraki- ken Horticultural Experiment Station, who collected them at Chiyoda- mura, Ibaraki Prefecture, on 13 Aug. 1969. Keeping the pieces ofleaves in a Petri dish under moist conditions and isolating the cultures of A. Japonica, it was found that two different but apparently similar Monochaetia Trans. Br. mycol. Soc. 65 (3), (1975). Printed in GreatBritain