Gloniopsis praelonga (Schw.) Zogg

A. Ascospores dictyosporous, clearly vertical- & cross-septate, but completely lacking in pigmentation, thus hyaline; ascospores usually greater than 20 um in length, and usually with 5- or more transverse septa.

1. Mostly with 5- to 11-cross septa & 1- to 3-vertical septa. Hyaline dictyospores (16) 20 – 32 (34) x (6) 9 – 12 (15) μm:

= Gloniopsis praelonga (Schwein.) Zogg

2. Ascospores with 7 transverse septa & 1 – 2 longitudinal septa, widely ellipsoid; Hyaline dictyospores 20 – 26 x 9 – 12 μm. Argentina.

= Gloniopsis argentinensis Speg.

3. Ascospores irregularly biseriate, ellipsoid, hyaline, becoming brown later, with the upper half generally wider than the lower half, sometimes surrounded by gelatinous sheath, with 7 - 13 transverse septa and 1 – 3 longitudinal septa, constricted at the median transverse septum, 25 – 49 x 8 – 17um. Japan.

= Gloniopsis macrospora N. Amano

B. Ascospores dictyosporus, hyaline, as above, but smaller, less than 20 um in length, with fewer transverse & longitudinal septa:

1. Usually with only 3- to 4-cross septa & 1 single vertical septum that passes through 1- to 3-cells. Hyaline dictyospores (12) 14 – 18 (24) x (4) 6 – 8 (10) μm:

= Gloniopsis smilacis (Schwein.: Fr.) Underwood & Earle

2. As above, with 3- to 4-cross septa & 1 single vertical septum, the latter passing thought the middle cells, but with slightly smaller measurements. Hyaline dictyospores 10.4 – 13.2 x 4.4 – 5.8 μm:

= Gloniopsis constricta N. Amano

Detailed Dichotomous Key to species of Gloniopsis De Notaris
(modified from Zogg 1962)

A. Ascospores dictyosporous, clearly vertical- & cross-septate, but completely lacking in pigmentation, thus hyaline; ascospores usually greater than 20 um in length, and usually with 5- or more transverse septa.

1. Mostly with 5- to 11-cross septa & 1- to 3-vertical septa. Hyaline dictyospores (16) 20 – 32 (34) x (6) 9 – 12 (15) μm:

= Gloniopsis praelonga (Schwein.) Zogg

Zogg. 1962. Beitrage zur Krytogamenflora der Schweiz, Band 11, Heft 3: 1-190. Cosmopolitan. Old bark & wood of: Juniperus, Arecastrum, Populus, Carya, Corylus, Castanea, Quercus, Ficus, Persea, Laurus, Crataegus, Rubus, Rosa, Prunus, Acacia, Piptadenia, Calycotome, Buxus, Rhus, Aesculus, Ceanothus, Cistus, Myrtus, Eucalyptus, Arctostaphylos, Vaccinium, Erica, Olea, Aspidosperma, Verbascum, Catalpa, Lonicera.

Hysterium praelongum Schw., 1834
Gloniopsis brevisaccata Lohman, 1933a
Gloniopsis buxi Petrak, 1947
Hysterium connivens Cooke et Hark. (in Bisby, 1932)
Hysterium Cookeanum Gerard, 1976
Gloniopsis Cookeanum (Ger.) Sacc., 1883
Gloniopsis decipiens de Not., 1847
Hysterographium insigne Cooke et Harkn., 1885
Gloniopsis insignis (C. et Hark.) Berl. et Vogl., 1886
Gloniopsis lepophila Kirschstein, 1938
Gloniopsis levantica Rehm, 1886
Hysterium lonicerae Phill. et Harkn., 1884b
Gloniopsis  lonicerae (Phill. et Harkn.) Berl. et Vogl., 1886
Hysterium Muelleri Duby, 1862
Gloniopsis Muelleri (Duby) Sacc. 1883
Gloniopsis Penzigi Paoli, 1905
Hysterium vaccinii Carm. ex Berk. non Schw. (in Boughey, 1938/39)
Gloniopsis vaccinia(Carm. ex Berk. non Schw.) Boughey, 1938/39
Hysterium verbasci Schw., 1834
Gloniopsis verbasci (Schw.) Rehm, 1886
Gloniopsis vienalis Sacc. et Br. (in Sacc., 1891)

[Gloniopsis Cookeana (Ger.) Sacc., from bark of Carya alba (New Palz L&ing, NY, Gerard), dry exposed wood Ohio (Morgan), cast-off bark of Acer, on Pyrus, Malus & Quercus Newfield, NJ (Ellis); Gloniopsis lonicerae (Phil. & Hark.), from decorticated branches of Lonicera frm. CA (Harkness); Gloniopsis insignis C. et Hark. from Acacia frm. CA (Harkness); Gloniopsis brevisaccata Lohman 1933a; Gloniopsis levantica Rehm.]

Ellis & Everhart (1892): “Hysterothecia linear, mostly lying parallel, straight or sub-flexuous, flattened above, immersed in the wood, with the flattened apex exposed & slightly prominent; lips incurved, leaving a narrow crevice or furrow between them, 1.5 – 2.5 mm in length. Asci clavate-oblong, 65-70 x 15 μm, eight-spored, subsessile, overtopped by the abundant, filiform paraphyses, which are blackened & glued together at their tips (the epithecium). Ascospores sub-biseriate, ovate-elliptical or subclavate, often a little curved, 5 to 7 septate & muriform, yellowish-hyaline, measuring 20 – 22 x 8 – 10 μm. On weather-beaten wood, Carolina & Pennsylvania (Schw.), Ohio (Morgan), on wood of Quercus & Persea, Texas & Florida (Ravenel), on old stems of Verbascum thapsus, Bethlehem, PA (Schw.). Gloniopsis praelonga is virtually indistinguishable from Glonium lineare in the field.”

Barr (1990): “Ascomata 1 – 1.5 mm long, 300 – 400 μm wide, 220 – 245 μm high, erumpent to superficial; peridium 30 – 50 μm wide; exposed hymenial surface brownish. Asci 60 – 120 x 15 – 25 μm,. Ascospores 20 – 30 x 9 – 12 μm, hyaline or slightly reddish in age, obovoid, ends obtuse, 5 – 7 (-10) septate, with 2 – 3 longitudinal septa, constricted at least at the first formed septum. Anamorph Aposphaeria – like; elongate conidiogenous cells lining cavity of conidioma; conidia hyaline, oblong ovoid, one celled (Lohman, 1932).  In woody branches or stout herbaceous stalks, north temperate & tropical regions.”

Lee & Crous (2003):  “Ascomata hysterothecioid, globose to subglobose in vertical section, solitary to gregarious, erumpent to superficial with base immersed, straight to flexuous, simple to rarely branched, ellipsoid or elongated with blunt to pointed extremes, opening by a depressed longitudinal slit, 0.1 – 0.9 mm long, 0.3 – 0.4 mm wide. Peridium consisting of three layers, up to 70 μm in diameter, pseudoparenchymatous, outer layer dark, carbonaceous, inner layer hyaline, compressed, middle layer consisting of 1 – 2 rows of thick walled, brown cells between outer & inner layers. Pseudoparaphyses cellular, hyaline, septate, flexuous, branched, numerous, 0.5 – 1.5 μm wide. Asci bitunicate, cylindric to clavate, stipitate, octosporous, 95 – 113 x 15 – 20 μm. Ascospores (23-) 25 – 26 (-30) x (9-) 10 – 11 (-13) μm, ellipsoid, hyaline to yellowish, with 5 – 7 transverse septa & 1 – 2 longitudinal septa, slightly constricted at the transverse septa, with a gelatinous sheath. The morphology of this species appears to be relatively  uniform between different collections. Observations made from various isolates revealed, however, that the gelatinous sheaths of ascospores varied between different collections. Ascospores of some collections were clothed with a gelatinous sheath, whereas the majority of collections lacked gelatinous sheaths. Ascospore dimensions of the various collections varied , but all fell into the range of Zogg’s description of the species. The presence of three distinctly layered peridium emphasized by Barr (1987) for recognition of members of the Hysteriaceae was not commonly observed. However, a middle layer of 1 – 2 cells thick was found between the outer & inner layers.”

Van der Linde (1992): “Fruitbodies are arranged in small groups, superficial elongated or linear, tapering towards the ends, sometimes curved, not branched, up to 1.2 x 0.3mm. Pseudoparaphyses hyaline, filiform, septate, slightly thickened apically & branched near the top to form an epithecium. Asci cylindric-clavate, irregularly biseriate, 8-spored, 120 – 130 (140) x 25 – 30um. These dimensions are slightly larger than those given by Zogg (1962) for this species. Ascospores hyaline, oval to oblong, dictyosporous with up to 7 transverse septa & 1 or 2 longitudinal septa. Mounted in erythrosine, a gelatinous layer is visible around especially the younger spores, 24 – 28 x 10 – 12um (excluding gelatinous layer).”

Gloniopsis praelonga (Schw.) Zogg

2. Ascospores hyaline dictyospores, with 7 transverse septa & 1 – 2 longitudinal septa, widely ellipsoid; Hyaline dictyospores 20 – 26 x 9 – 12 μm. Argentina.

= Gloniopsis argentinensis Speg.

Spegazzini. 1902.  Anales Mus. Nac. Bs. As. (ser.3, v.1) 8: 74. Name validated by Lorenzo & Messuti (1998):  “Hysterothecia gregarious to confluent, erumpent to superficial, striated, sub-carbonaceous, elliptic with obruse extremes, straight, arranged following the direction of the wood fibers, 0.86 – 1.66 (-2.65) x 0.26 – 0.57 mm. Pseudoparaphyses hyaline, abundant, septate, filiform. Asci cylindrical, octospored, 158 – 197 x 16.5 – 20 μm. Ascospores hyaline, irregularly biseriate, with 7 transverse septa & 1 – 2 longitudinal septa, widely ellipsoid, 20 – 26 x 9 – 12 μm. Collected by Spegazzini on naked branches of Eucalyptus globules in La Plata, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.”

It is hard to see what differentiates this from G. praelonga. In my opionion, this taxon should probably be synonimized with G.  praelonga.

3. Ascospores irregularly biseriate, ellipsoid, hyaline, becoming brown later, with the upper half generally wider than the lower half, sometimes surrounded by gelatinous sheath, with 7 – 13 transverse septa and 1 – 3 longitudinal septa, constricted at the median transverse septum, 25 – 49 x 8 – 17um. Japan.

= Gloniopsis macrospora N. Amano

Amano, N. 1983. Trans. mycol. Soc. Japan 24 : 283 – 297. “Ascomata elongated or oval with obtuse ends, dispersed or aggregated, superficial with immersed base, straight or curved, sometimes branched, slightly rounded or flattened above, sometimes finely longitudinally striate, opening by a longitudinal slit, carbonacous, black, 0.8 – 4.0mm long, 0.3 – 0.5mm wide, 0.2 – 0.3mm high. In cross section tissues of basal walls composed of thick walled, polygonal, hyaline or brown cells forming textura angularis; cells 2 – 5um in diam., thick-walled at both margins, elongated, lying almost parallel, 5 – 11 x 3 – 5um; tissues of lateral walls of textura epidermoidea; lateral walls 40 – 80um thick. Pseudoparaphyses filiform, branched, anastomosed; intercalary cells sometimes becoming oblong ellipsoid or subglobose, hyaline, 1.0 – 1.6 (-2.8)um thick, enlarged to 2.0um in diam. at the apex. Asci bitunicate, clavate, stipitate, 4- or 8-spored, 120 – 210 x 28 – 40um. Ascospores irregularly biseriate, ellipsoid, hyaline, becoming brown later, with the upper half generally wider than the lower half, sometimes surrounded by gelatinous sheath, with 7 – 13 transverse septa and 1 – 3 longitudinal septa, constricted at the median transverse septum, 25 – 49 x 8 – 17um. On dead branches of broad-leaved trees. Japan. G. macrospora resembles G. praelonga, but differs in ascospore and ascus size.”

B. Ascospores dictyosporus, hyaline, as above, but smaller, less than 20 um in length, with fewer transverse & longitudinal septa:

1. Usually with only 3- to 4-cross septa & 1 single vertical septum that passes through 1- to 3-cells. Hyaline dictyospores (12) 14 – 18 (24) x (4) 6 – 8 (10) μm:

= Gloniopsis smilacis (Schwein.: Fr.) Underwood & Earle

Underwood & Earle. 1897. Bull. Alabama Agric. Exp. Sta. 80: 196. Cosmopolitan. Old bark & wood of: Pinus, Chamaerops, Smilax, Populus, Salix, Juglans, Betula, Fagus, Quercus, Ficus, Pyrus, Crataegus, Rubus, Rosa, Prunus, Robinis, Butea, Pistacia, Cotinus, Acer, Cistus, Erica, Lav&ula.

Hysterium curvatum Fries., 1828
Gloniopsis ambigua Sacc., 1912
Hysterium biforme Fries, 1823
Gloniopsis biformis (Fries) Sacc., 1883
Gloniopsis cisti Rehm, 1896
Gloniopsis decipiens var cisti Rehm, 1886
Hysterographium Dubyi Hilitzer, 1929
Gloniopsis Ellisii Cash, 1939
Hysterium elongarum β curvatum Fries, 1823
Gloniopsis Gerardiana Sacc., 1883
Hysterium gloniopsis Ger. (in Peck, 1879)
Gloniopsis gloniopsis (Ger.) House, 1920
Hysterium naviculare Wallr., 1833
Hysterium orygmaeum Mont. (in Duby, 1862)
Gloniopsis orygmaeum (Mont.) (in Duby, 1862)
Hysterium Rocheanum Duby, 1862
Gloniopsis Rocheana (Duby) Sacc., 1883
Gloniella scortechiniana Sacc. et Roum., 1883
Hysterium smilacis Schw., 1822
Gloniopsis smilacis (Schw.) Ell. et Ev., 1892 pro parte
Gloniopsis smilacis (Schw.) Underw. et Earle, 1897
Gloniopsis smilacis (Schw.) Wilson et Seaver, 1907
Gloniopsis curvata (Fries) Sacc., 1883

Note: Zogg (1962) utilized Gloniopsis curvata (Fries) Sacc. [Syll. Fung. II, 1883, 775-776] for this taxon. Barr (1990) synonimized this name & utilized the earlier name Gloniopsis smilacis (Schwein.: Fr.) Underwood & Earle, Bull. Alabama Agric. Exp. Sta. 80: 196. 1897, as provided by Cash (1939). See below.

Ellis & Everhart (1892) for G. smilacis: “Hysterothecia erumpent, surrounded at the base by the ruptured epidermis, about 1mm long, rarely 1.5 – 2mm, gregarious, black, but not shining: lips nearly closed so as to leave but a narrow cleft between them, marked on each side by two distinct longitudinal striae. Asci oblong, subsessile, 60 x 15 μm, paraphysate, eight-spored. Ascospores biseriate or inordinate, clavate-oblong or clavate fusoid, yellowish-hyaline, 3 – 5 pseudoseptate, one or two of the inner cells divided by a longitudinal septum, 12 – 20 (15) x 4 – 5 μm, or including the gelatinous envelope surrounding the spore 7 μm wide.”

Barr (1990): “Ascomata 0.5 – 1mm long, 300 - 355 μm wide, 205 – 275 μm high, surface longitudinally striate; substrate often blackened; peridium 25 – 45 μm thick, narrow at the base; exposed hymenial surface yellowish brown. Asci 75 – 120 x 15 – 22 μm. Ascospores 15 – 26 (-31) x 5 – 9 μm, obovoid, ends acute, 3 – 5 (-7) septate, with one longitudinal septum in mid cells, constricted at first-formed septum, surrounded by gel coating. In woody branches, north temperate regions. The epithet “smilacis” has a long history. Cash (1939) recognized two taxa with quite similar elongate ascomata on Smilax. Ascomata of Hypodermopsis smilacis (Schwein.) Cash remain immersed & the ascospores are thee-septate, light brown, 20 – 27 μm, & surrounded by a wide gel coating. Ascomata of Gloniopsis ellisii Cash  (for G. smilacis sensu Ellis & Everhart, Underwood & Earle, Wilson & Seaver) become erumpent & the ascospores are 4 – 6 septate with one longitudinal septum, hyaline, 15 – 22 x 5 – 8 μm & surrounded by narrow gel coating. The specimens of NAF 2375 & F. Carol. 49 on Smilax are erumpent superficial as in G. ellisii but the ascospores are hyaline & 22 – 26 x 6 – 7.5 μm as in H. smilacis, thus combining the fearues of the two raxa separated by Cash. Other exciccati & recently collected specimens show erumpent superficial ascomata & hyaline ascospores, 3 – 5 (-7) septate, 15 – 25 x 5 – 9 μm , surrounded by a variably narrow or wide gel coating. I must conclude that Hypodermopsis smilacis refers to young stages of Gloniopsis smilacis. For this reason the earlier epithet is utilized. The species is not restricted to branches of Smilax, but occurs also on other woody substrates.” Note: Barr (1990) only recognizes two species (Gloniopsis praelonga & Gloniopsis smilacis ) and does not once mention the name Gloniopsis curvata (Fries) Sacc.

Gloniopsis smilacis (Schwein.: Fr.) Underwood & Earle
( = Gloniopsis curvata (Fries) Sacc.)

2. As above, with 3- to 4-cross septa & 1 single vertical septum, the latter passing thought the middle cells, but with slightly smaller measurements. Hyaline dictyospores 10.4 – 13.2 x 4.4 – 5.8 μm:

= Gloniopsis constricta N. Amano

Amano, N. 1983. Trans. mycol. Soc. Japan 24 : 283 – 297. “Ascomata oval or elongated with acute ends, superficial with immersed base, aggregated, straight or curved, rarely branched, opening by a longitudinal slit, carbonaceous, black, 0.5 – 2mm long, 240 – 320 μm wide & 200 – 320 μm high. Tissues of ascomata walls of textura epidermoidea. Pseudoparaphyses filiform, branched, anastomosed, hyaline, 1.0 – 1.2 μm thick. Asci bitunicate, cylindrical, stipitate, 8-spored, 74 – 112 x 8 – 10 μm. Ascospores uniseriate, ellipsoid, with 3 – 4 transverse septa & 1 vertical septum in the middle cells, constricted at the central transverse septum, hyaline, later becoming brown, 10.4 – 13.2 x 4.4 – 5.8 μm. On decorticated wood. Japan. Note: Gloniopsis constricta resembles Gloniopsis curvata but differs in having smaller ascospores with remarkable constriction at the central longitudinal septum.”

Note: This is a problematical species if the ascospores at maturity later turn brown!  If the ascospores become brown at maturity then this species should be transferred to Hysterographium. If retained here then it differs from Gloniopsis curvata primarily in the slightly smaller ascospore dimensions & the unusual constriction.