Flora of New Zealand Series

Type : * Wentiomyces javanicus Koord.

Description : Lichenicolous, parasymbiontic on various lichen hosts (thalli and apothecia). Ascomata perithecia, globose to obpyriform, brown to black, furnished with setae; peridium in surface view with ±isodiametric cells, in longitudinal section with isodiametric to tangentially elongate cells. Setae septate, apically branched. Periphyses rudimentary or lacking. Hamathecium of paraphyses, ±dissolving in mature ascomata, present or absent in remnants, septate. Asci fissitunicate, cylindrical, occasionally enlarged in lower third, lateral walls thin, slightly thickened towards apex, 8-spored. Ascospores colourless, to pale-brownish when mature, ellipsoidal to ovoid, with rounded ends, 1-septate, septa median to supramedian, walls smooth, without a gelatinous perispore. Conidiomata unknown.

Wentiomyces is a genus of some 50 taxa (Kirk et al. 2001), in the family Pseudoperisporaceae, mainly present on leaves in the tropics (Müller & von Arx 1962; Alstrup & Hawksworth 1990; Matzer 1996). Barr (1997: 157) does not accept the genus and instead has transferred all species to either Neocoleroa or Raciborskiomyces. Several taxa are lichenicolous (Hawksworth 1980a; Alstrup & Hawksworth 1990; Roux et al. 1994; Matzer 1996; Kondratyuk 1996). One species occurs in New Zealand (Kondratyuk 1996).