Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : * Endococcus rugulosus Nyl.

Description : Lichenicolous, parasymbiontic or parasitic on thalli of lichen-forming fungi. Ascomata perithecia, arising singly, subglobose, immersed to erumpent, ostiolate, black; peridium carbonaceous, comprising 3–6 layers of radially compressed thick-walled dark-brown pseudoparenchymatous cells; ostiole lined internally with distinct periphyses. Paraphyses, paraphysoids and pseudoparaphyses absent, asci originating in a gelatinous matrix. Asci elongate–clavate to subcylindrical, with a markedly thickened apex when young, bitunicate, originating in a basal fascicle, 4–8-spored. Ascospores irregularly arranged or distichous, ellipsoidal, with rounded or somewhat pointed apices, 1-septate, sometimes markedly constricted at septum, pale- to dark-brown, smooth-walled, without a perispore.

Endococcus is a widespread genus of c. 30 species of lichenicolous fungi (Kainz & Triebel 2004), included with some doubt in the Dothideomycetes  incertae sedis (Hawksworth 2003; Eriksson et al. 2004; Pennycook & Galloway 2004; Eriksson 2005), though Lawrey & Diederich (2003) place it in the Verrucariaceae. At present c. 20 species are known (Etayo 2002). All are lichenicolous fungi that have entire, flask-shaped or subglobose ascomata; bitunicate asci discharging fissitunicately; no interascal filaments; and 1-septate, brown, smooth-walled ascospores (Hawksworth 1979b, 1985a; Triebel 1989; Alstrup & Hawksworth 1990; David & Etayo 1995; Sérusiaux et al. 1999: 24–29; Hafellner et al. 2002; Kainz & Triebel 2004). Four species are known in New Zealand, but records are still scanty and the genus is still very poorly known here.