Tremella conidiopunctelia Diederich, Millanes, Lendemer, D.P.Waters & Giavarini

• Region

  North America

• Country

  United States of America

• State/Province

  New Jersey

• County/Municipio

  Hunterdon Co.

• Locality

  Lebanon Township, Crystal Springs Preserve, Headwaters of Spruce Run

• Coordinates

  40.763, -74.8576

• Location Notes

  [Map associated with specimen]

• Distribution

  Map all specimens of this taxon

Tremellomycetes - Tremellales
Class Tremellomycetes
Order Tremellales
by P. Diederich, A. M. Millanes & M. Wedin
Diederich, P., A, M. Millanes & M. Wedin. 2022. Claes Tremellomycetes, order Tremellales. lia: Diederich et al. (eds.), Flora of Lichenicolous Fungi,
Md, 1, Basidiomycota. National Museum of Natural History, Luxembourg; 165-282.
Tremella conidioparmotrema
TremeUa conidiopunctetia Diederich, Millanes, Lend-
emer, D. P. Waters & Giavarini, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Characterized by the pale to dark brown or blackish,
strongly gelatinous conidiomata, the absence of basidia and
basidiospores, the presence of conidiophores, conidiogenous
cells and clamped, sometimes catenulate conidia, 5.1-6.8 x
3.9-4.9 pm, and the host choice, Punctelia caseana.
Etymology. A noun in apposition, from conidium, as the species is
known only from the conidial stage, and Punctelia, the host lichen.
Type. USA, New Jersey, Hunterdon Co., Lebanon Town-
ship, Crystal Springs Preserve, Headwaters of Spruce Run,
40.7630¦N, 74.8576¦W, mixed hardwood forest (maple/
birch) along stream with ponds, on Acer, on Punctelia case-
ana, 23 Sept. 2020, D. P. Waters 5448 (NY - holotype).
MycoBank MB844654
Basidiomata absent. Conidiomata initially immersed and
covered by a thin cortical layer of the host that soon breaks to
expose the fertile layer, gelatinous, dark brown to black, flat
to slightly convex, rarely becoming strongly convex when
old, 0.4ù1.8 mm diam. Context hyphae 2-2.5 pm diam.,
thick-walled; fertile hyphae (conidiophores) thick-walled,
2-3.5 pm diam.; haustoria present, basal clamp not ob-
served, 3.5-5 x 2.5-3.S pm. Hymenium containing numer-
ous conidiogenous cells, proliferations occurring through
the basal clamp. Conidiogenous cells elongate ellipsoid to
subcylindrical, with a rounded base, determinate, discrete,
polyblastic, producing apically one to several conidia, 8-21
x 2.5-4.5 pm, each conidium with a basal clamp. Conidia
ellipsoid, base slightly truncate, aseptate, thin-walled, (4.4-
)5.1-6.8(-9.3) x (3.3-)3.9-4.9(-6.2) pm (n = 214); when
mature, conidia act in turn as conidiogenous cells, become
thick-walled, and produce a new conidium with a basal
clamp, sometimes becoming shortly catenulate.
Notes. This is a remarkable Tremella species in which ba-
sidia and basidiospores are absent, while the hymenium
entirely consists of conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and
conidia. Conidia all have a distinct basal clamp. Mature
conidia may become slightly elongated and more thick-
walled, then act as conidiogenous cells and in turn produce
conidia, always with a basal clamp. This suggests that co-
nidia are most probably dikaryotic.
Catenulate-clamped conidia have also been observed in dif-
ferent non-lichenicolous Tremella species, such as T. mesen-
terica or T. mellea, but in these species, the basidial stages
are also known (e.g., Bandoni 1958,1987, Wong etal. 1985).
Ecology and host. On corticolous thalli of Punctelia case-
ana and P. subrudecta, often in forests. Lendemer & Hod-
kinson (2010) have distinguished two morphotypes of P.
caseana, the first one with mainly marginal soralia, and the
second with mainly laminal soralia. The new Tremella is
known only from the second morphotype.
Distribution. Europe (UK: England) and North America (USA:
New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia). The exami-
nation of hundreds of specimens of Punctelia caseana has
revealed that the Tremella does not occur in its entire range,
but instead seems to be concentrated in southern New Jersey
and adjacent areas. The species had already been reported from
New Jersey and Pennsylvania as an unidentified Tremella spe-
cies by Harris & Lendemer (2005) and Lendemer (2006).
Additional specimens examined. UK (all on Punctelia subrudecta):
England: South Hampshire, New Forest National Park, AmieÆs
Wood, Linwood, 2020, Giavarini 229a (herb. Giavarini); ibid., Mark
Ash Wood, 2022, Giavarini 229b, 229c (herb. Giavarini). USA (all on
Diederich, Millanes, Wedin & Lawrey - Flora of Lichenicolous Fungi - Vol. 1. Basidiomycota - 2027
Tremella conidiopunctelia s. str., USA, New Jersey, holotype. Conidi-	Tremella conidiopunctelia s. str., USA, New Jersey, holotype. Conidi-
omata on Punctelia caseana. Scale bar 500 pm.	ornata on Punctelia caseana. Scale bar: 500 pm.
Tremella conidiopunctelia s. str., USA, New Jersey. A-B, holotype, C, Lendemer 3492. Conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and clamped conidia,
in phloxine. Scale bar: 10 pm.
P. caseana): New Jersey. Atlantic Co., Pleasant Mills Cemetery, W
of Batsto, Batsto Natural Area, Wharton State Forest, 39¦38Æ30öN,
74¦39Æ40öW, 3 m, on Pinus, 2004, Lendemer 3153 (NY); Burlington
Co., along the W shore of the Skit Branch of the Batsto River, S of
an unnamed pavel road, N of Carranza Memorial, N of Friendhsip,
2.5 mi NE of Hampton Furnace, Wharton State Forest, 39¦47Æ10öN,
74¦39Æ34ÆW, 15 m, on Quercus, 2004, Lendemer 3492 (NY); Burl-
ington Co., W of the shore of the Batsto River and E of the Mullica
River, S of Batsto, Wharton State Forest, 39¦38Æ28öN, 74¦39Æ04ÆW,
3 m, on Quercus, 2004, Lendemer 3246 (NY). Ohio: Adams Co.,
Oliver Township, Chaparral Prairie State Nature Preserve, N of
Chaparral Road, c. 3 mi NWof SR 247,38¦50Æ22öN, 83¦34Æ31öW,
265 m, 2006, Harms 52804A (NY). Pennsylvania: Carbon Co., State
Game Lands No. 129, E of PA 901, 1 mi W of Dilldown Creek, 2
mi N of Albrightsville, 41¦0ri0öN, 75¦34Æ55öW, 2009, Lendemer
17452 (NY). Tennessee: Sevier Co., Great Smoky Mountains Na-
tional Park, Foothills Parkway, Cove Mountain, W slopes of Crook-
ed Arm Ridge, above Starkey Hollow, c. 0.5 mi NE of Rimmel Rd.,
35¦43Æ20öN, MWH 630 m (2075 ft), on Pinus rigida, 2021,
Lendemer 71184 (NY). West Virginia: Tucker Co., Monongahela
National Forest, trail from Forest Service Road 75 along boundary
of Dolly Sods Wilderness to confluence of Alder Run Bog and Fisher
Spring Run Bog, 39¦01Æ25öN, 79¦19Æ33,W, 1175 m, on Acer ru-
brum, 2014, Harris 60539-A (NY).
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