Chaetosphaeria cupulifera  

Stromata absent.

Ascomata perithecial, 200-300 µm diam, globose to slightly oblate, the ostiole distinctly papillate, periphysate; black, coriaceous to carbonaceous, ± superficial or with the base immersed, scattered or in small clusters amongst the conidiophores. Peridium composed of an outer layer of ± completely occluded strongly melanized textura epidermoidea with cells to 4 µm diam, and an inner layer of strongly flattened thin-walled hyaline cells. Interascal tissue of copious thin-walled filiform paraphyses to 2.5 µm diam, tending to deliquesce at maturity. Asci 105-130 x 7.5-9 µm, cylindrical, fairly long-stalked, thin-walled at all stages, the apex obtuse with a conspicuous apical ring ca 2 µm diam and 1.5 µm thick, 8-spored. Ascospores arranged biseriately, 22-28 x 3.5-5 µm, narrowly fusiform-ellipsoidal, often slightly curved, hyaline, thin-walled, eventually (3- to) 5-septate, smooth, without mucous sheath or appendages.

Anamorph: Catenularia cuneiforme. Conidiomata absent. Conidiophores formed in tufts from small basal stromatic elements, sometimes accompanied by sterile obtuse hairs with hyaline tips; 180-350 µm long, 5-6 µm diam at the base, dark brown, thick-walled, usually 3- to 4-septate, rarely branched, occasionally proliferating by growing through the fertile locus to form a new conidiogenous cell. Conidiogenous cells cylindrical, dark brown, not significantly differentiated from the conidiophore cells, with a single terminal fertile locus which proliferates percurrently, periclinal thickening absent, with a very large conspicuous obconical to campanulate collarette to 10 µm in length, 4-5 µm diam at the base and 8-9 µm at the tip. Conidia formed in short chains, 10-13.5 µm long, obconical with truncate ends, 6-9.5 µm diam at the apex, 4-5 µm diam at the base, golden to dark brown, very thick-walled especially at the apex, smooth, aseptate, without mucous sheath or appendages.