Coniochaeta tetraspora  

Anamorph: unknown.

Teleomorph: Ascomata 180-300µm diam, globose to ovoid, the neck region conical, black, superficial, scattered or aggregated, black, covered in dark brown ± straight aseptate acute spines to 50µm long. Peridium areolate; plates 35-50µm diam, composed of an outer layer of dark brown thick-walled radiating cells to ca 12 x 2µm, and inner less strongly pigmented tissue. Interascal tissue composed of fairly thin-walled gradually tapering paraphyses to 3µm diam. Asci 65-73 x 6.5-8µm, cylindrical, fairly short-stalked, thin-walled, the apex truncate, with an apical ring ca 2.5µm diam and 1µm thick, at first 8-spored but only four developing to maturity. Ascospores (8.5-)10-12 x 5.5-6.5 x 4-5µm, mid brown, both faces oblong-elliptical, with a single germ longitudinal slit along one narrow face, mucous sheath not seen.

The identity of the species is not completely clear, as Cain (1961) did not describe the peridium as areolate. In other respects, the collection appears to fit well with Cain's description. Of other areolate Coniochaeta species, C. areolatirubra has eight-spored asci at maturity and a reddish coating on the ascomata.