Pyrenotrichum Mont.
Type : * Pyrenotrichum splitgerberi Mont.
Description : Lichenicolous. Conidiomata campylidia, helmet-shaped, erect, convoluted or becoming appressed, superficial, arising singly, not aggregated into stromata, pale-fawn to shades of blue-green or blue-black, wall thick at base but tapering towards the tip, outer convex surface composed of arachnoid hyphae, central tissue and inner concave surface of hyaline to pigmented thick-walled pseudoparenchymatous cells, textura angularis. Conidiophores mainly in the lower part of the concave surface, simple or branched near the base, septate or unicellular, conidiogenous cells arising at ±the same level, ellipsoidal to subcylindrical. Conidiogenous cells probably enteroblastic, phialidic, not proliferating, lacking distinct colarettes, hyaline, smooth-walled, subcylindrical. Conidia arising singly, ellipsoidal, pyriform, clavate, filiform or scolecosporous, sometimes variously curved, simple to multiseptate, not or distinctly branched, hyaline, smooth-walled.
Pyrenotrichum is a genus of nine species (Kirk et al. 2001), mainly tropical in distribution and included in anamorphic Ectolechiaceae. All nine taxa are parasymbionts on tropical foliicolous lichens and occasionally also on sterile crustose lichens on bark from tropical trees. The genus is briefly discussed by Santesson (1952: 40–41) and in some detail by Hawksworth (1981: 59–64). Kalb & Vězda (1987: 309–312) discuss nomenclatural aspects of Pyrenotrichum, and campylidia in P. splitgerberi are commented on by Sérusiaux (1986: 27–29). One species is known from New Zealand, described from sterile thalli of Calopadia subcoerulescens as * Chlorocyphella lichenicola (Keissler in Zahlbrucker et al. 1928: 313–314).
