Roselliniopsis phaeophysciae S.Y. Kondratyuk, L. Lőkös & Hur (2013: 308)

Zhurbenko, Mikhail P. & Ezhkin, Alexandr K., 2025, Lichenicolous fungi of the Sakhalin Region of the Russian Federation, including Lichenopeltella sakhalinensis sp. nov. (Trichothyriaceae, Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota), Phytotaxa 712 (2), pp. 177-185 : 180-181

Roselliniopsis phaeophysciae S.Y. Kondratyuk, L. Lőkös & Hur (2013: 308)

Description:— Vegetative hyphae light brown, 3–4.5 µm wide, septate, sparingly branched, immersed. Subiculum absent. Ascomata perithecia, black, subglobose to ovoid, 240–320 µm in diam., with an inconspicuous ostiolar depression 15–25 µm in diam., exposed part ±rough, without hyphae, erumpent, finally to ½ exposed, dispersed to loosely aggregated; grows on the upper surface of the host’s lobes, sometimes on their darkened areas. Exciple in surface view light brown to brown, K−, pigmentation rather even, not cloudy, of textura angularis. Periphyses persistent, 1–3-septate. Paraphyses persistent, variable in thickness (2.5–5 µm wide), occasionally branched, without anastomoses, with numerous lipid guttules. Hymenium I−, K/I−. Asci very narrowly clavate to subcylindrical, wall not markedly thickened at the apex, without a distinct apical apparatus, ca. 85 × 15 µm, 8-spored, I−, K/I− except for the ascoplasm turning brownish orange. Ascospores initially hyaline and smooth-walled, finally slightly brownish and possibly finely verruculose, ellipsoid to narrowly ellipsoid, (12.5–)15–18.5(–21) × (5–)6–7(–8.5) µm, l/w = (1.7–)2.2– 3.0(–3.6) (n = 45), aseptate, with conspicuous lipid guttules, germ pores not observed, possibly occasionally halonate, mainly biseriate in the ascus.

Notes:— Roselliniopsis phaeophysciae is so far known from a few finds in Republic of Korea collected on Phaeophyscia species ( Kondratyuk et al. 2013). The examined specimen is somewhat inconsistent with the species protologue, where perithecia are characterized as larger (300–400(–500) µm in diam.), asci as cylindrical, ascospores as slightly longer (16–22(–24) × (6–)7–8(–8.5) µm) and sometimes dark brown, and Phaeophyscia (from the same family Physciaceae ) as the host genus ( Kondratyuk et al. 2013).

The disposition of this species in Roselliniopsis Matzer & Hafellner (1990: 97) does not quite match the description of this genus, which is characterized by ascomata usually basally embedded in the subiculum and uniseriate ascospores, frequently with distinct germ pores ( Hafellner 2004).

Specimen examined:— RUSSIAN FEDERATION. Sakhalin Region:Iturup Island,Mt.Pereval’naya, 45°07′49.7″N, 147°47′06.4″E, elev. 253 m, Quersus forest with Larix , on Heterodermia microphylla (thallus) growing on Quersus crispula, 1 June 2018, A.K. Ezhkin 2421 (LE F-355073).